The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business

Seven years ago, we were yet to experience a pandemic. Some of us were just discovering podcasts – and were yet to discover an air fryer. And Artificial Intelligence was, for many of us, something we only saw on the big screen. And in The Green Room's very first episode, we were asking 'What will be the last job on earth?' It was a year before GPT-3 changed the GenAI landscape, nearly four years before ChatGPT hit the mainstream and five years before regulation caught up and the world's first legal framework for AI would be passed. A lot has changed since then. But that first big question matters more than ever. AI has transformed our lives in ways that we couldn't have predicted. It's performing tasks, making decisions for us and helping us to create new things. And so, after years of experimenting with it, working with it, and investing in it, are we closer to understanding how AI will really impact the future of work? Some of us will go on to do jobs that don't yet exist, so how do we prepare for that? What skills do we need to learn now to prepare for the future – and what skills are essential to retain? Beyond our own careers, what changes need to be made at a societal level to ensure everyone has the right knowledge, experience and access to prosper in the future? And what role do businesses have to play in leading these changes in a way that benefits everyone? In our 100th episode of The Green Room podcast, we return to the question that started it all: What will be the last job on earth? With guests Ben Legg, CEO and co-founder of The Portfolio Collective, and Anne-Marie Malley, Vice Chair at Deloitte UK. Tune in to find out: What significant changes have impacted how we work over the past seven years How the increased use of AI is affecting hiring and talent, and what new roles are emerging The new skills we need to learn to be prepared for the future of work The role of business in ensuring everyone has the right skills and access to prosper in the future Enjoyed this episode? Check our website for our recommendations to learn more about this topic: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts Find out more about Deloitte's Five Million Futures: https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/about/story/impact/social-impact.html Guests: Ben Legg, CEO and co-founder of The Portfolio Collective Anne-Marie Malley, Vice Chair at Deloitte UK Hosts: Stephanie Dobbs and Annie Wong Original music: Ali Barrett Recording date and location: London, 02.04.26

In The Green Room, we've always set out to answer the biggest questions that matter most in business. Now, as we approach our milestone 100th episode, we're taking a moment to look back at some of the conversations and ideas that have stayed with us – and still influence how business operates today. We've explored everything from the future of work and leadership to AI, sustainability and the changing role of business in society. Along the way, we've been joined by a remarkable range of guests, including physicist Professor Brian Cox, retail expert Mary Portas, and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. Plus, many more. In this special bonus episode, we revisit our standout moments – the insights that have challenged our thinking, shaped our perspectives, and helped us explore where the future of business is heading next. Featured Episodes (in order of appearance in the podcast): #79 - Can we all win in the space race? #62 - Are leaders born or made? #55 - Should leaders think more like activists? #75 - Can we communicate better by saying less? #36 - How do you start a movement? #49 - Can one person change a big business? #5 - Will I ever feel good enough for my job? #92 - What if our next decision makers aren't human? #47 - Can AI help us be more human? #95 - How do we move AI from trialling to transforming? #67 - Are we asking the right questions about AI? #89 - Is it easier to start a sustainable business or become one? #58 - Who's responsible for being responsible? #84 - What does it take to turn things around? #33 - What's the secret to performing at your best? #61 - What comes first, vision or buy-in? #68 - What makes a champion? Bigger Questions series: What's the power of being first? #76 - How can we remodel role models? --- Find more information on all our episodes here: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts Original music: Ali Barrett

Our careers don't happen in isolation. What we carry from our lives outside of work shapes how we show up inside of it. At certain points in life, work doesn't just sit alongside family and caring responsibilities – it actively coincides with them. And how organisations respond in those moments underpins the kind of workplaces they really are. As the world of work continues to evolve, businesses are being challenged to do more than offer flexibility as a perk. Today's workforce is navigating parenthood, caregiving, and complex family lives alongside their careers. And the question is firmly shifting from not just whether employees support families, but how they deliberately build systems, policies and cultures that reflect that. So, is looking after employees just a moral choice – or a strategic one? And when people feel understood and supported, do they stay longer, contribute more, and help build stronger organisations? Is what's good for families, good for business too? And when we design work in a way that allows people to sustain their careers, does this move businesses from just existing to thriving? How can creating these spaces for families and carers build stronger, more successful businesses? Can flexibility and trust translate into higher productivity and better performance, as well as improved retention and talent attraction? And what will it take to design workplaces where supporting people through real life isn't just a compromise, but an advantage for businesses as a whole? That's what we're exploring in this episode of The Green Room with Jackie Henry MBE, Managing Partner for People and Purpose at Deloitte UK, and Anna Whitehouse, journalist, author, broadcaster and founder of Mother Pukka and Flex Appeal, as we ask: How does supporting families support us all? Tune in to find out: How conversations around work and flexibility have changed The role of leadership in creating work that's good for business and families Why 'trust' is a key ingredient in making flexible working work How businesses can adapt to build workplaces of the future Enjoyed this episode? Check our website for our recommendations to learn more about this topic: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts Find out more about The Yard here: theyardscotland.org.uk Guests: Jackie Henry MBE, Managing Partner for People and Purpose at Deloitte UK, and parenting influencer, Anna Whitehouse, also known as Mother Pukka Hosts: Annie Wong and Oliver Carpenter Original music: Ali Barrett Recording date and location: London, 19.02.26

