Starts at the Top Podcast copertina

Starts at the Top Podcast

Starts at the Top Podcast

Di: Starts at the Top
Ascolta gratuitamente

Offerte di stagione | 0,99 €/mese per i primi 3 mesi

A seguire 9,99 €/mese – si applicano condizioni. Puoi disdire mensilmente.
Starts at the Top is about how leaders from all sectors are using digital to navigate uncertainty and forge a path to the future. It’s hosted by Zoe Amar and Paul Thomas.Copyright 2022 All rights reserved. Economia Gestione e leadership Management Marketing Marketing e vendite
Episodi
  • Episode 99 - Andy Milligan and Louisa Clarke, authors of Future Shift

    Episode 99 - Andy Milligan and Louisa Clarke, authors of Future Shift
    Sep 24 2026
    How to Prepare for an Unpredictable Future: Trust, AI and the Human Skills Leaders Need We chat with Andy Milligan and Louisa Clarke, authors of Futureshift: How Business and Brands Prepare for What Comes Next. How can leaders prepare for the future when five-year plans are beginning to feel like works of fiction? In the first episode of season 11, we speak to Andy Milligan and Louisa Clarke, authors of Futureshift. Drawing on interviews with more than 30 senior leaders around the world, their book explores how organisations can respond to technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, changing expectations and the climate crisis. Andy and Louisa explain why preparing for the future is less about predicting exactly what will happen and more about building the mindset, culture and capabilities to respond well when it does. We discuss: Why leaders are shortening their planning horizons as uncertainty grows How transparency, consistency and honesty build trust when difficult decisions and compromises have to be made Why command-and-control leadership is no longer fit for purpose What it means to decentralise authority and give people the psychological safety to experiment and make mistakes How AI can strengthen human connection rather than simply replace jobs Why using AI solely as a cost-cutting tool can create new risks and inefficiencies The growing importance of empathy, creativity, curiosity, critical thinking and ethical judgement Why organisations are moving from fixed roles and departments towards more fluid capabilities and cross-functional teams How customer expectations are shifting from convenience towards greater consciousness about the values and behaviour of organisations Why leaders need to create protected time for horizon scanning and thinking about what comes next Andy and Louisa also share practical advice for time-poor leaders. Their recommendations include staying curious, seeking out trusted sources, listening to younger colleagues and perspectives outside your usual bubble, and deliberately creating some white space in your diary. Before our conversation with Andy and Louisa, Zoe and Paul discuss how the debate about AI is becoming increasingly polarised. At one extreme, organisations are still working out how to use tools such as large language models and AI agents. At the other, public debate is racing towards predictions about economic collapse and threats to humanity. Zoe and Paul explore why leaders need to resist being pulled into an AI culture war and focus on what is within their control: making thoughtful decisions, creating the right culture, setting appropriate guardrails and balancing innovation with responsible risk management. This is a pragmatic and optimistic conversation about preparing for uncertainty, maintaining trust and ensuring that technology helps people become more human, not less. Show notes Find out more about Futureshift and share your hopes and fears for the future Buy Futureshift: How Business and Brands Prepare for What Comes Next Visit The Caffeine Partnership About Andy Milligan and Louisa Clarke Andy Milligan is the founder of The Caffeine Partnership, an award-winning consultancy, and an international brand and business adviser. He works with CEOs and senior leadership teams on brand development, business growth, customer experience and organisational culture. His previous books include Bold, On Purpose and Brand It Like Beckham. Louisa Clarke is the former Managing Partner of The Caffeine Partnership and now Head of Marketing at Selective Marketplace, the company behind premium womenswear brands Poetry and Wrap London. She advises leaders and teams on strategy, communication, customer experience and business growth. Together, Andy and Louisa are the authors of Futureshift: How Business and Brands Prepare for What Comes Next. Please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear! Editing and production - Paul Thomas Music by Joseph McDade - https://josephmcdade.com/music Full transcript of this episode (srt file) Full transcript of this episode (.txt file) Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    44 min
  • Episode 98 - Babith Bhoopalan - Future Proofing Careers in the Age of AI

