Conversations to inspire HR professionals
Subscribe to AHRI’s new podcast, ‘Let’s take this offline’, to stay in the loop with each episode release. Listeners get access to resources that will help them put each episode’s learnings into action and AHRI members gain exclusive bonus content that’s distributed via the AHRI LinkedIn Lounge.
Season 6
Episode 2
Have we made it too hard to be a leader today? with Pete Shepherd
Leaders today are juggling more than ever, from complex regulations to rising cost pressures and evolving employee expectations. When overwhelm sets in, the most effective HR support often means getting back to basics.
In this episode, Pete Shepherd, executive coach and founder of Human Periscope, unpacks foundational habits and useful frameworks for early career HR practitioners looking to build confidence in coaching leaders through overwhelm.
Episode 1
Governing in the AI era with Shirley Chowdhary
AI is no longer a peripheral tech topic; it is a fundamental governance challenge colliding with leadership at the highest levels. In this episode, we move beyond the hype to examine how generative AI is reshaping the core pillars of business: accountability, risk management and strategic decision-making.
Joining host Narelle Hooper is Shirley Chowdhary, an experienced board member and former CEO with a deep background in international leadership. Shirley provides a leader’s view on the emerging governance risks that senior HR leaders must navigate to remain strategic partners to the leadership team and board.
Season 5
Episode 4
How to redesign work in the age of AI with Professor Sharon Parker
Work design isn’t just about dividing tasks and streamlining processes – it’s about shaping how people experience their work: the meaning they find and the autonomy they have.
In the age of AI, this takes on new urgency. As technology reshapes work, organisations must choose whether to let jobs become narrower and more transactional, or redesign them to drive motivation, resilience and performance.
In this episode, Professor Sharon Parker – Director of the Centre for Transformative Work Design at Curtin University – shares how HR leaders can apply evidence-based work design to create healthy, meaningful roles and ensure people remain at the centre of transformation.
Episode 3
Rewriting the rules of work with Kate Bravery
Skills shortages, shifting employee expectations and the rapid rise of AI are transforming how we think about work. For HR leaders, the challenge is not just to keep up – but to stay ahead.
In this episode, Kate Bravery, Mercer’s Global Advisory Solutions and Insights Leader, explores how HR can turn disruption into opportunity.
Episode 2
Building influence and credibility with the C-suite with Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz AM and Ben Morris CAHRI
Credibility with the C-suite isn’t built overnight – it’s earned through commercial fluency, curiosity and a clear link between people strategy and business performance.
In this episode, former Mirvac CEO Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz AM and Ben Morris MAHRI, Mirvac’s Group Head of HR, unpack what it really takes for HR to be seen as a trusted advisor and share the practical skills and behaviours that build influence at the executive table.
Episode 1
Is your workforce 'quietly cracking' with Dr Michelle McQuaid
Beneath the surface of professionalism and productivity, one in two Australian workers report they’re struggling to hold it all together – they say they are ‘quietly cracking’. The drivers are complex, from the rising cost of living to poorly managed change, but the consequences are clear: declining wellbeing, lower engagement and higher risk of burnout.
In this episode, Dr Michelle McQuaid unpacks her research on quiet cracking and outlines what HR and business leaders can do to strengthen resilience, civility and trust in uncertain times.
Season 4
Episode 4
How to accurately measure your organisation's culture with Charlie Sull
In this episode, Charlie Sull, co-founder of CultureX, shares how HR leaders can use AI and data to measure culture with rigour, decode what’s really happening inside their organisations, and take targeted action.
Episode 3
Mastering the mindsets to embrace change with Richard Gerver
In an era defined by disruption, HR leaders play a critical role in equipping people with the mindsets needed to embrace and adapt to change. In this episode, leadership expert Richard Gerver – a former award-winning principal and trusted advisor to organisations including Google and Deloitte – explores how HR can foster curiosity, build psychological safety, and serve as a stabilising force in uncertain times.
This conversation offers a preview of the insights Richard will share at AHRI’s National Convention and Exhibition in Sydney this August.
Episode 2
Navigating boardroom dynamics with Dr Juliet Bourke
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Juliet Bourke, a global authority on human capital, inclusive leadership and governance. With experience advising hundreds of organisations — including Apple, the UN and BHP — and a decade as a Deloitte Partner, Juliet brings rare insight into what boards expect from HR.
Whether you’re board-facing now or preparing for the future, this episode will help you sharpen your strategic edge.
Episode 1
Reframing impostor syndrome: leading with confidence and values with Kemi Nekvapil
In this episode, we speak with upcoming National Convention speaker Kemi Nekvapil, a globally recognised leadership coach, author and keynote speaker, who helps leaders lead with conviction and build authentic presence.
If you’re ready to lead with more confidence and clarity, this conversation is for you.
Season 3
Episode 5
Moving from HR into executive leadership with Chris Lamb FCPHR
Chris Lamb FCPHR, former Deputy Commissioner of the New South Wales Public Service Commission, reflects on his four-year tenure in the role and shares key lessons from his transition to non-HR C-suite leadership.
Episode 4
Rethinking your businesses approach to change with Ashley Goodall
In the world of HR, change is often seen as a catalyst for innovation and growth. But HR leaders also need to champion stability without stifling progress. In this episode, we explore themes from Ashley Goodall’s latest book, The Problem with Change, which challenges the assumption that constant disruption is always beneficial for business.
