The Curious Advantage Podcast explores how curiosity drives success in the digital age. Hosted by authors and business leaders Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown, and Garrick Jones, each episode features conversations with global experts across business, science, and culture. Paul Ashcroft and Garrick Jones are co-founders of Ludic Group and authors of The Curious Advantage and ALIVE: Digital Humans and Their Organizations . Simon Brown is Global Learning & Development Leader, Partner, Talent at EY, and co-author of The Curious Advantage . Together, they share insights and practical tools to help individuals and organizations unlock their potential through curiosity. Learn more at curiousadvantage.com .
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October 21, 2026Episode 10943 min
109: Kathy Waller: Own Your Own Story, Curiosity, Trust and Leading at Scale (Former CFO, The Coca-Cola Company)
Kathy Waller joined Coca-Cola as an auditor in 1987 and left as CFO. She now runs the Atlanta Committee for Progress and sits on the boards of Delta Air Lines, CGI and Beyond Meat. She talks to Paul and Garrick about the power of the second question, building a pipeline of women leaders, why trust is operating infrastructure at airline scale, how Atlanta is changing a child's odds six miles at a time — and why you must own your own story, before somebody else tells it for you. #CuriousAdvantage Subscribe and keep exploring curiously. We're curious to hear from you — leave a review on your preferred channel and tell us what you took from this one. #CuriousAdvantage 🤳 Find Kathy Waller on LinkedIn 🎧 https://www.curiousadvantage.com/podcast ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@TheCuriousAdvantage
October 7, 2026Episode 10852 min
108: Andy Baldwin:AI Is a Contact Sport: Andy Baldwin on Leading Through the AI Shift
AI is a contact sport: you learn it by playing with it, not by watching. Andy Baldwin, Senior Vice President of Offerings and Growth at IBM Consulting and Chair of the IBM UK Board, explains why this technology shift is bigger than any he has seen in 30 years of consulting. Garrick Jones and Paul Ashcroft talk with Andy, formerly Global Managing Partner at EY, about what AI is really changing for organisations, for consulting firms and for the people inside them. He explains why most companies are "using a Ferrari to fetch the milk", how outcome-based pricing and digital labour are reshaping professional services, and why IBM expects everyone, from graduates to board members, to build real AI literacy. He also shares why he now has a 25-year-old coach who teaches him the latest AI tools every week. In this episode: Why AI is a bigger shift than the internet or cloud waves Moving from AI pilots to scale, and the right model for the right task Show, don't tell: how a software culture changes consulting Leading people through AI change with curiosity and play Quantum computing, agent-versus-agent cybersecurity and data sovereignty The new book from Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones titled "The Curious Imperative" will be available for pre order shortly. Find out more here Watch on YouTube here Enjoyed the conversation? Leave us a review and join us at #CuriousAdvantage.
September 23, 2026Episode 10741 min
107: Sharmla Chetty: When Machines Have the Answers, Questions Are the Edge (Duke CE)
Most organisations have adopted AI faster than they can govern it. Among the companies Duke CE works with, close to six in ten have embedded AI into their operations, but fewer than one in five have the governance to match. Sharmla Chetty is chief executive of Duke Corporate Education, which works with leaders in more than 80 countries. She joins Garrick Jones and Simon Brown to argue that AI readiness is not a technology test. It is three tests: capability, trust and governance and organisations keep failing on the last two long before technology becomes the problem. She makes a claim that sits at the centre of this show's argument: when machines hold all the answers, the human edge moves to the questions. The defining question of a career is no longer what you know, but how fast you can learn what you don't. In this conversation: Why leaders now run two workforces, human and digital with no playbook for either The three tests of genuine AI readiness, and why fewer than one in five organisations pass the governance one Why AI firms are hiring philosophy graduates over technology graduates How Sharmla learned to build agents from her 18-year-old nephew, and what he told her about coding Why curiosity is a leading indicator and performance is a lagging one Trust as a strategic asset: what riding a 2am bus with miners taught her about a safety problem that turned out to be a trust problem The bifurcation risk — and why leaving economies behind is a leadership failure, not an inevitability Find Sharmla on LinkedIn and learn more about Duke Corporate Education 00:00 Introduction 01:14 Curiosity as a way of being 03:05 Leading two workforces 06:21 The skills that matter now 07:59 Learning agents from an 18-year-old 09:13 Who owns the AI conversation 11:05 Why AI firms hire philosophers 14:09 Can education keep pace 17:30 What AI-ready actually means 22:14 The bifurcation risk 25:38 Curiosity as a leading indicator 28:12 Performance intelligence 30:40 Trust as a strategic asset 32:53 Riding the bus with the miners 33:51 What CHROs are worried about 40:57 Sharmla's one takeaway Learn more about iVentiv: https://iventiv.com/curiousadvantage
September 9, 2026Episode 10650 min
106: Dr Michael "House" Housman: The Culture of Agentic AI: Why Technology Is Easy and People Are Hard
