Wellbeing – Culture is Key

Paul Devoy

Paul is the Chief Executive of Investors in People (IIP). In 2016, Paul led the buyout of IIP from the UK Government and the organisation is now a Community Interest Company. IIP's purpose is to Make Work Better. Investors in People work with a community of organisations, employing over 1 million people providing digital diagnostic tools, advice, support and assessment against their internationally recognised Frameworks. Our network of 150 skilled and experienced Consultants works with organisations across 70 countries, but predominantly in the UK. 
 
Prior to leading Investors in People, Paul was a Director at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, an executive non-departmental body that offers guidance on skills and employment issues in the UK. He led the development and implementation of strategic programmes to create sustainable skills solutions with joint investment from industry and government. 
 
He previously worked in the Scottish Prison Service for 4 years leading on change management programmes. He spent his early career working in local DWP offices. Paul studied Human Resource Management, graduating in 1994. He is a Chartered Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute. 

Gethin Nadin

Gethin is an award-winning psychologist who has been helping some of the world’s largest organisations to improve their employee experience and wellbeing for more than two decades. In 2023 he was named as the world’s most influential HR thinker. In 2024, he was named International Author of the Year.

As a frequent writer and speaker on employee experience and employee wellbeing, Gethin has been featured in Forbes, The Guardian, The Huffington Post and The Financial Times as well as all major HR, Reward and Pensions publications. Gethin has been named as one of the world’s top Global Employee Experience Influencers for the last four years running, placed second for HR Personality of the Year 2023 and winner of UK Mental Health Campaigner of the Year 2023. Gethin is also a regular keynote speaker, Ex-Chair of the UK Government-backed Engage for Success Wellbeing Thought Action Group, a Fellow at the RSA and a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Committee on the Future of Employability, frequently meeting with and presenting to members of the UK Parliament.

In 2018, Gethin published his first book - the award-winning HR bestseller ‘A World of Good: Lessons From Around the World in Improving the Employee Experience’, which has gone on to inspire HR and Reward teams at some of the world’s best known brands. In 2022, Gethin co-authored his second book ‘Das Menschliche Büro - The Human(e) Office’ a collaboration between leading academics and workplace professionals from across Europe.

In late 2022, Gethin published his third book, 'A Work In Progress: Unlocking Wellbeing to Create More Sustainable and Resilient Organisations' which reached the top of the UK bestseller list on its day of release. As part of the book’s global launch, Gethin went on a tour of the UK and Ireland with Ruby Wax OBE to highlight the importance of supporting mental health in the workplace. 

Sir Cary Cooper

Professor Sir Cary Cooper, CBE, is the 50th Anniversary Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at the ALLIANCE Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK, having been Pro Vice Chancellor at Lancaster University and Deputy Vice Chancellor at UMIST.

He is the immediate Past President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, President of Institute of Welfare and past Chair of the Academy of Social Sciences, past President of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and Founding President of the British Academy of Management. He is the author/editor of over 250 books, over 450 scholarly articles and a regular contributor to radio and TV. He was Knighted by the Queen in 2014 for his contribution to the social sciences.

He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Management (14 volumes), Editor of Who’s Who in Management, Editor of the Wiley-Blackwell WELLBEING volumes (six), Founding Editor of the Journal of Organizational Behaviour, Founding and Former Chair of the UK government think tank The Sunningdale Institute and lead scientist on the UK Government Office for Science Foresight project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing, and was Chair of the Global Agenda Council on Chronic Diseases and Mental Health of the World Economic Forum.

He has also worked closely with the European Commission, the European Council, the European Central Bank and the UN’s World Health Organisation and ILO in the health and wellbeing arena. Over a number of years, he was voted by HR Magazine as the Most Influential HR Thinker and was elected to the HR Hall of Fame.

He is an Honorary Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Royal College of Physicians, The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (Occupational Medicine) and many more; and has Honorary Doctorates from a number of universities (eg Sheffield, Bath, Aston, Heriot Watt, Middlesex, Wolverhampton, Chester and Bolton). Professor Cooper created, and is Chair, of the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work, an employer’s organisation of over 50 global employers (eg. BP, Microsoft, BT, Shell, Rolls Royce, GSK, NHS Employers, UK Civil Service (Wellbeing Lead), John Lewis Partnership, Fujitsu, Aon, etc), and represented by HR Directors, Chief Medical Officers and Directors of Health & Wellbeing of these organisations.

