Episode 240: HR as the Architect of Opportunity - Alana Brandes, Chief People Officer at Guild

Coleen Highfield believes commercial success and people thriving at work go hand in hand. She shares how she has brought company cultures together after acquisitions, providing practical examples such as a six-week programme to help new colleagues feel part of the organisation, and pricing benefits harmonisation into the transaction, so everyone is on a level playing field. As a single mum, Coleen speaks personally about talented women forced to pull back on their careers after having children. She introduces her upcoming book, Survive and Thrive for Working Mums, and describes the impact of a workplace children's holiday club that doubled as a talent solution. Coleen's call to action for HR: be unapologetically brave in leading individualised ways of working. --- Join us at How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! Pioneering CHROs. A day of bold conversations and practical insight. On 11 November at One Moorgate Place, London, you'll hear from CHROs at easyJet, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Havas, Lloyd's of London, PepsiCo and Warburtons. There are two hands-on workshops on culture and difficult conversations, and a closing keynote from Livia Firth on falling in love with change. The day is CPD accredited, worth 5 hours. "The agenda is magnificent." Ariam Enraght-Moony, Chief People Officer at TSB Bank and podcast alumna. Come and join Ariam and 150 of the best HR leaders. Tickets are nearly gone, so see the agenda and book your place here: https://lnkd.in/epzk-RUN How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People At Uplifting People we help organisations show their people they matter, at the moments that quietly decide whether someone stays. We donate 100% of our profit to vulnerable children, so they can be safe, loved and learning. One gift does both 💫 Find more at https://www.upliftingpeople.com/pages/moments-that-matter References · Survive and Thrive for Working Mums, Coleen Highfield's website: https://surviveandthriveforworkingmums.co.uk

Lisa Dodman shows how HR adds the most value to the business when it thinks commercially and steps beyond the rule book. Drawing on her time leading the people strategy at a global software business, she reflects on how listening, psychological safety and a clear communication strategy took its Glassdoor rating from 3.4 to 4.1 in a year. Lisa provides examples of how AI can take away HR's administrative work, freeing people teams to focus on workforce planning, commercial results and ensuring social value is not treated as a box-ticking exercise. Her call to action for HR: don't confine yourself within the rules. --- Join us at How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! Pioneering CHROs. A day of bold conversations and practical insight. On 11 November at One Moorgate Place, London, you'll hear from CHROs at easyJet, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Havas, Lloyd's of London, PepsiCo and Warburtons. There are two hands-on workshops on culture and difficult conversations, and a closing keynote from Livia Firth on falling in love with change. The day is CPD accredited, worth 5 hours. "The agenda is magnificent." Ariam Enraght-Moony, Chief People Officer at TSB Bank and podcast alumna. Come and join Ariam and 150 of the best HR leaders. Tickets are nearly gone, so see the agenda and book your place here: https://lnkd.in/epzk-RUN How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People At Uplifting People we help organisations show their people they matter, at the moments that quietly decide whether someone stays. We donate 100% of our profit to vulnerable children, so they can be safe, loved and learning. One gift does both 💫 Find more at https://www.upliftingpeople.com/pages/moments-that-matter

Ewen and Christelle share examples of how their commercial leadership also creates value for society. Both speakers at How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! this year, in this special episode we bring together moments from their podcast episodes as we share what to expect on the day. Following the top of the agenda topics, from designing organisations where AI and humans make each other better to what will separate the best employers in 2027, hear examples of Ewen and Christelle's work and come and join them, as well as CPO alumni of this podcast, and 150 of the best HR leaders, for more! 11th November 2026, London. As well as Christelle and Ewen, you'll hear from CHROs at easyJet, Lloyd's of London, PepsiCo and Warburtons. There are two hands-on workshops on culture and difficult conversations, and a closing keynote from Livia Firth on falling in love with change. The day is CPD accredited, worth 5 hours. "The agenda is magnificent." Ariam Enraght-Moony, Chief People Officer at TSB Bank and podcast alumna. Tickets are nearly gone... Take a look at the full agenda and book your place here: https://lnkd.in/epzk-RUN Don't miss out!

Gian Power OBE demonstrates how business benefits from being more human, and shares two stories to illustrate. In one, US pharmaceutical leadership become a changed team after an afternoon sharing their stories; in the other, a sceptical CEO watched a L&D strategy grow from a single person sharing a story, to transform customer experience in every store around the world. Fresh from boardroom conversations in New York, Gian explains what human means now that AI is on every board agenda, and why human workplaces outperform. He sets out the 4Cs framework that TLC Lions sees drive performance, and shares a simple filter for focussing on the most important work in a noisy world: is it structural or cyclical, relevant or just interesting? Gian also speaks personally about mental health. He talks about the leader at PwC whose small act of support changed everything for him, and explains how leaders' stories create help-seeking behaviours that colleagues can draw on years later. His wish for HR is bold: challenge at board level more often. "You have to be willing to lose your job to do your job." --- Join us at How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! Pioneering CHROs. A day of bold conversations and practical insight. On 11 November at One Moorgate Place, London, you'll hear from CHROs at easyJet, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Havas, Lloyd's of London, PepsiCo and Warburtons. There are two hands-on workshops on culture and difficult conversations, and a closing keynote from Livia Firth on falling in love with change. Gian Power OBE, Founder and CEO of TLC Lions, one of this year's Headline Partners, is chairing our Boardroom Conversation, The Human Advantage: designing organisations where people and AI make each other better. The day is CPD accredited, worth 5 hours. "The agenda is magnificent." Ariam Enraght-Moony, Chief People Officer at TSB Bank and podcast alumna. Come and join Ariam and 150 of the best HR leaders. Tickets are nearly gone, so see the agenda and book your place here: https://lnkd.in/epzk-RUN --- How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People At Uplifting People we help organisations show their people they matter, at the moments that quietly decide whether someone stays. We donate 100% of our profit to vulnerable children, so they can be safe, loved and learning. One gift does both 💫 Find more at https://www.upliftingpeople.com/pages/moments-that-matter

Jennie Barker challenges the idea that better performance comes from better processes. She explains why clarity, accountability, meaningful work and great leadership matter more than forms and rating scales, and how good performance management can also be an equity intervention. Jennie shares how Rightmove is helping people navigate AI, from creating space for honest conversations about anxiety and job security to giving teams the training and freedom to experiment. She explores why psychological safety matters when the future of work feels uncertain, and why people need to feel they can work alongside AI rather than having AI done to them. Jennie also reflects on the issues she cares most about, including gender equity, housing inequality and homelessness. She leaves us with a wish for HR: focus your efforts on the leaders who shape people's everyday experience, and come together as a profession to support each other through a period of extraordinary change. --- Thank you to Staffbase for sponsoring this episode We're delighted that Staffbase is a headline partner this year at our flagship conference, How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! Staffbase knows HR Leaders are the ones driving transformation at work, and they're here to help. Their employee communications platform connects companies with their people, whether they're at their desk or out on the front line. With tools that boost engagement, give employees a voice and align everyone around shared goals, Staffbase helps HR leaders create meaningful change and measure its impact. Want to learn more? Head to Staffbase.com and see what Staffbase could do for your organisation. --- How HR Leaders Change the World is brought to you by Uplifting People At Uplifting People we help organisations show their people they matter, at the moments that quietly decide whether someone stays. We donate 100% of our profit to vulnerable children, so they can be safe, loved and learning. One gift does both 💫 Find more at https://www.upliftingpeople.com/pages/moments-that-matter