AI is not just another tool cycle. Dr. Michael Housman says it is the third digital disruption, and most organizations are still underestimating how fast it will reshape work, jobs, and competitive advantage.Simon Brown, Paul Ashcroft, and Garrick Jones sit down with Housman, founder and CEO of AI Accelerator and author of Future Proof: Transform Your Business with AI or Get Left Behind to unpack why curiosity, not just technology, is the real edge in an AI-driven world.Housman shares how a career built on following what was most interesting led him from data science and AI platforms into teaching executives how to adapt. He explains why companies should stop treating AI as a shiny add-on and start thinking in two modes: incremental wins that remove repetitive work, and transformational moves that prepare for AI-native competitors. You’ll discover: Why most people are still using AI like a glorified search bar The “technology is easy, people are hard” problem that blocks adoption How to build trust with agents by treating them like smart interns Why leaders must model AI use themselves before expecting teams to change How a 20% experimentation mindset can unlock real breakthroughs The conversation goes deeper into the practical reality of future-proofing: data moats, subject-matter expertise, governance, culture, apprenticeships, and why junior talent may need a new path into expertise as AI changes entry-level work. The group also tackles one of the biggest open questions in business today: how much autonomy to give agentic AI, and when humans need to stay firmly in the loop.If you’re a CEO, leader, manager, or ambitious professional trying to make sense of AI without getting lost in the hype, this episode gives you a clear, grounded framework for what to do next. It is especially relevant if you’re responsible for teams, talent, or strategy and want to stay competitive while the rules keep changing.Perfect for anyone who wants to turn AI anxiety into action and curiosity into an advantage. Learn more about iVentiv: https://iventiv.com/curiousadvantage
August 26, 2026Episode 10548 min
105: Larry Robertson: The Power of Great Questions: Staying Human in the Age of AI
What makes a great question, and why might asking better ones be one of our most important human skills in the age of AI? In this episode, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones are joined by award-winning author and innovation advisor Larry Robertson to explore the power of questioning, curiosity and intellectual humility. They discuss why we are born questioning, how great questions help us navigate uncertainty, what humans need to retain as AI becomes more capable, and why sometimes the simplest way to go deeper is just to say: “Tell me more.” A conversation about curiosity, AI, uncertainty and why the questions we ask may shape what happens next. Learn more about iVentiv: https://iventiv.com/curiousadvantage
August 12, 2026Episode 10449 min
104: Markus Bernhardt: From Particle Physics to AI: Rewiring How Organisations Work (Endeavour Intelligence)
Paul Ashcroft and Garrick Jones are joined by Markus Bernhardt, founder of Endeavour Intelligence, to explore what is really changing as organisations adopt AI. Drawing on his background in particle physics and his research into AI strategy and organisational transformation, Markus argues that the biggest shift isn’t simply the arrival of new tools. It is the quieter rewiring of how work gets done, how decisions are made and where accountability sits. The conversation explores the difference between the visible “surface wave” of AI adoption and the deeper organisational undercurrent; why AI capability should not be confused with autonomy; the shift from AI literacy to AI fluency; and why human judgement may become more valuable, rather than less, as machines take on more execution. They also discuss agentic AI, governance, the limits of large language models and why organisations may achieve more by redesigning one workflow well than launching another large-scale AI transformation programme. Ultimately, Markus offers a practical starting point: don’t begin by asking where you can add AI. Look for where AI has already quietly changed the work, and redesign from there. Find out more about Markus work: Markus LinkedIn Page https://endeavorintel.com/ https://endeavorintel.com/diagnostic/ The Curious Advantage explores curiosity and its growing importance in the digital age. From history, neuroscience, and anthropology to business and culture, it takes the widest possible view of curiosity. At its heart is the ‘Sailing the 7C’s of Curiosity’ model, a practical framework to help individuals harness curiosity as a power skill for growth and transformation. The Curious Advantage Podcast is executive produced by Jessica Wickham and Aliki Paolinelis. Audio editing by Danny Cross and video editing by Jessica Wickham.
July 29, 2026Episode 10352 min
103: Javier Echave: Inside Heathrow & Leading One of the World’s Most Complex Operations (COO, Heathrow Airport)
In this episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast , Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones speak with Javier Echave, Chief Operating Officer of Heathrow Airport, about what it takes to lead one of the world’s most complex operations. Heathrow is more than an airport. It is a city of 90,000 people, bringing together 400 companies and serving around 85 million passengers every year. Javier explains how curiosity, clear communication and disciplined decision-making help keep this vast interconnected system moving. Drawing on his experience leading through the pandemic and Heathrow’s 2025 power outage, Javier shares how leaders can make difficult decisions with imperfect information, create psychological safety during a crisis and design organisations for reliability rather than recovery. He also explores why leadership is not about making people great, but reminding them how great they already are. Find out more about Javiers work: Javiers LinkedIn Heathrow Airport Website The Curious Advantage explores curiosity and its growing importance in the digital age. From history, neuroscience, and anthropology to business and culture, it takes the widest possible view of curiosity. At its heart is the ‘Sailing the 7C’s of Curiosity’ model, a practical framework to help individuals harness curiosity as a power skill for growth and transformation. The Curious Advantage Podcast is executive produced by Jessica Wickham and Aliki Paolinelis. Audio editing by Danny Cross and video editing by Jessica Wickham.
