Force Multiplier

Danny Attias

Technology moves fast, but are we asking the right questions? Welcome to Force Multiplier. Hosted by Danny Attias, VP, UK & Europe at Cloudforce (and former #1 CIO) we explore the conviction that while AI is the tool, people remain the true multiplier. We sit down with visionaries to discuss building a future of meaningful work, not just efficiency. From becoming "fearless learners" to mastering the emotional resilience needed for disruption, we uncover how to amplify human potential, not replace it. AI is the tool. You are the multiplier. Join us.

Episodes

  1. Jenny Rae: The Data Free-for-All

    Apr 24

    Jenny Rae: The Data Free-for-All

    In this episode of Force Multiplier, Danny is joined by Jenny Rae, CIO of Imperial College London. Jenny shares her career path from a business degree at Oxford Brookes, to roles at Microsoft and BT, leading to her joining Imperial as Director of Digital Products. The conversation explores where the topic of sustainability has gone when talking about AI, and touches on student trust, concerns about profiling, and a lack of a “golden” GenAI use case.  If you like Force Multiplier, make sure to check out Danny’s debut podcast Sondership, which shares Inspiring Stories from People with Purpose at Sondership.com Links: Watch AI Confidential with Hannah Fry: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002q76b/ai-confidential-with-hannah-fry Read ‘Hello World’ by Hannah Fry: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hello-World-How-Human-Machine/dp/1784163066/ Title Chapters 00:14 What’s the change you’re trying to make 01:19 Becoming Imperial CIO 03:14 From Microsoft to BT 05:40 Meet Daisy AI 07:25 GenAI Vision at Imperial 10:51 Jobs Fears and AI Teachers 11:54 Governance and Ethics 14:38 Student Data Boundaries 17:28 Student Success Chatbot 18:47 Collaboration Beyond IT 19:20 Frictionless Tool Enablement 19:45 Change Management Over Use Cases 20:33 Everyday Productivity Wins 21:53 Humans Still Matter 22:59 User Centric vs AI First 24:27 Blade Runner Future Vision 26:35 Sustainability and AI Costs 29:55 Risks and Critical Thinking 30:54 Managing Humans and Agents 33:31 Robots and Autonomy Fears 35:45 Human Flaws and Trust 36:41 Augmenting Healthcare Decisions

    38 min
  2. Lailany Sierra: Human-Centric AI Transformation - Value, Culture, and Reskilling

    Mar 22

    Lailany Sierra: Human-Centric AI Transformation - Value, Culture, and Reskilling

    In this episode of Force Multiplier, Danny is joined by Lailany Sierra, Strategic Operations & Transformation Leader, with experience across IMAX, Disney, and Chanel. Lailany discusses the change she wants to make through individual transformation: building resilience, adapting in volatile times, upskilling, and developing agency as technology reshapes work. She emphasises showing up by adding value, supporting collaboration, and considering human implications during digital transformation. The conversation warns that organisations often treat technology as an ROI investment while treating people as a cost, risking displacement, underinvestment in upskilling, and using AI to replicate existing dysfunction; successful transformation requires data, security, ethics, and alignment to customer journeys and Conway’s law. Lailany describes learning via structured courses (including an Oxford AI course) and creative studies, prefers Claude as a thought partner and Perplexity for sourced research, and advocates prompting for alternative viewpoints to avoid confirmation bias. She raises concerns about AI representation, pace, accountability, and societal/ecological impacts, while highlighting benefits like democratised access, productivity gains, and advances in life sciences and climate tech.If you like Force Multiplier, make sure to check out Danny’s debut podcast Sondership that shares Inspiring Stories from People with Purpose at Sondership.com 00:49 What’s the change you’re trying to make 02:16 Leadership and Adding Value 04:43 Human Centric AI Transformation 05:35 Why Tech Deployments Fail 09:28 ROI Versus People Investment 11:49 Conway’s Law and Org Design 15:21 Collective Intelligence With GenAI 16:00 Luxury Needs Humans 17:10 Reskilling and Learning Styles 19:43 Art Deco Inspiration 20:26 Choosing AI Tools 22:36 Low Cost Learning Paths 24:41 Avoiding Confirmation Bias 27:43 AI Risks and Representation 33:04 Democratisation and Breakthroughs 35:28 Climate and Sustainability Outlook

