The Human Risk Podcast
People are often described as the largest asset in most organisations. They are also the biggest single cause of risk. This podcast explores the topic of 'human risk', or "the risk of people doing things they shouldn't or not doing things they should", and examines how behavioural science can help us mitigate it. It also looks at 'human reward', or "how to get the most out of people". When we manage human risk, we often stifle human reward. Equally, when we unleash human reward, we often inadvertently increase human risk.
Episodes
September 6, 2025 • 63 mins
What if the most powerful tool at work isn’t logic, but laughter? On this episode I'm speaking to a comedian who far from thinking humour is a workplace distraction, thinks it might be one of our most powerful tools.
Episode Summary
My guest is Pep Rosenfeld: comedian, improviser, and co-founder of the Amsterdam-based comedy institution Boom Chicago. He’s also the author of Work Laugh Balance, a manifesto for injecting humour into t...
Episode Summary
My guest is Pep Rosenfeld: comedian, improviser, and co-founder of the Amsterdam-based comedy institution Boom Chicago. He’s also the author of Work Laugh Balance, a manifesto for injecting humour into t...
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August 31, 2025 • 54 mins
Why do cyclists in London run red lights? It's against the law, and yet, if you've cycled, driven or just observed London's cyclists, you'll know that many of them don't stop when there's a red light.
Confession time: I'm one of them. Not all the time, but some of the time, and weirdly not when I'm in Munich — the other city I live in — but only in London.
The question of why this happens — not just my red light running, but the act...
Confession time: I'm one of them. Not all the time, but some of the time, and weirdly not when I'm in Munich — the other city I live in — but only in London.
The question of why this happens — not just my red light running, but the act...
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August 24, 2025 • 67 mins
What if the ideas that linger in the back of your mind — the ones you can’t quite explain — are the ones you most need to pay attention to?
Episode Summary
In this episode, I explore that question with Dr Nuno Reis, a former physicist and investment banker turned thinker and guide in uncovering what he calls rare dots — those unique, pre-verbal insights that feel deeply resonant but don’t yet fit into our existing models of the world...
Episode Summary
In this episode, I explore that question with Dr Nuno Reis, a former physicist and investment banker turned thinker and guide in uncovering what he calls rare dots — those unique, pre-verbal insights that feel deeply resonant but don’t yet fit into our existing models of the world...
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August 17, 2025 • 69 mins
Is listening a hidden superpower we’ve overlooked? You've heard of Active Listening, but what is Radical Listening and why does it matter?
Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined by Professor Christian van Nieuwerburgh, an academic who also describes himself as 'Coach on a Motorcycle'. He's on the show to help me explore what he calls 'Radical Listening'.
Christian is Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology at the Universit...
Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined by Professor Christian van Nieuwerburgh, an academic who also describes himself as 'Coach on a Motorcycle'. He's on the show to help me explore what he calls 'Radical Listening'.
Christian is Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology at the Universit...
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August 9, 2025 • 62 mins
Why do we follow orders or go along with things that feel wrong? Why might defiance be better than compliance? And how can we go about becoming more defiant?
Episode Summary
I’ve always been fascinated by why people obey, even when it clashes with their instincts or values. In this conversation, I’m joined by Dr Sunita Sah — a physician-turned-organisational psychologist whose work explores the hidden social, cultural, and psychologi...
Episode Summary
I’ve always been fascinated by why people obey, even when it clashes with their instincts or values. In this conversation, I’m joined by Dr Sunita Sah — a physician-turned-organisational psychologist whose work explores the hidden social, cultural, and psychologi...
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August 2, 2025 • 60 mins
What happens when citizens lose faith in the institutions that serve them? And how can we rebuild that trust?
Episode Summary
On this episode, I'm speaking to someone who cares passionately about this subject and who has made it her life's work to research and solve it.
From politicians who lie, to corruption scandals, to public services that simply don’t work the way we expect—especially when we're paying taxes and getting poor val...
Episode Summary
On this episode, I'm speaking to someone who cares passionately about this subject and who has made it her life's work to research and solve it.
From politicians who lie, to corruption scandals, to public services that simply don’t work the way we expect—especially when we're paying taxes and getting poor val...
