Starts at the Top Podcast

Starts at the Top
  • 5.0 (1)
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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.

  1. Sep 24

    Episode 99 - Andy Milligan and Louisa Clarke, authors of Future Shift

    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.

  2. Jun 25

    Episode 98 - Babith Bhoopalan - Future Proofing Careers in the Age of AI

    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 before the summer break and Zoe and Paul sign off until September. 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.

  3. Jun 11

    Episode 97 - Pip Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of amicable

    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.

  4. May 21

    Episode 96 - Eleanor Gibson, Agile and Innovation Coach and Founder of Tilt

    From Control to Collaboration: Five Mindset Shifts Leaders Need for the Age of AI We chat with Eleanor Gibson, Agile and Innovation Coach and Founder of Tilt   This week we chat to Eleanor Gibson, founder of Tilt, who has helped over 40 charities rethink not just what they do, but how they work. Eleanor shares her five mindset shifts model for leaders — from outputs to outcomes, hierarchies to networks, controlling to empowering, predicting to experimenting, and isolation to transparency — and explains why these shifts are more urgent than ever as AI reshapes the way organisations operate. We caught Eleanor just before she went on maternity leave — congrats, Eleanor! — and had a brilliant conversation about why discomfort is a sign you're doing change right, how smaller charities can leapfrog larger ones by moving faster with AI, and why being intentional about how you work is the single most important thing leaders can do right now. In this episode, you'll hear about: Eleanor's five mindset shifts for adaptable, resilient leadership Why focusing on how your organisation works can unlock huge potential — especially with AI The risks AI poses to institutional knowledge and collaboration, and what to do about them How to build resilience and confidence when change feels uncomfortable Why smaller, more agile charities are seizing the AI opportunity faster than larger ones Before our chat with Eleanor, Zoe and Paul discuss the human side of AI — from the Royal Observatory's warning about outsourcing our thinking, to a Stanford student's account of graduating from the first "AI era" college class, to what happens to real human connection when AI gets so good at performing empathy.   Show Notes & Links Tilt https://teamtilt.co.uk Tilt's "Where to Start with Agile Ways of Working" workbook — available via teamtilt.co.uk Charity Change Collective Find Eleanor on LinkedIn Zoe and Paul discussed: Royal Observatory Greenwich on AI and critical thinking https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2023l60370o Theo Baker, New York Times — graduating from the first AI era college class https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/17/opinion/chatgpt-ai-college-school-graduation.html 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.

  5. May 7

    Episode 95 - Kat Thomas, entrepreneur and author of Weapons of Mass Confidence

    Weapons of Mass Confidence: How AI Can Help Close the Confidence Gap for Women We chat with Kat Thomas, author of Weapons of Mass Confidence and founder of creative communications company Knock Three Times. We're back with a conversation that we think will resonate with so many of you, particularly anyone juggling a senior role, caring responsibilities, and the relentless mental load of work and home. We were thrilled to chat to Kat Thomas, multi-award-winning creative entrepreneur and author of Weapons of Mass Confidence: How AI Will Help Women Win More. Kat shares the deeply personal story behind the book- navigating her dad's move into care from a different country, hitting bureaucratic dead ends, and the moment ChatGPT helped her solve in ten days what had taken her ten months of phone calls and lawyers' fees. From there, the conversation opens up into something much bigger: the confidence gap, the hidden cost of under-asking, and why women must show up to AI rather than reject it -because if we don't, the biases baked into these tools will only get worse. This is a hopeful, honest, and very practical conversation about how AI can be a quiet accelerator for women at work and at home. In this episode, you'll hear about: The very personal story that led Kat to write the book — and why her first AI use case was nothing to do with work The confidence gap, and why women often hold back when men go for it AI as a private "rehearsal room" for difficult conversations, doctor's appointments, salary negotiations and life admin The "power moves vs polish" divide: how men and women are using AI differently, and the guilt factor holding women back Why rejecting AI on ethical grounds risks making bias worse, not better Kat's Just Ask philosophy — and what changes when asking becomes normal rather than risky. Zoe and Paul also discuss two stories shaping the leadership conversation right now: Rishi Sunak's observation that "flat is the new up" — the idea that organisations can grow without growing headcount thanks to AI -and what this means for younger talent looking for a career path. Plus, Claude's recent pricing experiments and what the shift from SaaS-style licences to metered, usage-based AI pricing means for small businesses, charities and anyone trying to budget responsibly in an AI-dependent world. Show Notes & Links Weapons of Mass Confidence - https://www.waterstones.com/book/weapons-of-mass-confidence/kat-thomas/9781835842027 Zoe and Paul discussed: Rishi Sunak on AI and taxation - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg07x4rejdo Changes to Claude’s pricing model and AI dependency - https://zoeamar.com/2026/04/30/ai-governance-risk-charity-leaders/ 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.

