In our Workific Conversation video podcast series, meet inspiring people from all walks of life as they share the stories, experiences and lessons behind their careers and working lives.
From entrepreneurs and Paralympians to business leaders, campaigners and people who have taken unexpected paths, our conversations explore the highs, lows, turning points and moments that make working life interesting.
Meet award-winning veteran and Royal Navy pioneer
Dismissed from the UK’s Royal Navy for being gay in the 1990s, Emma Riley took the UK to the European Court of Human Rights to challenge the decision and helped change the UK law in 2000 to allow gay people to serve in the military. Hear her amazing story as she reflects on her journey since and offers advice to others.
Reflecting on a career in championing inclusion at work
Join veteran inclusion champion and Workific advisory board member Simon Langley, as he reflects on his long career and his motivations for a people-focused career after leaving the armed forces, and the wisdom that he gained over many years, advocating for inclusion inside corporations.
Meet celebrated food guu and kindness champion Pinky Lilani
Join food guru, author and kindness champion Pinky Lilani CBE DL as she reflects on her remarkable career, the power of kindness and the importance of bringing people together. From her work celebrating women and emerging leaders to her experience at the highest levels of business, Pinky shares the lessons she has learned about leadership, connection, generosity and what it takes to make a difference.
Meet acclaimed blind chocolatier and Paralympian
Join acclaimed blind chocolatier and Paralympian Gerrard Gosens as he reflects on an extraordinary career spanning elite sport, entrepreneurship and some remarkable life experiences. From competing at the Paralympic Games to building his own chocolate business, Gerrard shares the challenges, unexpected opportunities and lessons that have shaped his journey — and what he’s learned about resilience, determination and finding a way forward.
Meet award-winning ’50 Million Voices’ founder Iain Wilkie
Join award-winning 50 Million Voices founder Iain Wilkie as he reflects on his career, the experiences that shaped him and his mission to help people find their voice at work. Iain shares the lessons he has learned along the way, from building a career around people and communication to creating 50 Million Voices, and offers his perspective on confidence, connection, leadership and making a difference.
Meet co-founder of the Black Swimming Association Seren Jones
After swimming competitively in the UK and the USA, Seren Jones only met six other black girls in the pool. She set up the Black Swimming Association in 2020, a charity to encourage more people from African, Caribbean and Asian communities to swim and engage in water safety awareness.
Balancing AI with employee safety
Shamanda Joseph, Fractional Chief People Officer at TULIP Professionals LLP discusses AI at work and how it is impacting the way we interact and collaborate, and with it, psychological safety in the workplace.
How should we deal with the many regulatory shifts taking place at the current time? And what does AI mean for how we work?
Reflecting on a career in championing inclusion at work
Join veteran inclusion champion and Workific advisory board member Simon Langley, formerly Director of Diversity & Inclusion at British International Investment, as he reflects on his long career in diversity, equity and inclusion. Discover his motivations for a people-focused career after leaving the armed forces, and the wisdom that he gained over many years, advocating for inclusion inside corporations.
Keeping inclusive communications at the core of your brand
Join us we explore effective inclusive communication strategies, both internally and externally, in conversation with the co-founders of the creative consultancy, We Are Dumpling, Naresh Subhash and Bartholomew Krysiak. Naresh is also part of the organising board for PRIDE London.
Actuating successful cultural workforce change
Award-winning Chief Diversity Officer for the City of Greenville in South Carolina, USA, Bryant Davis, discusses achieving a healthy workplace culture: Overcoming challenges and effecting successful change management, promoting community building and engagement, and expanding employee personal development programs.
Leadership’s role in navigating inclusion
Join Raj Tulsiani, CEO of Green Park and Chair and Co-founder of Race Equality Matters, as he details why it is so difficult for middle managers to incorporate inclusive values into their day-to-day, and what to do about it, avoiding tokenism and building trust to establish an inclusive culture within an organisation where everyone can thrive.
Setting up Employee Resource Groups for success
Employees who consider their ERGs effective report higher inclusion scores compared with those who don’t view them as effective – 83% versus 59%. Join Jackie Cureton, a chief diversity officer originally from Kenya who is based in New York, and who has worked at organisations including Bitly, Deloitte and Thomson Reuters, as she discusses the advantages of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
Why workplace cultural change matters now more than ever
Join Lily Carlyon, Head of Strategy and Performance at Mahlab in New Zealand, as she discusses how strategies around communicating workplace cultural change are altering and adapting in order to resonate with colleagues, and why maintaining commitment to workplace cultural change matters more than ever.
INCLUSION SERIES WEBINAR:
Creating a culture that allows people to perform at their best
Join us as we interview Penny Barsha on how to create a culture where people recognise that they actually ‘matter’ within their organisations.
Discover how Linklaters are fostering volunteering involvement in social impact projects, and how this is acting as a catalyst for new inclusion initiatives and attracting diverse talent pools into the organisation.
INCLUSION SERIES WEBINAR:
The fearless DEI practitioner: Leading business models
Join us as we interview the authors of the brand new, essential DEI practitioner handbook, ‘The fearless DEI Practitioner’. It’s a rich collection of personal insights, case studies, models, and strategies to help build your inclusive leadership, with traits and practices to strengthen your fearless DEI leadership practice, allowing you to become intuitive in your practice, and fearless in your own way.
INCLUSION SERIES WEBINAR:
Making a stand against LGBTQ+ discrimination at work
Thrown out of the UK’s Royal Navy for being gay in the 1990s, Emma Riley took the UK to the European Court of Human Rights to challenge the decision and helped change the UK law in 2000 to allow gay people to serve in the military. Join her as she reflects on this amazing journey and offers advice to others.
INCLUSION SERIES WEBINAR:
Setting an example of inclusive recruiting
Join us as we tackle hiring inclusively in 2025, taking a three-pillar approach, creating a culture of inclusion, supporting customers on their inclusion journeys and using your influence to impact communities. With Emma Parnwell, Associate Director and Rani Nandan, Director of Inclusive Culture and Social Impact at Page Group (Michael Page).
INCLUSION SERIES WEBINAR:
Gender equity and gender inclusion within a DEI framework
Join Ella Shellshear, Senior Diversity & Inclusion Manager at the Burnet Institute, as she describes her work in ensuring continuous improvements in supporting Burnet’s Working Groups (and through them partners and subgrantees) to foster a work environment that promotes and assists in the implementation of Burnet’s Gender, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.
INCLUSION SERIES WEBINAR:
Supporting the older workforce and tackling ageism
The workplace may appear flatter to those at the top, but is this actually the case? And is there a bias against older workers? Ask your team what they think! Join Joanne Lockwood as she discusses how best to balance the multi-generational workforce of today, and how to ensure that everyone is fully supported, no matter how many years they may have behind them.
INCLUSION SERIES WEBINAR:
Transforming the careers of women in health sciences
Join Dr Melina Georgousakis, Founder of Franklin Women, a ‘grassroots’ social enterprise that is advancing the careers of women in health sciences. Melina began the organisation when she was an early career medical researcher because she recognised there were very few females in healthcare leadership. Join her as she shares her successes and advice to others.
INCLUSION SERIES WEBINAR:
Adapting cultural agility for the shifting landscape
Dr Joy Wiggins is a TEDx speaker, author and cultural agility expert. She works with organisations to help with strengthening leadership, equity strategy and cross-cultural collaboration.
Much of Joy’s book, ‘From Sabotage to Support’ discusses the issue of cultural agility. Join us as she discusses how to pivot your cultural strategy for current times.