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July 26, 2025 • 65 mins
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘the show must go on’. But when shouldn’t the show go on? To help me answer that, I’m speaking to someone who has spent 35 years managing some of Australia’s most iconic large-scale events — from Taylor Swift concerts to public city spectacles with crowds over 200,000, and corporate experiences — and has often faced the question: when should the show really stop?
My guest is Iain Morrison, wh,o as well a...
My guest is Iain Morrison, wh,o as well a...
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July 19, 2025 • 69 mins
What if the real risk of AI isn’t job loss but brain atrophy?
Episode Summary
If you've spent any time on social media recently, you'll be familiar with the flood of low-quality AI-generated sludge. And on this episode, I'm speaking to someone who is leading a one-woman campaign against it and in favour of human-generated content.
Her name is Zsike Peter and she's the fiercely human founder of an agency called Vampire Digital; you'll...
Episode Summary
If you've spent any time on social media recently, you'll be familiar with the flood of low-quality AI-generated sludge. And on this episode, I'm speaking to someone who is leading a one-woman campaign against it and in favour of human-generated content.
Her name is Zsike Peter and she's the fiercely human founder of an agency called Vampire Digital; you'll...
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July 12, 2025 • 62 mins
What if we treated mental health like a capability instead of a crisis? On this episode, I'm talking to a business school professor and a counselling psychologist about their new book that looks at practical ways we can manage mental health. Not after it manifests itself, but beforehand.
Episode Summary
Mental health has become part of the workplace conversation, but all too often, that conversation stops at slogans and superficial g...
Episode Summary
Mental health has become part of the workplace conversation, but all too often, that conversation stops at slogans and superficial g...
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July 6, 2025 • 62 mins
What if joy became the most important metric when we organised events? Or, to put it another way, why are so many events uninspiring and not very joyful?
Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined by event strategist, educator, and author Tahira Endean to explore a provocative question: what if we measured events not just by financial metrics, but by the joy they deliver?
Drawing from her new book Our KPI is Joy: How Live Events Cata...
Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined by event strategist, educator, and author Tahira Endean to explore a provocative question: what if we measured events not just by financial metrics, but by the joy they deliver?
Drawing from her new book Our KPI is Joy: How Live Events Cata...
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June 29, 2025 • 70 mins
Why is getting shit done so hard, and what can we do about it?
Episode Summary
Getting shit done isn’t just about motivation or tools, it’s about design. In this episode, I speak to Claus Raasted: consultant, author, speaker, experience designer, and someone who describes himself — with tongue firmly in cheek — as an “overpaid rockstar consultant.”
But behind the flair is a deep understanding of how to remove friction, reframe work,...
Episode Summary
Getting shit done isn’t just about motivation or tools, it’s about design. In this episode, I speak to Claus Raasted: consultant, author, speaker, experience designer, and someone who describes himself — with tongue firmly in cheek — as an “overpaid rockstar consultant.”
But behind the flair is a deep understanding of how to remove friction, reframe work,...
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June 21, 2025 • 53 mins
What happens when a British communications expert takes her political instincts and corporate storytelling skills to Germany?
🎙️ Overview
On this episode, I speak with Katy Diggory, who’s done exactly that — and learned a lot about tone, culture, and translation along the way. It’s a brilliant conversation that blends politics, international business, and linguistic nuance.
We explore the difference between translating and localis...
🎙️ Overview
On this episode, I speak with Katy Diggory, who’s done exactly that — and learned a lot about tone, culture, and translation along the way. It’s a brilliant conversation that blends politics, international business, and linguistic nuance.
We explore the difference between translating and localis...
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June 14, 2025 • 68 mins
What can a global pop icon teach us about business strategy? In the case of Taylor Swift, more than you might think.
Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined by Kevin Evers, senior editor at Harvard Business Review and the author of There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift.
We dive deep into what makes Swift not just a pop icon but a master strategist — someone who has repeatedly made bold, counterintuitive ...
Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined by Kevin Evers, senior editor at Harvard Business Review and the author of There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift.
We dive deep into what makes Swift not just a pop icon but a master strategist — someone who has repeatedly made bold, counterintuitive ...
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June 7, 2025 • 66 mins
Why do people have affairs? What lessons can we learn from infidelity?
It's estimated that an affair will impact one in five of us, yet it tends to be a taboo subject.