  6. Apr 23

    Episode 94 - Dr Mark Williamson, co-founder and Director of Action for Happiness - author of Make Life Happier

    How Leaders Can Make Life Happier: Mark Williamson on burnout, mindset and hope We chat to Dr Mark Williamson, co-founder and Director of Action for Happiness and author of Make Life Happier.   We’re back for Season 10, and we’re opening on a positive no by chatting to Dr Mark Williamson, co-founder and Director of Action for Happiness and author of new book ‘Make Life Happier: 23 practical ways to feel better, find meaning and make adifference. ‘ We were delighted to chat to Mark about how leaders can come off autopilot, tame the inner critic, build healthier habits and lead with realistic optimism. This is a thoughtful, practical conversation about what it takes to stay grounded, connected and hopeful in uncertain times. In this episode, you’ll hear about: why leadership feels harder than ever right now how to practise self-compassion without lowering your standards the power of mindful check-ins and better listening practical habits for protecting your wellbeing how realistic optimism can help leaders navigate uncertainty Zoe and Paul also discuss the complexity crisis facing leaders today, from AI disruption and regulation to burnout and constant change, based on their news round up. Show Notes & Links Zoe and Paul discussed: Make Life Happier by Mark Williamson https://www.bonnierbooks.co.uk/news-and-media/make-life-happier-finding-meaning-with-dr-mark-williamson/ Action for Happiness https://actionforhappiness.org/ University of Manchester Business School report https://www.insidermedia.com/blogs/north-west/the-complexity-crisis-why-uk-leadership-needs-a-reset AI chatbot regulation https://www.techpolicy.press/uk-seeks-more-powers-under-online-safety-act-to-tackle-ai-harms/ 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.

  7. Feb 26

    Episode 93 - Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps

    How Mercy Corps Is Leading Through Funding Cuts and AI Disruption We speak to Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps In this final episode of the season, we speak to Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps, about leading through one of the most volatile periods the humanitarian sector has faced in years. Mercy Corps operates in some of the most fragile places on earth. Over the past year, Tjada and her team have had to navigate sudden US government funding cuts, geopolitical uncertainty and rising global need — all while continuing to innovate, including with AI. So how do you lead when programmes are shut down overnight? How do you stay transparent when you don’t have all the answers? And how do you embrace AI without losing sight of human judgement, fairness and trust? Tjada shares how she stayed “ahead of the grief curve” as a leader, why showing your values matters more than ever, and how innovation doesn’t have to mean moonshots — sometimes it’s about disciplined, human-centred experimentation. Alongside the interview, we reflect on what recent headlines from PwC, Accenture and others reveal about the future of skills, promotions and leadership in an AI-shaped workplace. As we close this season, this episode asks: How do you lead with integrity when everything feels uncertain? Earlier in the episode, Zoe and Paul reflect on what recent headlines reveal about the pace of AI change — from PwC’s decision to protect human judgement in entry-level roles, to Accenture linking promotions to AI tool usage, and the viral essay arguing that AI disruption is accelerating faster than most leaders realise. Together, these stories frame the wider leadership tensions explored in our conversation with Tjada. Show Notes & Links Zoe and Paul discussed: PwC on preserving human subjectivity in decision-making: https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/pwc-says-ai-cannot-replace-human-subjectivity-in-decision-making/ Accenture linking promotions to AI tool usage: https://www.theguardian.com/accenture/2026/feb/19/accenture-links-staff-promotions-to-use-of-ai-tools Matt Shumer – Something Big Is Happening: https://shumer.dev/something-big-is-happening 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.

  8. Feb 5

    Episode 92 - Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network

    Safety by Design: Protecting Children in the Age of AI We chat with Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network Join Zoe Amar and Paul Thomas for a conversation with Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network. In this episode, we explore the complex landscape of online safety regulation, the emerging risks AI poses to children, and what parents and leaders really need to know. Maeve brings a wealth of experience to this conversation, having spent 17 years in Whitehall including roles at Cabinet Office, No10 and DCMS, where she led the team responsible for delivering the UK Digital Strategy. As a Carnegie Trust associate, her work on online harm reduction helped shape the Online Safety Act. She now leads the Online Safety Act Network and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In this engaging discussion, Zoe, Paul and Maeve discuss: Why regulation drives innovation rather than stifling it – and how online safety regulation creates a level playing field, just as safety standards have done in sectors from food to cars. The end of tech exceptionalism. Why the argument that social media platforms are somehow "different" and can't be regulated is being debunked globally, from the EU's Digital Services Act to Australia's under-16 ban. The alarming risks AI poses to children – from chatbots designed to be persuasive and sycophantic, to harmful content being served up without safety testing. Why AI products are essentially being "tested in the wild" on our kids. What the public actually want. 72% say regulation would increase their comfort with AI, and 78% want safety checks on generative AI products even if it means delays – so why isn't this translating into industry action? Why even tech-savvy parents struggle with parental controls – and why the responsibility for keeping children safe shouldn't fall solely on their shoulders. What safety by design actually looks like: privacy set to the highest setting by default, better verification, and children only seeing content from accounts they follow. Practical advice for parents on having those tricky tech conversations with your kids – and why communication beats restriction. Show Notes & Links Online Safety Act Network Maeve Walsh on LinkedIn Zoe and Paul discussed: BBC – AI chatbots and the risks to young people The Guardian – Moltbook: the social media site built for AI agents 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.

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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.

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  • Creator
    Starts at the Top
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Starts at the Top Podcast

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