July 1, 2026Episode 10244 min
102: Brandon P. Fleming: Written Off by School. Recruited by Harvard: A Story on Curiosity, Mentorship and Potential
In this powerful episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast , Simon Brown and Garrick Jones speak with award-winning educator, author and entrepreneur Brandon Fleming about his extraordinary journey from joining a gang at 12 and selling drugs at 14 to becoming one of the youngest debate coaches recruited by Harvard University. Brandon shares how a single teacher challenged everything he had been told about himself, recognised his hidden gifts and transformed the direction of his life. Determined to pay that opportunity forward, he created an educational pathway for young people from underserved communities in Atlanta, helping his students become seven-time consecutive champions at the Harvard Debate Council Summer Workshops. That mission now continues through The Veritas School, where Brandon is reimagining education around connection, belonging, critical thinking and the belief that every young person has potential when given the right environment. He explains why students are often not disinterested but disengaged—and why it is the responsibility of teachers and leaders to create the conditions in which people can thrive. The conversation explores the powerful relationship between curiosity and exposure, why talent is so often overlooked or mislabelled, and what it takes to turn potential into performance. Brandon also shares why great leaders should never “blame the seed,” how educators can make learning feel personal, and why young people must develop logic and independent thinking before relying on AI. This is an inspiring conversation about education, leadership, curiosity, human potential and our collective responsibility to use our gifts to improve the lives of others. Find out more about Brandon's work: https://bpfleming.com/ The Veritas School Miseducation: A memoir LinkedIn The Curious Advantage explores curiosity and its growing importance in the digital age. From history, neuroscience, and anthropology to business and culture, it takes the widest possible view of curiosity. At its heart is the ‘Sailing the 7C’s of Curiosity’ model, a practical framework to help individuals harness curiosity as a power skill for growth and transformation. The Curious Advantage Podcast is executive produced by Jessica Wickham and Aliki Paolinelis. Audio editing by Danny Cross and video editing by Jessica Wickham.
June 17, 2026Episode 10140 min
101: Dr Laura Sicola: Why "Just Be Yourself" Is Terrible Leadership Advice (Cognitive Linguist)
Most leaders focus on what they say. Dr. Laura Sicola argues that how you say it matters just as much. In this episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast, executive communication coach, cognitive linguist and author Dr. Laura Sicola explores the concept of the "leadership voice"—the combination of your literal voice and your unique perspective. Together, they shape how your message lands, how others perceive you, and ultimately, how much influence you have. Laura shares practical insights from her work with leaders at organisations including Amazon, Intel and the US Department of Commerce, revealing how communication can be adapted without sacrificing authenticity. In this conversation, we explore: • The difference between influence, persuasion, manipulation and performance • Why authenticity isn't the same as staying in your comfort zone • How the "prismatic voice" helps leaders adapt to different audiences and situations • The role of curiosity, empathy and emotional intelligence in effective communication • Why video feedback can uncover communication blind spots and accelerate growth • How leaders can communicate with clarity and confidence in an increasingly complex world Laura's LinkedIn Laura Sicolas website Speaking to Influence website Free Tool: The Leadership Communication Blind Spot Checklist here Speaking to Influence: Mastering your Leadership Voice on Amazon The Curious Advantage explores curiosity and its growing importance in the digital age. From history, neuroscience, and anthropology to business and culture, it takes the widest possible view of curiosity. At its heart is the ‘Sailing the 7C’s of Curiosity’ model, a practical framework to help individuals harness curiosity as a power skill for growth and transformation. The Curious Advantage Podcast is executive produced by Jessica Wickham and Aliki Paolinelis. Audio editing by Danny Cross and video editing by Jessica Wickham.
June 3, 2026Episode 10028 min
100: 100 Episodes Later: Why Curiosity Has Gone from an Advantage to an Imperative
In this milestone 100th episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones reflect on six years of conversations exploring curiosity, leadership, learning, AI and the future of work. What began during lockdown has grown into a global platform for ideas spanning neuroscience, psychology, education, business transformation, technology and the arts. In this special episode, the team looks back at the guests, themes and moments that shaped the first 100 episodes and explores why curiosity has moved from being an advantage to becoming an imperative. They discuss standout conversations with guests including Amy Edmondson, Alexia Cambon and Giles Yeo, while also introducing the thinking behind their upcoming book, The Curious Imperative . You’ll hear reflections on how curiosity helps us navigate AI, disruption, uncertainty and change and why asking better questions may be one of the most important human skills for the future. Resources The Curious Advantage Website Learn more about The Curious Imperative Buy The Curious Advantage The Curious Advantage explores curiosity and its growing importance in the digital age. From history, neuroscience, and anthropology to business and culture, it takes the widest possible view of curiosity. At its heart is the ‘Sailing the 7C’s of Curiosity’ model, a practical framework to help individuals harness curiosity as a power skill for growth and transformation. The Curious Advantage Podcast is executive produced by Jessica Wickham and Aliki Paolinelis. Audio editing by Danny Cross and video editing by Jessica Wickham.
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