Katie Jacobs is an award-winning business journalist and editor. She is a well-regarded commentator on the world of work, HR and leadership and previously worked at the CIPD, where she built the body’s HR leader network from scratch, creating a strong peer community of chief people officers. In her journalism career, she was previously editor of HR magazine, where she was involved in delivering brand extensions such as the HR Excellence Awards, the HR Most Influential ranking and the HR in the Boardroom CHRO development programme, as well as running the day-to-day editorial of the magazine. She has written about the world of work for magazines including People Management, Work and Management Today and newspapers including the Times and the Financial Times. She was also editor of Supply Management, the magazine of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. Katie is the co-host of CIPD Work magazine’s popular What If podcast, which puts provocative business questions under the spotlight. She is the co-author of several influential CIPD reports including The Value of People Expertise on Corporate Boards and Responsible Business Through Crisis, a three-year landmark research project with Professor Veronica Hope Hailey exploring the impact of the pandemic on leadership. In her journalism and speaking work, she has interviewed everyone from comedians Katherine Ryan and Sue Perkins (in front of large live audiences), to FTSE100 CEOs and board chairs, as well as countless CPOs, academics and HR thought leaders. She has a track record in working with brands serving the HR market to develop thought leadership including white papers, reports, blogs, articles and podcasts.

Dr. Aidan McKearney is Professor of Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour at Hult International Business School, specialising in diversity and inclusion, leadership, and voice in global organisations. His research examines how inclusive cultures are created and sustained through dialogue, leadership, and systems thinking. He has published widely in international, peer-reviewed journals on topics including LGBTQ+ inclusion, gender diversity in executive pipelines, employee voice in multinational organisations, and the global transfer of EDI practices across cultural contexts.

Dr. McKearney’s work bridges scholarship and practice. As a management educator he advises organisations on strategic approaches to equality, diversity, and inclusion; leadership development; and talent management in complex, international environments. His work also explores how macro-level disruptions reshape HRM logics, and how women leaders exercise voice and legitimacy in emerging economies.

Cath Longfield is a culture strategist and co founder of the Business Culture Awards, with 30+ years’ experience as a marketeer specialising in big impact social and behaviour change campaigns. Through Business Culture Connected events, she shares exceptional examples of organisations who align strategy, values and behaviours to build high performing teams and companies.