    38 min
  3. Dame Clare Barclay DBE: Educating Tomorrow

    Feb 27

    Dame Clare Barclay DBE: Educating Tomorrow

    In this episode of Force Multiplier, Danny is joined by Dame Clare Barclay, President of Enterprise & Industry, EMEA at Microsoft and former CEO, Microsoft UK. Clare and Danny discuss how they see AI being used in education, and how this extends to future generations. She shares what she’s seeing across AI startups and enterprises, why skills and lifelong learning are the critical unlock, and what governments can do to drive productivity and inclusive growth. If you liked Force Multiplier, make sure to check out Danny’s debut podcast that shares inspiring stories from people with purpose - Sondership Referenced in this episode: Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, Ethan Mollick https://www.amazon.co.uk/Co-Intelligence-Living-Working-Ethan-Mollick-ebook/dp/B0CHHY2PS4 Supremacy (AI, ChatGPT, and the race that will change the world), Parmy Olson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Supremacy-ChatGPT-Race-Change-World/dp/1035038226 00:45 AI as a Lifter for All 01:31 Who Shapes the Outcome 03:18 Personalized Tutors in Education 03:26 Teachers Plus AI Support 05:26 Kids Using AI Wisely 07:01 Clare's Role at Microsoft 08:14 Government and AI Strategy 09:40 Skills and Lifelong Learning 11:47 AI Reshaping Organizations 13:33 Agents and Frontier Firms 16:57 Adoption Speed and Disruption 02:14 Enterprises Meet Startups 18:45 AI As Shock Trigger 19:11 Banking AI Benchmark Race 20:40 Startup Acceleration Era 21:41 Agent Costs And Value 24:11 Experimentation Culture Shift 25:14 Personal Agents In Practice 26:46 Satya And Microsoft Agents 28:44 Microsoft Culture To AI 33:35 Curiosity New Year Advice 34:14 Mum Learns AI Story

    37 min
  4. Claudia Harris OBE: Empowering Careers and Navigating the AI Revolution

    12/20/2025

    Claudia Harris OBE: Empowering Careers and Navigating the AI Revolution

    "What is the world you want to build?" In the premiere episode of Force Multiplier, Danny Attias sits down with Claudia Harris OBE (CEO of Makers) to discuss why the future of work isn't about code, it's about becoming a "fearless learner". Claudia shares her journey from McKinsey and Tony Blair’s Delivery Unit to leading Europe’s first coding bootcamp, where she proves that resilience and emotional intelligence are the true skills of the future. Together, they strip away the sci-fi fear of AI, reframing it as a "word calculator", a tool that requires human mastery, not just blind adoption. They dive deep into: * The 3 Stages of AI Adoption: Moving from Mastery (prompting) to Automation (efficiency) to Re-imagining (complexity).* The "Playground" Trap: Why AI "friends" who never disagree with us might be dangerous for human resilience.* Agency over Anxiety: Why we must stop reacting to tech trends and start deciding what meaningful work looks like.* The Optimist’s Case: Why this is the most exciting time to be alive, if we are willing to. 00:18 The Change Makers: Transforming Careers 01:28 Personal Passion and Professional Journey 02:22 The Genesis of Makers: Coding Bootcamp 03:17 The Importance of Fearless Learning 04:05 AI and the Future of Work 04:35 Claudia's Career Path: From McKinsey to OBE 06:39 The Role of AI in Career Education 07:24 The Impact of AI on Society and Work 08:09 Building Skills for the Future 17:46 Mastering AI: A Three-Tier Approach 27:03 Balancing Personal and Professional Life 27:52 The Privilege of Working in AI 29:37 Conclusion: Embracing Change and Optimism

    30 min

About

Technology moves fast, but are we asking the right questions? Welcome to Force Multiplier. Hosted by Danny Attias, VP, UK & Europe at Cloudforce (and former #1 CIO) we explore the conviction that while AI is the tool, people remain the true multiplier. We sit down with visionaries to discuss building a future of meaningful work, not just efficiency. From becoming "fearless learners" to mastering the emotional resilience needed for disruption, we uncover how to amplify human potential, not replace it. AI is the tool. You are the multiplier. Join us.