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The Lens – UK Responsible Business Podcast
ALLSTATE: Getting business into the hearts of communities is essential for all of our futures
In this episode, Harjot and his guests discuss how business can engage with communities that are otherwise hard to reach, and we ask our guests if business leaders can make a true impact in communities that have experienced conflict.
They also talk about global citizenship, and how developing a mentality of servant leadership and being willing to explore new ideas with an open mind can benefit you.
How can business leaders face the future with empathy, intelligence and put communities at the hearts of their businesses? Is it really true that when a business knows better, it does better? When a business is unselfish with its resources, does everyone benefit?
Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Allstate’s John Healy and Indy Hothi from ICAS.
John Healy OBE has over 25 years’ experience in technology, predominantly in the financial services domain. He has extensive experience at leading global teams, developing strategy and delivering solutions to address business and technology issues.
Prior to joining Allstate, John led Citi’s delivery centre in Belfast, providing IT, Operations, HR, Legal, Finance and Risk Services to the broader Citi group as one of 27 global delivery centres in its global network. Before serving in this position, John held senior management roles as head of technology and as a business unit manager for Citi, as well as senior roles at Grafton Recruitment, Liberty IT, J P Morgan Chase, St George Bank Treasury and Merrill Lynch.
John joined Allstate NI in January 2016 as Managing Director responsible for over 2,400 employees based in Belfast, Derry and Strabane. He was promoted to Vice President in July 2016.
John is the Executive Sponsor for the Women in Technology at Allstate (WITA) and the Embrace (LGBT) network. External to Allstate NI, he is a Women in Business Diversity Champion. John is President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Queen’s University Employers’ Forum, is a school governor and is chair of the ICT Panel of the NI government’s technology foresight group MATRIX. John earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Engineering and Computer Science from Queen’s University Belfast.
Indy Hothi CA is the co-founder of Upside Projects, a consultancy and venture builder which provides strategic advice on digital transformation, innovation and sustainability to public and private sector clients. Prior to Upside Projects, Indy was a senior economist with EY in London. He worked across a number of high-profile social/economic impact studies which influenced public policy and included clients such as the Premier League and Rugby World Cup.
Through his passion for social and humanitarian causes, Indy is a Director of Khalsa Aid International, a charity which provides humanitarian aid in disaster areas and civil conflict zones. His work has led him to the frontline on a number of projects including Iraq, DR Congo, Lebanon, Nepal and Haiti. Throughout 2020 and 2021 Indy has been working with Khalsa Aid to improve its governance, revamp its strategy and oversee its humanitarian response to COVID-19.
Indy is currently the Deputy President of ICAS, for the worlds first professional body of Chartered Accountants (CAs). ICAS has over 20,000 members worldwide. Indy is an ambassador for One Young World and a passionate advocate for education around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives.
Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Harjot Singh in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee.
Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business.
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4. HAYS and GOOGLE - Is age just a number in the workplace?
35:08This month our host Sarah Travers is joined by Clare Kemsley, Managing Director of Marketing UK&I at Hays; and Lisa De Wachter, Global Brand Account Lead Food Tech, Google Netherlands - Amsterdam.In this episode, we will discuss how people in underrepresented groups can fair well in the workplace, and we specifically dive in to the issue of age – what’s the reality for workers over the age of 50, and investigate the business case for attracting, retaining and retraining individuals who may feel they have additional barriers in the workplace.
