The People Agenda

Hosted by LACE Partners

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Episodes

305

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

Are you an HR leader grappling with the complexities of HR tech, transformation, or change management? Then, listen to the People Agenda podcast (previously the HR on the Offensive podcast) for cutting-edge insights, actionable strategies, and real-world success stories to tackle your biggest HR challenges. In each episode, we dive into the latest trends, expert advice, and practical solutions to help you stay ahead in a rapidly evolving workplace. Whether you're looking to drive adoption of new technology, lead organisational change, or simply optimise your HR strategy, you'll leave every episode with fresh perspectives and tools to take your initiatives to the next level. Subscribe now and join us on the journey to reshape the future of HR

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 8, 202635 min

What is a CPO? Andy Doyle on Kantar's agentic workforce

Andy Doyle has an unusual job title: chief people and agent officer at Kantar. In this episode of What is a CPO, part of The People Agenda podcast from LACE Partners, Andy talks to Debbie Mitchell and James McClintick about why Kantar merged its people and AI functions into one. Andy explains why he now sees the CPO as the architect of an organisation's human capability, not the custodian of process. He talks through Kantar's target of resolving 95% of HR service queries without human intervention, why he split the business partner community into a senior consulting group and a pooled delivery team, and why the CPOs who succeed from here will need to be genuinely technology literate, not just AI-aware. It's an honest conversation about the parts that worked, the parts that didn't, and what Andy would do differently. Catch more episodes in the What is a CPO series: https://www.lacepartners.com/the-people-agenda-podcast/

August 27, 202634 min

What is a CPO? With David Jessop, Charities Aid Foundation

David Jessop, chief people officer at Charities Aid Foundation, joins Debbie Mitchell to unpack what the CPO role really involves across a charity, a bank and a global philanthropy operation, all under one roof. David shares how a shared sense of purpose holds those entities together, how his people strategy helped triple CAF's charitable distributions from £650 million to £1.6 billion in five years, and why AI adoption goes wrong when it creates a two-tier workforce. What we cover: What a chief people officer actually does, in David's own words Building purpose across charity, banking and philanthropic entities The £650 million to £1.6 billion story Avoiding a two-tier workforce as AI adoption scales More at www.lacepartners.com

July 30, 202628 min

What is a CPO? With Kristine Pollock

What is a CPO? With Kristine Pollock by LACE Partners

July 23, 202625 min

What is a CPO? With Stuart Price, CPO at Zenith

In this episode of the People Agenda Podcast, hosts Debbie Mitchell and Gemma Ryall are joined by Stuart Price, chief people officer at Zenith. Stuart draws on a career spanning food retail, healthcare and automotive to explain what the CPO role really involves, the constant tension between driving performance and protecting culture, and how to earn credibility at board level through commercial framing. He also shares why he expects AI to erode the value of technical HR knowledge over the coming years, and what skills will matter more as a result. The conversation is aimed at HR leaders, CPOs and anyone interested in the future shape of the people function.

July 15, 202631 min

What is a CPO - With Toby Hough, HiBob

This podcast episode explores the evolving role of the chief people officer in high-growth organisations. Featuring Toby Hough from HiBob, it examines how HR leaders align with business strategy, manage growth, and embed AI across the organisation. The conversation covers strategic prioritisation, organisational culture, performance evolution and the shift from hypergrowth to optimisation. Designed for senior HR and transformation leaders, the episode provides practical insights into building effective people strategies, fostering a change mindset and navigating the increasing complexity of modern organisations.

June 25, 202629 min

What is a CPO? with Sean Mileusnic

The role of the CPO is evolving faster than ever. No longer focused solely on HR operations, today's CPO is increasingly responsible for driving organisational transformation, shaping strategy, influencing culture, and helping businesses navigate complex change. In this episode of the People Agenda podcast, Debbie Mitchell speaks to Sean Mileusnic from the RNIB as he shares his perspective on what it means to be a modern CPO and why the role has become critical to organisational success. If you want deeper insights into how today's CPOs are shaping organisations, leading transformation, and preparing for the future, listen to this episode of the People Agenda podcast.

June 18, 202629 min

How can leaders manage change through uncertainty?

Change is no longer an occasional business challenge. It is a constant reality. Organisations are facing difficult decisions at an unprecedented pace. The real test for leaders is not whether change happens, but how they guide people through it when the impact feels personal. In this The People Agenda podcast Chris Howard, Annette Frem, and Ed Sparkes, explore the practical strategies for managing restructures organisational change with empathy, transparency, and resilience. This topic was also explored in our blog, When change feels personal – navigating tough times, read it for more details. Change may be constant, but how organisations manage it remains a choice. This podcast provides practical guidance for leaders, HR professionals, and change practitioners who want to navigate difficult transitions with empathy, transparency, and confidence. Listen to the full People Agenda podcast to hear the real-world experiences, leadership lessons, and actionable advice from the LACE team.

June 11, 202631 min

What is a CPO? with Michelle Wall

The role of the Chief People Officer has evolved far beyond traditional HR. In high-growth, private equity-backed businesses, today’s CPO is a commercial leader responsible for driving growth, enabling strategy, shaping culture, and creating the conditions for long-term business success. In this episode of the People Agenda Podcast Chris Howard and Debbie Mitchell speak to Michelle Wall as she shares how modern people leadership is becoming a key driver of business value rather than a support function. The modern CPO is no longer focused solely on people processes. The role has become a strategic leadership position that drives growth, supports transformation, strengthens culture, and helps organisations create lasting business value. If you want to understand how people leadership is shaping the future of business, listen to this episode of the People Agenda Podcast.

June 4, 202629 min

What is a CPO? with Jonny Friedman

The modern Chief People Officer is no longer just a people leader. Today's CPO is a strategic business partner, cultural architect, and organisational conscience. In this episode of The People Agenda Podcast Chris Howard and Debbie Mitchell speak to Jonny Friedman, Senior Vice President of People and Talent at Acumetis, as he shares how people leaders can balance commercial performance, organisational transformation, and employee experience while navigating rapid growth and change. If you're interested in the future of people leadership, organisational culture, and the evolving role of the Chief People Officer, listen to this podcast episode and hear Jonny Friedman's insights firsthand.

May 28, 202630 min

What is a CPO? With Neil Morrison, HR Director at Severn Trent

Great leadership roles are rarely defined by job titles alone. In this episode of the People Agenda podcast, Chris Howard and Debbie Mitchell sit down with Neil Morrison, the Chief People Officer (CPO) of Severn Trent as he explains why the modern CPO is no longer just an HR leader. The role has evolved into a business-critical position focused on organisational performance, culture, trust, and commercial impact. Neil shares practical insights on what separates high-performing executive teams from disconnected leadership groups. This episode offers a practical and refreshingly honest perspective on the future of leadership, culture, and the evolving role of the CPO. If you want actionable insights on organisational performance, executive leadership, and the intersection of people and business strategy, this is a podcast worth listening to.