In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright is joined by Michael Bach, internationally recognised inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility expert, author and speaker. Michael reflects on his unconventional journey from child actor to global DEIA leader, sharing how his early work in activism, his time at KPMG, and his leadership of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion shaped his approach to creating meaningful change. Together, Mark and Michael explore what it really takes to move beyond compliance and towards cultures where people feel seen, valued and able to thrive.

The conversation also dives into the growing backlash against DEI, why change often moves more slowly than people hope, and how leaders can avoid performative action in favour of work that genuinely sticks. Michael speaks candidly about visibility, identity, resilience and the importance of making inclusion practical, honest and human.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader podcast, Mark McBride-Wright sits down with Anna Burgan for a conversation about leadership, workplace culture, and what really happens when people are forced to choose between success and wellbeing. Anna shares her personal journey through career change, motherhood, and the realities of navigating systems that often say the right things about inclusion but fail to support people when it matters most.

Together, Mark and Anna explore what it means to lead with humanity, challenge outdated workplace mindsets, and create environments where people can thrive both professionally and personally. This is an honest and thought-provoking episode about culture, bias, parenthood, and the responsibility leaders have to shape workplaces that truly work for everyone.

In this episode, Andrew Brümmer joins Mark McBride-Wright to challenge traditional ideas of leadership and explore why the future belongs to those who can think, adapt, and empower others. Drawing on his experience as a global operator and advisor, Andrew shares how leaders can move beyond control, avoid decision paralysis, and build teams that think independently rather than rely on constant direction.

From navigating generational divides to embracing AI-first thinking, this conversation dives into the deeper shifts happening beneath the surface of modern organisations. Andrew unpacks how trust, autonomy, and social awareness are becoming the true levers of effective leadership, and why the biggest risk isn’t AI itself, but how slowly we change our thinking.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright is joined by technologist, entrepreneur, and systems thinker Stephanie Sylvestre, whose career spans global corporations, public service, and community impact. From her early ambitions growing up in Belize to leading transformation in organisations like Burger King and The Children’s Trust, Stephanie shares how her work has always centred on one core idea: technology should uplift people, not replace them. The conversation explores leadership, trust, and how expectations shape human potential, from building homes through community volunteering to scaling social impact through technology.

Stephanie also takes us inside the story behind Avatar Buddy, her AI platform designed to give people intuitive digital mentors and create digital twins that preserve knowledge, culture, and lived experience. Together they discuss the future of AI, how leaders can stay human in a rapidly changing technological world, and why access to knowledge can unlock opportunity for communities everywhere.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with dyslexia researcher, educator and keynote speaker Russell Van Brocklen, whose life took an unexpected turn after being failed at university because of his dyslexia. What followed became a mission to transform how we understand literacy, learning and neurodiversity. Russell shares the personal story that drove him to challenge traditional education models and explains how his research led to a radically different approach to teaching reading and writing.

The conversation explores the science behind dyslexia, why many conventional teaching methods fail neurodivergent learners and how focusing on a person’s strengths can unlock extraordinary results. Russell also discusses what this means beyond the classroom, including how organisations can harness neurodiverse talent in the workplace and why dyslexic thinkers may be uniquely suited to solve complex problems in an AI-driven world.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark is joined by quality and reliability engineer Dianna Deeney to explore what really happens in the early stages of product design. With over 25 years of experience across medical devices, manufacturing and consumer products, Dianna explains why teams don’t fail because they lack effort or expertise, they fail because of assumptions, misalignment and what she calls “the design fog.” Together, they unpack how better conversations in concept development can prevent late stage failures, reduce costly rework and empower engineers to make stronger decisions from the very beginning.

From implantable heart pumps to brand defining product pivots, Dianna shares practical insights on design justice, customer experience, usability and why quality is not a department but a mindset. This is a powerful conversation for engineers, product leaders and anyone building solutions for real people. If you care about clarity, collaboration and designing products that truly work for their users, this episode will change how you think about quality forever.

In this episode, Ben shares the deeply personal story that reshaped his life and set him on a path from aspiring Army Air Corps pilot to one of the UK’s leading mental health campaigners. After losing his younger brother Sam to suicide at just 15, Ben channelled his grief into action, interrogating the systems around education, healthcare and policy to understand what went wrong and how it can be prevented for others. What emerges is not just a story of loss, but one of determination, courage and a refusal to accept surface-level solutions.

Together, Mark and Ben explore why awareness alone is not enough, the critical importance of strengthening foundations like teacher training, and how real systems change happens behind the scenes in government and the NHS. This conversation unpacks leadership, responsibility and the small “boring” changes that can ultimately save lives. Honest, thoughtful and solutions-focused, this episode challenges us all to rethink what meaningful mental health reform really looks like.

When a hydrochloric acid pipe ruptured early in her career, Sarah Ischer’s life changed forever. What followed was not just a workplace investigation, but a personal reckoning that reshaped her entire professional path. In this episode, Sarah shares how being questioned instead of supported sparked her determination to ensure no worker ever feels unsafe, unheard, or unseen again. From late night Googling industrial hygiene programs after a 12 hour shift to becoming a nationally respected leader in workplace health and safety, her journey is a story of purpose forged through experience.

Now Senior Director of Expertise at the What Works Institute, Sarah brings a human centred lens to safety leadership. She challenges the myth that safety is common sense, argues that safety is not to people but with people, and explains why workers are not resisting safety but resisting systems that exclude them. This conversation explores trust, inclusion, advocacy, metrics, AI, and the future of health and safety through one clear message these are not data points they are people.