Goodall draws on his extensive experience leading people and learning functions at Deloitte and Cisco, offering practical examples and fresh insights into how perpetual change can erode employee wellbeing and performance. This is a must-listen episode for HR and business leaders alike.
Episode 3
HR's guide to building psychosocially safe workplaces with Tanya Heaney-Voogt
In this episode, we unpack the shift from viewing psychosocial safety as a compliance exercise to embracing it as a strategic imperative. Tanya Heaney-Voogt, a mentally healthy workplaces expert, shares how HR practitioners can influence and enable organisations to create environments where employees feel supported, engaged and safe to speak up.
Episode 2
Reframing HR's role with Isa Notermans
In this episode, we explore the evolving role of HR and the expanding remit of people practitioners in today’s complex work environments.
Isa Notermans, Chief People Officer at Fleet Space Technologies and former HR leader at Spotify, Airtasker and Google, shares her insights on how HR can move beyond transactional functions to become trusted strategic advisors.
Listeners will gain practical advice on fostering collaboration across the business, leveraging data and storytelling to influence decision-making, and redefining HR’s role to drive both people and business outcomes.
Episode 1
How to craft DEI strategies that stick with Liz Griffin FCPHR
In this episode, we dive into the transformative power of deep listening and how it can elevate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies beyond surface-level intent.
Liz Griffin FCPHR, a seasoned DEI leader with experience at Qantas, Commonwealth Bank, EY and Minderoo Foundation, explores the nuances of building inclusive cultures, navigating DEI maturity and crafting strategies that resonate with business objectives.
Listeners will gain real-world examples and practical advice to help HR leaders make impactful, systemic change in their organisations.
Season 2
Episode 5
How to prepare yourself for an HR leadership position
As HR continues to evolve, the skills and capabilities required for HR leadership roles are also shifting. So, how can emerging HR leaders arm themselves with the necessary capabilities and expertise to be ready to navigate an increasingly complex business landscape?
In this episode, we speak with Tiffany Blight CPHR, First Assistant Secretary People Division with the Federal Government, about the essential skills needed, strategies to develop these capabilities, and how HR practitioners can position themselves for future leadership opportunities.
Episode 4
Creating inclusive cultures for neurodivergent employees with Aron Mercer
In this episode, we speak with Aron Mercer, founding team member at Xceptional, a social enterprise that creates meaningful careers for neurodivergent individuals, about how to create safe, neuro-inclusive work cultures.
Episode 3
How HR practitioners can become culture leaders
Episode 2
Navigating the evolving skills landscape
In an era of rapid technological advancement, and as the demand for certain skills rises and others become obsolete, preparing for the future of work requires foresight and adaptability.
In this episode, Ravin Jesuthasan, global thought leader and Senior Partner and Global Leader for Transformation Services at Mercer, talks about how HR practitioners can navigate the evolving landscape of skills and prepare their organisations and employees for these changes.
Episode 1
How can HR care for their own mental health?
HR is an incredibly rewarding profession, tackling some of the most pressing workplace challenges, from navigating layoffs to meeting the high expectations of leaders and employees. But this kind of work can take a toll on HR’s wellbeing.
In this episode, we speak with Dr Adam Fraser, peak performance researcher and workplace wellbeing expert, to explore how HR can care for their own mental health as they navigate the ever-evolving business landscape.
Season 1
Episode 4
Building stronger relationships at work with Michael Bungay Stanier
Episode 3
Doing HR differently with Lucy Adams
In a world where the HR profession has been elevated to new heights, how can HR professionals maintain the momentum they’ve gained over the past few years to continue adding strategic value to a business’s long-term goals?
In this episode, we speak with Lucy Adams, CEO of Disruptive HR and former HR Director at the BBC, who shares her thoughts on fresh ways to think about HR, including her EACH framework, (which stands for Employees as Adults, Consumers and Humans), and shares practical examples of different ways organisations are trialling new ways of working.
Episode 2
Rethinking learning and development with Rod Farmer
In episode two of AHRI’s new podcast, host Shelley Johnson speaks with McKinsey and Company’s Expert Associate Partner Rod Farmer about how HR professionals can get cut through with their learning and development programs.
We’re moving from a jobs-based economy to a skills-based economy, says Farmer, which is why we need to rethink how we embed the right skills in our organisations. He shares useful frameworks and an interesting case study from some work he’s done with the Department of Regional NSW to create more digital literacy within its workforce.
Episode 1
Designing a culture journey with Shane Hatton
In the inaugural episode of AHRI’s brand-new podcast, we dive into all things culture with Shane Hatton, a renowned culture and leadership expert and author. Shane shares a range of helpful frameworks, a case study demonstrating how an organisation got collective buy-in for its new culture, and practical advice that any HR professional listening can take away and apply to their organisation, no matter what industry they work in.
Meet the host
Narelle is an award-winning business editor and interviewer with a deep understanding of how the levers of talent, leadership, technology and governance can create thriving workplaces and societies. She’s a non-executive director of The Ethics Centre and also hosts the successful Purpose of Wealth podcast series with Mutual Trust.
Narelle has worked with Australia’s leading media groups, including the AFR, the ABC, SBS and Medium Rare Content Agency. She is a former Editor-in-Chief of the AICD’s Company Director magazine and editor of the Australian Financial Review’s BOSS Magazine.