3. GREGGS and PWC: Putting business at the heart of communities is essential for everyone
34:36This month our host Sarah Travers is joined by Roisin Currie, Chief Executive of Greggs; and Jessica Garbett, Senior Manager, Workforce Consulting Team, PwC. In this episode, we’ll explore how putting business at the heart of communities is essential for everyone. We’ll also discuss some of the tough issues out there such as employing those who have a criminal conviction and how businesses are literally stepping up to the plate to address food poverty.UK Hopes and Fears Survey 2023 - PwC UKGreggs | Doing GoodFor employers - Social Mobility CommissionThe Class Ceiling: Why it Pays to be Privileged by Sam Friedman | Goodreads
2. DANSKE BANK and GOOGLE: Workplace inclusion – why every voice must be heard
33:26This month our host Sarah Travers is joined by Vicky Davies, CEO, Danske Bank and new Chair of Business in the Community Northern Ireland; and Tomas Flier, EMEA Inclusion Lead and Diversity Business Partner for Spain, Italy and Portugal, Google, USA. In this episode, we’ll take a deep dive into workplace inclusion – how can businesses ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and what companies are doing to help their people whatever their circumstances, and when challenges come along like caring responsibilities.1. ULSTER UNIVERSITY and VOICING VOICES: Creating human-centred workplaces
35:25This month our host Sarah Travers is joined by Damian McAlister, Chief People Officer, Ulster University; and Ayan Said, Founder of Voicing Voices, an organisation that embeds intersectional inclusivity into its clients’ culture, policy and community. In this episode, we will discuss how employers can create a human-centred approach to people in the workplace – what it means, what things businesses are doing well and where improvements need to be made. Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens.
12. AKQA and Suade: Designing Responsible Business with imagination, commitment and leadership
31:47This month our host Sarah Travers is joined by Ajaz Ahmed, Founder and CEO of AKQA, a global design and innovation agency owned by WPP and providing ingenious solutions for companies like Nike, Volvo, Sony, Sky and even Tinder; and Diana Paredes, CEO & Co-Founder of Suade, a platform that allows financial institutions to transparently deal with their regulatory calculations and reporting. In this episode, we will discuss how businesses can be responsible through imagination, commitment and good leadership; and how giving time and energy to initiatives that are changing the world is so beneficial. Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens.
The Lens Special: Live from One Young World Summit
11:55In this bonus episode, our host Sarah Travers shares stories from One Young World Ambassadors who visited Belfast in October 2023 for the One Young World Summit. She shares who they are, where they work, what part of the world they are from, and of course why they are attending the Summit. Importantly, she gets to the nitty gritty of how they plan to change the world and finds out what they are already doing to make a difference. We hope you enjoy this special episode and are inspired to find out more about responsible business by getting in touch with Business in the Community at www.bitc.org.uk.
11. SUEZ AND AUDI: Pioneering circular economy approaches to responsible business
36:23This month our host Sarah Travers is joined by Dr Adam Read, Chief Sustainability & External Affairs Officer at SUEZ UK – a leading global provider of environmental solutions; and from Germany, Philipp Eder, Sustainability Strategist / Procurement Strategy, AUDI AG. In this episode, we will explore the circular economy from two very different organisations, but from our two guests’ perspectives – both of whom are committed to making the world a better place.
10. VERIZON BUSINESS AND BAYER: When our people win, everyone wins
33:13This month our host Sarah Travers is joined by Tony Judd, Managing Director of Verizon Business for the UK and Ireland. Verizon is one of the largest communication technology companies in the world, and we hear about Verizon’s plans for the future and how it is taking its responsibility for people and the planet to the next level. And our second guest is Loek Hageman, Early Careers Talent Development Programs, Bayer. Based in Berlin, Loek’s company, Bayer, is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life, and at the same time, it aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. In this episode, we will explore how Tony and Loek’s shared passion for people development plays out in both of their businesses, how development talent for the future is critical for business success, and we’ll ask them what a responsible future looks like for them personally, professionally and digitally. Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens.
9. Coca-Cola (HBC) and rePurpose Global - Packaging with Purpose
33:40This month our host Sarah Travers is joined by Tom Burke, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Director at a very well-known global brand - Coca-Cola and Svanika Balasubramanian, Co-Founder and CEO at rePurpose Global - the world's first Plastic Credit Platform. In this episode, we will explore packaging with purpose. We’ll look at how one of the world’s biggest drinks production companies is continually innovating in how it packages its products, and how another is helping consumers and businesses across 26 countries create impact by catalysing innovative waste management and circular solutions that stem the flow of ocean plastic.