We Are PoWEr Podcast

The brilliant Saeeda Ahmed joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast – bringing faith, resilience, and a bold vision for building sustainable cities that put people first. As Founder and President of Sustainable Cities Global and a trailblazer named on the global stage, Saeeda is transforming how communities are designed, governed, and grown.

From the inner cities of Bradford to international contracts across Latin America, Southeast...

The brilliant Nazir Afzal OBE joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast – bringing honesty, courage, and a lifetime of fighting for justice and inclusion. Chancellor of the University of Manchester, Chair of the Lowry, and tireless advocate for equity, Nazir refuses to let diversity become a tick-box exercise – instead, he challenges leaders to make allyship active, authentic, and accountable.

From calling out institutional misogyny ...

The brilliant Catherine Millan joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast - bringing resilience, empathy, and a mission to change workplaces for the better. Founder of Be What You See Consultancy and winner of the 2025 Northern PoWEr Women Awards Person with Purpose Organisation Award, Catherine is dedicated to creating psychologically safe environments through innovative active bystander training.

From becoming a young carer at just ...

The brilliant Alison Lowe OBE joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast - bringing energy, honesty, and a lifetime of serving others with courage and compassion. Based in Leeds and named on the 2025 Northern PoWEr Women Awards PoWEr List, Alison has spent her career challenging injustice, leading with heart, and showing that authenticity is a strength, not something to dial down.

From growing up in a political household to becoming D...

The brilliant Liz Kingston and Alexandra Ahmet join the We Are PoWEr Podcast - bringing a conversation about making recruitment more inclusive, removing the fear from interviews, and building confidence for anyone chasing their next opportunity.

As part of BT’s talent team, Liz and Alexandra aren’t just hiring people - they’re rethinking how the process works. From making interviews transparent and prep-friendly to encoura...

The brilliant Adrian Jones joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast – bringing reflections on leadership, representation, and creating trusted spaces for people to thrive.

As Senior Director, Anglia & South Midlands Superstores at ASDA and a 2025 Northern PoWEr Women Advocate, Adrian looks after 31 stores and thousands of colleagues – but his focus goes far beyond retail. From mentoring female leaders to co-chairing the Women in ASDA netw...

The brilliant Hannah McLean joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast – bringing a story of bold career moves, northern pride, and learning to back yourself even when self-doubt kicks in.

From a history degree to becoming Information Security Officer at Manchester United Football Club, Hannah proves that breaking into male-dominated industries isn’t always about being the most technical person in the room – it’s about problem-solving, communic...

The brilliant Gillian joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast - entrepreneur, risk-taker, and now PoWEr Lister 2025. From flatlining during childbirth to launching tech for social change, Gillian’s story is one of raw resilience, reinvention, and refusing to stay quiet.

In this emotional and unfiltered episode, Gillian reflects on going from “wild” child, surviving wrongful arrest in front of her kids, and becoming the youngest-eve...

The brilliant Siwan Smith joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast - this time as a 2024 Northern PoWEr Women Future List star, 2025 Awards judge, and an unstoppable voice for inclusion, courage, and creativity.

In this episode, Siwan opens up about surviving sexual assault and two brain tumours, and how therapy, family support, and fierce inner strength helped her rebuild not just her health, but her identity. Now Inclusion and Div...

The brilliant Ella Grace Gregoire and Elaine Gregoire join the We Are PoWEr Podcast - a mother-daughter duo with a shared mission to uplift, include, and never leave anyone behind.

Elaine, founder of Streetwise and a foster carer, shares how she turned a church youth club into a thriving support hub for young people - all while navigating burnout and dancing through recovery (literally, with a Strictly Come Dancing charity...

The brilliant James Carss joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast – this time sharing a story of trauma, transformation, and finding poWEr through purpose, discipline, and inclusion.

In this episode, James opens up about training daily as a teenager to moving to Hong Kong with just a suitcase, James’s journey is packed with resilience, humour, and heart. He shares the life-changing mentorship he found with a Chinese martial arts ma...

The brilliant Steph Edusei returns to the We Are PoWEr Podcast - this time as a PoWEr Lister, published author, and still dancing her way through leadership, life, and impact.

In this episode, Steph shares the leadership lessons that shaped her writing, the moments that tested her optimism, and the poWEr of creating collaborative spaces where people flourish - not just follow. She opens up about why not every table feeds y...

The brilliant Juliet Sanders, CEO and Founder of Feeding Families, joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast to explore how purpose, persistence, and community can become a truly PoWErful force for change.

From growing up as an adopted only child to discovering a family of siblings later in life, Juliet shares the deeply personal story behind her drive to build a charity that now supports thousands. She opens up about surviving domes...

In this episode of the We Are PoWEr Podcast, we sit down with Kirsty Murphy MBE — trailblazing pilot, proud daughter, and people-first innovator. From growing up on an RAF squadron to becoming the first and only female Red Arrows pilot, Kirsty shares how she carved out her own path in a world where few women had gone before.

She speaks openly about building a career that’s more like a climbing wall than a ladder — full of ...

In this episode of the We Are PoWEr Podcast, we sit down with Gail Hall, Director of Operational Excellence, and Emma Griffin, Group Chief Security Officer at Royal London - two powerhouse leaders with stories that move from bars to boardrooms, and everything in between.

We also explore Royal London’s commitment to empowering others, including their brilliant partnership with our Mentor of the Year category at the 2025 #NP...

What does it mean to work at a company that encourages growth, mentorship, and innovation? This episode, we chat with Richard and Amy from Bank of America, our Co-Headline Partners for the NPWAwards, about exactly that.

🌟 Richard (25 years at Bank of America) shares why he’s changed roles every 20 months and how curiosity has shaped his career.
🌟 Amy (celebrating 10 years) reflects on why she never wanted to leave th...

The brilliant Lisa Allen and Jen Hardy from Shakespeare North join the We Are PoWEr Podcast to explore how theatre can be a poWErful force for healing, inclusion, and community.

From growing up in youth theatre to building careers rooted in creativity and connection, Lisa and Jen share how early role models, big dreams, and bold networking led them to where they are today. They open up about the imposter syndrome they’ve f...

Empowerment champion and four-time finalist, Ann Stonehouse, joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast to share the journey behind her well-earned recognition at the 2026 Northern PoWEr Women Awards.

From starting a podcast club in lockdown to launching a book club to hold herself accountable, Ann reveals how community, creativity, and connection fuel her drive. She opens up about what it meant to be nominated, how mentoring through ...

This week on the We Are PoWEr Podcast, we're joined by Nicola Gleave founder of Worn by Us, entrepreneur, and unstoppable force for good, as she shares the moment her life pivoted forever.

Nicola’s story is more than inspiring - it’s a reminder that even in life’s hardest moments, there’s space to create, connect, and lead.

Chapters:
0:00 – Introducing Worn by Us
1:44 – Breast Cancer Diagnosis 
5:...