So, on this episode, I'm going to break that taboo and explore the hidden world of affairs with psychoanalyst and author Juliet Rosenfeld.
Juliet’s book, Affairs: Stories of Love, Lies, Hope and Desire, is an intimate look at why people have affairs, how those relatio...
It's estimated that an affair will impact one in five of us, yet it tends to be a taboo subject.
So, on this episode, I'm going to break that taboo and explore the hidden world of affairs with psychoanalyst and author Juliet Rosenfeld.
Juliet’s book, Affairs: Stories of Love, Lies, Hope and Desire, is an intimate look at why people have affairs, how those relatio...
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June 1, 2025 • 63 mins
Have you ever wondered how much of your success is down to luck? What if the world is far less fair and predictable than we’d like to think?
On this episode, I explore the complex and fascinating role of luck in our lives and decisions with Dr. Chengwei Liu, Associate Professor of Strategy and Behavioural Science at Imperial College London. Chengwei shares how his research challenges our assumptions about skill, effort, and fairnes...
On this episode, I explore the complex and fascinating role of luck in our lives and decisions with Dr. Chengwei Liu, Associate Professor of Strategy and Behavioural Science at Imperial College London. Chengwei shares how his research challenges our assumptions about skill, effort, and fairnes...
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May 24, 2025 • 62 mins
What is psychological harm, and can we really regulate it? Should an AI-companion app be allowed to dump the person who is using it?
📝 Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined once again by Professor Magda Osman, someone who’s been on the show several times before, who always has something compelling to say.
This time, we're talking about psychological harm, a term you’ve probably heard, but which remains vague, slippery, and s...
📝 Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined once again by Professor Magda Osman, someone who’s been on the show several times before, who always has something compelling to say.
This time, we're talking about psychological harm, a term you’ve probably heard, but which remains vague, slippery, and s...
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May 18, 2025 • 65 mins
What do chemistry, committees and cooking have in common? They’re all things which have formed part of the career of my guest on this episode. She’s Sarah Ward, owner of The Cookery Lab, a unique cookery school that uses a science-led approach to teaching cooking skills.
I first met Sarah when we worked together on governance at the Bank of England. She began her carerer as a chemist, before switching — for reasons she explains o...
I first met Sarah when we worked together on governance at the Bank of England. She began her carerer as a chemist, before switching — for reasons she explains o...
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May 11, 2025 • 64 mins
What do people have to do with cybersecurity? A lot. As with other fields of human risk, it’s people that are typically the root cause of problems in the cybersecurity world. Which is where my guest’s expertise in behavioural design comes into play.
On this episode, I’m speaking with Sarah Aalborg, a cybersecurity and behavioural design expert who’s on a mission to change how organisations approach IT security.
Rather than focusing...
On this episode, I’m speaking with Sarah Aalborg, a cybersecurity and behavioural design expert who’s on a mission to change how organisations approach IT security.
Rather than focusing...
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May 3, 2025 • 92 mins
What really happens Behind The Scenes at Human Risk?
📝 Episode Summary
In this special ‘takeover’ episode of the show, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my work at Human Risk. Because interviewing myself would be odd, friend of the show Sarah Abramson takes the interviewer’s seat. She delves into my journey, exploring the intersections of curiosity, compliance, and creativity that have shaped my career.
We discuss the origins of ...
📝 Episode Summary
In this special ‘takeover’ episode of the show, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my work at Human Risk. Because interviewing myself would be odd, friend of the show Sarah Abramson takes the interviewer’s seat. She delves into my journey, exploring the intersections of curiosity, compliance, and creativity that have shaped my career.
We discuss the origins of ...
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April 27, 2025 • 61 mins
What's the most important thing we can all do to be happy? According to my guest on this episode, it's embracing the thing that made us weird as kids.
🎙️ Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined once again by the inimitable James Victore — artist, author, and creative provocateur — to explore the power of embracing your inner weirdo.
James has just published Hey Weirdo, an eBook that argues the very things that made us weird a...
🎙️ Episode Summary
On this episode, I’m joined once again by the inimitable James Victore — artist, author, and creative provocateur — to explore the power of embracing your inner weirdo.
James has just published Hey Weirdo, an eBook that argues the very things that made us weird a...
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