    Episode 98 - Babith Bhoopalan - Future Proofing Careers in the Age of AI
    Jun 25 2026
    AI, careers and the human skills that cannot be replaced We chat to Babith Bhoopalan, Founder of Quantum Leap Insights and former Microsoft Director. In this episode we chat with Babith Bhoopalan, Seattle-based founder of Quantum Leap Insights and former Director at Microsoft, where he spent 25 years working at the heart of AI and enterprise technology. Babith's journey into one of the most urgent questions facing families today began not in a boardroom, but at a kitchen table. When his daughter Thea asked him a simple question, "Dad, am I studying the right things?" , he found he had no honest answer to give her. So he did what any good researcher does. He went looking for one. Drawing on 17 authoritative sources including the World Economic Forum, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey and Stanford, Babith built a free framework that scores 35+ careers for AI resistance and identifies four human capabilities that AI genuinely cannot replicate. He turned that research into two free tools: an interactive AI career guide and an AI career playbook generator. The results have been extraordinary. The tools have now reached over 30,000 families across 128 countries. The Wall Street Journal, the Sunday Times, BBC Radio 4, the Seattle Times and the Toronto Star have all covered Babith's work. He has keynoted the 35th APDC Congress in Lisbon alongside the Portuguese government and is exploring collaboration with the UN Youth Office in New York. And now he’s on our podcast! Both tools remain permanently free to access - this is not a business decision, but a conviction. In this episode we discuss: The missing rung problem: why AI isn't threatening your child's entire career, but is quietly collapsing the first two to three years of it, including entry-level roles in law, accountancy, finance and tech The four human capabilities AI cannot replicate: emotional intelligence, creative vision, physical dexterity and ethical judgment, and why they are the whole competitive advantage for the next generation From fear to design: how families can move from panic to a structured plan for navigating careers in the age of AI The university question:why the degree alone is no longer the guarantee it was, and what students should be building alongside their qualifications Versus the trades conversation that is long overdue: why electricians, plumbers and physiotherapists sit at the top of Babith's AI resistance framework The three perfect storms hitting organisations simultaneously: structural qualification gaps, the pandemic's impact on relational development, and leaders promoted for technical skills now asked to demonstrate human ones Empathy as competitive advantage: why it is not a consolation prize for people who cannot code, but the entire game What comes nextfor Babith: a girls-focused research layer, country-specific guidance, and why Babith will never put these tools behind a paywall Also in this episode: Before the conversation with Babith, Zoe and Paul discuss the UK government's proposed ban on social media for under-16s, what it means for young people's learning, creativity and connection, whether it risks driving them to darker corners of the internet, and why the real answer may lie in providing better offline alternatives. Babith's free tools: AI Career Guide - quantumleapinsights.com AI Career Playbook Generator - quantumleapinsights.com (Both tools are permanently free. Links will open Babith's site directly.) Resources mentioned: World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report - https://www.weforum.org/reports/future-of-jobs-report-2025 Goldman Sachs AI and the Future of Work research - https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/generative-ai-could-raise-global-gdp-by-7-percent McKinsey Global Institute - The future of work after COVID-19 - https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work Thomson Reuters Institute - Generative AI and legal work - https://thomsonreuters.com/en/reports/generative-ai-report.html New York Federal Reserve - Labour Market Outcomes for Recent College Graduates - https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market About Babith Bhoopalan Babith Bhoopalan is the Seattle-based founder of Quantum Leap Insights and a former Director at Microsoft, where he spent 25 years at the intersection of AI, enterprise technology, product, engineering, partnerships and customer strategy. He has advised some of the world's largest organisations on making AI work in the real world. His research on AI and careers has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, the Sunday Times, BBC Radio 4, the Seattle Times and the Toronto Star. He keynoted the 35th APDC Congress in Lisbon alongside the Portuguese government and is currently exploring collaboration with the UN Youth Office in New York. His free tools have reached over 30,000 families in 128 countries. Find Babith on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/babithb/ Show notes Recorded: 11 and 22 June 2026 Season note: This is the last episode ...
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    1 ora e 2 min
  • Episode 97 - Pip Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of amicable

    Episode 97 - Pip Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of amicable
    Jun 11 2026
    AI, Access to Justice and the Future of Human-Centred Leadership

    We chat to Pip Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of amicable

    As AI becomes more embedded in our workplaces and daily lives, leaders are wrestling with a difficult question: how do we embrace the benefits of technology without losing sight of the people it's supposed to serve?

    In this episode of Starts at the Top, we speak to Pip Wilson, co-founder and CEO of amicable, the UK-based legal services business that is transforming how people navigate separation and divorce. Pip shares how amicable combines technology, AI and human expertise to make one of life's most challenging experiences kinder, more affordable and less adversarial.

    Pip's journey spans successful tech entrepreneurship, angel investing and social impact. Together, we explore what happens when technology is designed around human needs rather than professional systems, and why the most successful businesses of the future may be those that combine commercial success with social purpose.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • How amicable was born from a deeply personal experience of divorce and a desire to create a better alternative.

    • Why the traditional legal system often makes separation harder, more expensive and more stressful than it needs to be.

    • How technology and AI can improve access to justice while keeping people at the centre of the process.

    • The opportunities and limitations of AI in emotionally complex situations.

    • Why transparency, affordability and user-centred design matter in professional services.

    • The future of relationship support, from cohabitation agreements to co-parenting and life after divorce.

    • Pip's philosophy as an entrepreneur, angel investor and B Corp leader.

    • Why businesses that combine social purpose with commercial sustainability are best placed to thrive in the future.

    As world leaders, governments and organisations debate how AI should be regulated, Zoe and Paul explore a more immediate leadership challenge: what does it actually mean to stay in control of AI?

    They discuss:

    • Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark's proposal for a permanent "Cobra for AI" capability within government.

    • Pope Leo's call for AI to be developed in service of human dignity rather than domination.

    • Whether increasing reliance on AI tools could affect our confidence in writing, thinking and decision-making.

    • The tension between leaders wanting to realise AI's benefits quickly and employees who need time, support and psychological safety to adapt.

    • The warning signs that organisations may be moving too quickly towards automation.

    These themes provide the perfect backdrop to our conversation with Pip, whose work sits at the intersection of AI, ethics, human dignity and innovation.

    Show notes

    About amicable

    Visit the amicable website , or book a 15-minute call with amicable Zoe and Paul discussed: Jack Clark on the need for a permanent "Cobra for AI" capability

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2124z7g45o The Pope’s Eclyical on AI https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedppn6002jo

    Kate Waters on AI, writing confidence and authorship

    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/katewaterscomms_usually-im-lucky-if-my-linkedin-posts-get-share-7468238726322696192-ltx2/

    Please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!

    Editing and production - Paul Thomas

    Music by Joseph McDade - https://josephmcdade.com/music

    Full transcript of this episode (srt file)

    Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)

    Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    44 min
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
Ancora nessuna recensione