In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Kristen A. Pressner, Global Head of People & Culture at Roche Diagnostics UK & Ireland, to unpack why neurodiversity may be the single biggest untapped advantage in the post-AI workplace.

Kristen explains why most organisations are sitting on “free upside”, talented people already inside the business who are not thriving because work was designed for one type of brain. She shares why only ~25% of employees feel psychologically safe, and why the line manager is the biggest determinant of whether neurodivergent employees thrive or merely survive.

Most importantly, she reframes neurodiversity away from labels and diagnoses, and toward practical, human questions, how do you work best, what gives you energy, and what conditions help you shine, and why asking those questions changes performance, engagement, and learning at scale.

🎓 In this episode, Kristen discusses:

1. Why creating brain-friendly environments is “free upside” in a post-AI world
2. Why interest, urgency, and novelty, not importance, drive action for many people
3. The role of line managers as the single biggest differentiator in employee thriving
4. Why neurodiversity is not about diagnosis, but about how brains process motivation, focus, and energy
5. How workplaces accidentally label potential as laziness when they misunderstand neurodivergent behavior

🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilot

Meet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Will Clive, Chief Human Resources Officer at LVT (LiveView Technologies), to unpack what it really takes to build high performing teams in fast growing, high pressure environments without burning people out or killing trust.

Will breaks down why clarity beats control, and why the job of a leader is not to micromanage talent, but to make the destination so clear that teams can figure out the path themselves. He shares how outcome clarity, values driven leadership behavior, and removing low performance quickly are foundational to building real performance cultures.

Most importantly, Will explains the hard trade offs leaders avoid, why keeping low performers quietly poisons teams, how recognizing and stretching top performers matters more than money alone, and why autonomy plus accountability is the only model that scales.

🎓 In this episode, Will discusses:

1. Why clarity of outcome matters more than controlling execution
2. The real cost of keeping low performers in high performance teams
3. How recognition, stretch roles, and responsibility outperform money alone
4. Why hiring for grit, learning ability, and hunger beats pedigree
5. How leaders scale by trusting teams and removing roadblocks, not micromanaging

🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilot

Meet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Michael Burgess, Chief People Officer at Amey, to unpack what it really takes to build credibility, influence, and impact in HR when you don’t start with privilege, pedigree, or permission.

Michael shares his journey from leaving school at 16 and working as a farm labourer, to becoming a CPO responsible for people, culture, safety, and operations at scale. Along the way, he explains why hard work consistently beats talent, and why enjoying the work itself is the most underrated driver of long-term performance.

Most importantly, he breaks down a deeply practical view of modern HR, why getting the basics right earns you the seat at the table, why listening without action destroys trust, and how widening the talent pool through second-chance hiring, apprenticeships, and prison-to-work pathways is not charity, but smart, future-ready leadership.

🎓 In this episode, Michael discusses:

1. Why listening without action trains employees to disengage
2. How getting the HR basics right earns trust and credibility at the top table
3. Why hard work and enjoyment of work outlast talent, ambition, and opportunity
4. Why HR fails when it overloads the business with initiatives instead of running a clear plan
5. How Amey builds real career pathways through apprenticeships and prison-to-work programs

🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilot

Meet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.