We chat to Chris Sherwood, Chief Executive of the NSPCC

This week we're thrilled to bring you the first of two special episodes focused on the Online Safety Act – a topic that's hitting the headlines right now as Ofcom investigates Elon Musk's X and its AI tool Grok for potentially generating indecent images.

We sat down with Chris Sherwood, the brilliant Chief Executive of the NSPCC, who brings over 20 years of voluntary sector experience and a deeply personal connection to child protection – Chris contacted Childline himself as a child. Now he's leading one of the UK's most important charities at a pivotal moment for online safety.

This is a powerful conversation where we discuss:

• Why the Online Safety Act matters now: Chris explains why Ofcom needs to "show teeth" and use its full range of powers to hold tech companies accountable

• The AI Wild West: From AI enabled sextortion of young boys to AI-generated child abuse material

• Leading with lived experience: How Chris's own childhood experience shapes his leadership and why having proper support networks matters

• Why safety can't rest on parents' shoulders: The case for tech companies designing safety in from the start, not as an afterthought

• AI opportunities at NSPCC: How the charity is using technology to deepen supporter relationships and better understand children's experiences through Childline data

Paul and Zoe discuss the ICO's new report on agentic AI and the data protection considerations leaders need to keep front of mind, plus KPMG's bold move to rate staff on how effectively they use AI in performance reviews – a signal that AI literacy is becoming a core professional skill.

This is essential listening for anyone who cares about child safety, responsible AI, or leading with authenticity and purpose.

Show Notes & Links NSPCC Child Safety Online Taskforce Report with Baringa – Research showing online safety influences consumer choices

ICO Tech Futures: Agentic AI Report

KPMG AI Use Metric: A Necessary Professional Services Wake-up Call

Common Sense Media – NSPCC's US partner on keeping children safe online

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.

We chat with Ali Paul, Lead Product Manager for Chatbots and Generative AI at Flo Health

In our final episode of 2025, we're thrilled to share our conversation with Ali Paul, Lead Product Manager for Chatbots and Generative AI at Flo Health – the world's number one women's health app with over 420 million users globally.

Ali oversees Flo's chatbot development, content platforms and AI product teams, and she joins us to share her insights on how leaders can create the best conditions for innovation in their teams. We discuss how Flo is pioneering the use of generative AI in women's health, the challenges of developing medically safe LLM-based products, and why a democratised approach to AI adoption has been key to Flo's success.

Before our chat with Ali, Paul and I share some reflections on 2025 – from AI trends and what they might mean for 2026, to our Navigating AI Transformation leadership walk in Richmond Park with James and Anni (coming back in April!), and of course, our music highlights of the year.

What We Cover

• How Flo is using AI for both productivity and user-facing product development

• The unique challenges of creating a medically safe LLM for women's health

• Why Flo has taken a democratised, entrepreneurial approach to AI adoption

• The evolution from startup to scale-up and creating empowered product teams

• How marketing skills transfer brilliantly to product management

• Ali's advice on authenticity and finding what truly matters in your career

• Our 2025 reflections and predictions for AI in 2026

About Ali Paul

Ali Paul is Lead Product Manager for Chatbots and Generative AI at Flo Health, overseeing chatbot development, content platforms and AI product teams. With a background spanning Cancer Research UK, Bupa and various innovation and ventures teams, Ali brings a wealth of experience in health tech and product development. She's a speaker on product, health tech and femtech, and is passionate about using technology to empower women to advocate for their own health.

Charities – Get in Touch!

Ali mentioned opportunities for charities to partner with Flo, particularly around scientific and research collaborations, and CSR initiatives supporting women's health in countries with poorer health infrastructures. If you're interested, drop Zoe an email at zoe@zoeamar.com and she'll connect you with the right people at Flo.

Show Notes & Links

• Flo Health app https://flo.health/

• McKinsey article on AI skills gaps on boards https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-technology/our-insights/the-ai-reckoning-how-boards-can-evolve?stcr=BEC99EF56EC8494CA58588D24EDEB808&cid=mgp_opr-eml-alt-dna_mt-mgp-glb--&hlkid=93af2160e2db48bfa3565b306d4b54c4&hctky=10286975&hdpid=25c51be9-100a-42fd-8d20-d7ea12d337a7

• Charity AI Task Force (co-chaired by Zoe with Dan Sutch of CAST) https://www.wearecast.org.uk/our-work/how-we-work-with-funders-and-partners/charity-ai-task-force/

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.

We chat with Tony Zona, Chief Data Officer at Grant Thornton

In this episode, we chat with Tony Zona, the Chief Data Officer at Grant Thornton UK. We talk about leadership, data, and the cultural shift required to unlock the value of AI.

Tony’s 25-year journey at Grant Thornton, evolving from a tax trainee to becoming the firm’s first ever Chief Data Officer in 2022, is a masterclass in adaptability and innovation.

He offers a brilliant, people-focused perspective on data-led transformation, famously comparing siloed business units to different Italian dialects—and how his work has been about creating a common, understandable ‘business language’ for the firm’s 5,000+ people.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Trojan Horse Strategy: Why Tony advises leaders to not talk about data, but instead use the excitement of AI as a Trojan Horse to secure buy in for essential foundational work like data literacy and governance.

• Mindset Shift: Grant Thornton’s 3D Initiative: Tony details the firm’s unique, multi million pound 3D (Data Driven Digital Mindset) programme—designed to move beyond typical training by fostering a cultural shift and measurable outcomes among leaders and associates.

• Data as a Feedback Loop: Discover how Grant Thornton turns data recording from an overhead into a self-perpetuating, value-driven loop by connecting high quality data directly to a leader’s top priorities, like forecasting and profitability.

• Lessons for All Leaders: Tony shares practical takeaways for resource constrained leaders—especially those in the third sector—on how to start small, focus on core business values (like saving lives, not just profitability), and celebrate the ‘data wins’ to spark a data literate culture.

Before the interview, Zoe and Paul offer a considered appraisal of the UK AI skills report, discussing the dangers of a widening gap between the 'haves' and 'have nots' and the critical challenge of consistent implementation across all sectors, from top accountancy firms to grassroots charities.

A must listen for any leader struggling to translate the excitement of AI into practical, sustainable organisational change.

Show notes

Government AI Skills Framework https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-skills-for-the-uk-workforce

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.