Two years ago, in episode #64 of The Green Room, we asked the question 'How do we stay safe online?' Since then, progress has been made. Businesses, tech leaders, governments and wider society have taken the time to understand the 'how' and have moved on to the 'do'. Some countries have started taking steps to ban under-16s from all major social media platforms, while the UK has rolled our further developments in its Online Safety Act, bringing in new legislation that aims to protect both children and adults. But in digital spaces, progress rarely moves in a straight line, and it can feel like every meaningful step forward is matched with a new threat that pushes us backwards. In just two short years, the use of generative AI has become widespread. And while the technology has the potential to make us more productive and creative, it's also armed bad actors with new ways to spread misinformation, share upsetting content, and develop nefarious scams – all of which pose serious risks, not just to children and young people but to adults and businesses too. So, how far have we really come in making the internet a secure and empowering space for everyone? Are things improving? Or just changing? How do we strike the right balance between protection and privacy? And what role can businesses and individuals play in keeping up with new technology to create an internet that is safe and valuable for everyone? That's what we're exploring with Cosima Wiltshire, Director at FlippGen, and James Smith, Head of Trust & Safety at Deloitte, as we ask: Is the internet getting safer? Tune in to find out: Why has the conversation around digital safety increased? What significant developments in online protection have occurred in the last two years? How do we measure the success of digital safety initiatives? What's the role of business in creating a safer digital world for everyone? Enjoyed this episode? Check our website for our recommendations to learn more about this topic: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts Find out more about The Yard here: theyardscotland.org.uk Guests: Cosima Wiltshire, Strategy and Partnerships Consultant at FlippGen, and James Smith, Head of Trust & Safety at Deloitte Hosts: Stephanie Dobbs and Oliver Carpenter Original music: Ali Barrett Recording date and location: London, 18.02.26

From the avocados on our toast to the niche blend of coffee that sits on the table next to them. From the medicine waiting to be collected at the pharmacy to the smartphone we used to renew the prescription. Every product we pick up and service we use is a result of a complex, global web of ships, planes, warehouses, technology and people that keep our world moving. That is until something goes wrong – and that's been happening more often in recent years. Whether it's the effects of geopolitical unrest, global trade policies, extreme weather or even cyber-attacks, supply chains that once seemed robust are now under an increasing amount of pressure. And that means businesses are too, because their challenge is no longer just to move products from A to B – it's to build a system that is lean enough to be competitive, but resilient enough to survive the next global shock. So, what does a steadfast supply chain that can withstand an unreliable world look like? Do businesses need to completely rebuild their existing supply chains? Or can they simply be renovated? Could technology like AI and blockchain help bring more stability and security to fragile systems? And where does sustainability and responsibility fit in? That's what we're exploring with Dr Alok Choudhary, Professor of Supply Chain Management and Head of the Supply Chain Research Group at the University of Warwick, and Sarah Noble, a partner in Supply Chain Transformation at Deloitte, as we ask: Is it time to reset supply chains? Tune in to find out: What are the biggest threats to supply chains today? How are global trade policies impacting supply chains? How can businesses stress-test their current supply processes? When supply chains breakdown, what's the key to a successful recovery? Enjoyed this episode? Check our website for our recommendations to learn more about this topic: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts Find out more about The Yard here: theyardscotland.org.uk Guests: Dr Alok Choudhary, Professor of Supply Chain Management and Head of the Supply Chain Research Group at the University of Warwick, and Sarah Noble, a partner in Supply Chain Transformation at Deloitte Hosts: Stephanie Dobbs and Oliver Carpenter Original music: Ali Barrett Recording date and location: London, 15.01.26