Some of his most recent books in the field of occupational health psychology: Wellbeing: Productivity and Happiness at Work (Palgrave Macmillan, London & New York, 2019), Wellbeing at Work (Kogan Page, London. 2020; 2nd Edition 2023), Handbook of Stress and Health (Wiley/Blackwell, Oxford & New York, 2017), Wellbeing: A Complete Reference Guide:6 volumes, Oxford & New York: WileyBlackwell, 2013), 21st Century Workforces & Workplaces (Bloomsbury, London, 2018), Presenteeism at Work (Cambridge University Press, 2018), The Apology Impulse (London: Kogan Page, 2019—New York City Best Marketing Book Award 2020 & Best PR & Communications Book Award in 2020 by the US Bookfest Awards), Work & Stress (London: Routledge, 2019), Handbook on Research on the Psychological Contract at Work (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2019), Flexible Work: Designing Our Healthier Future Lives (London & NY: Routledge, 2020), Brexit in the Workplace (London: Routledge, 2020); Organizational Stress Around the World (London & NY: Routledge, 2021); The SAGE Handbook of Organizational Wellbeing (London and California: Sage Publications, 2021); A Research Agenda for Workplace Stress and Wellbeing (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2021); Managing Workplace Health and Wellbeing During a Crisis (London: Kogan Page, 2022), The Healthy Workforce: Enhancing Wellbeing and Productivity (Bingley: Emerald Publishing, 2022), Organizational Stress Theories (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publ, 2022), Remote Workplace Culture (London: Kogan Page, 2022), Occupational Health &Wellbeing (London & New York: Routledge, 2023), Burnout While Working; Lessons from the Pandemic and Beyond (London & NY: Routledge); The Cambridge Companion to Organizational Stress & Well-being (Cambridge University Press, 2023); The Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development in Organizations (London & NY: Routledge, 2023) and Resilience in Modern Day Organizations (London & NY: Routledge, 2023).

Petra Velzeboer

Petra Velzeboer is a dynamic, entertaining and practical speaker who is sure to bring life, laughter and insight to your audience. A global TEDx speaker, psychotherapist, author, and CEO of mental health consultancy PVL, she brings expertise on topics that impact employees, managers and C-suite leadership with the aim of evolving our workplaces and cultures for the new world of work.

The future of work is a hot topic which Petra speaks on with passion and excitement, complimenting the narratives around AI and enhancing this debate by bringing people into the forefront! With a new angle on wellbeing, her focus on mental health and resilience in a world of change is one that challenges ‘bubble bath wellbeing’ and instead focuses on positive psychology, elite performance, and creating dynamic teams that you will retain as they grow and evolve together - creating a future of work that is good for our health and sustainable for long term success.

Speaking on global stages she sees the challenges that exist across Europe, the UK, USA, Middle East, and Asia including rising statistics of burnout, anxiety, depression, addiction and suicide. These are only part of the issues facing the workplace as they tackle an economic downturn, long term absence, employee health challenges and attrition and retention as they experiment with a hybrid office – struggling to enhance belonging and connection.

Leaders are worried about asking the wrong questions and so they say nothing at all, secretly struggling to manage their own workload and mental health in the process. Petra offers practical answers to these questions giving leaders skills they can utilise today to help them lead by example in modelling healthy behaviours, showing vulnerability and offering inspiration and motivation to their people to enable them to thrive.

Petra is the author of ‘Begin with You’ published by Kogan Page, a practical insight into thriving in adversity and challenging toxicity, groupthink and culty behaviours in a world that is desperate for change. Her inspiration and motivation come from her unique and compelling story which she tells with vulnerability, authenticity and dynamic challenge to her audiences worldwide.

Born and raised in a notorious cult she knows first-hand what a toxic culture feels like and what it takes to build resilience and take responsibility for good mental health. When she finally left the cult, she spiralled into addiction, depression and anxiety leaving her a desperate suicidal mother of two young children. Hitting several crash points, she finally decided to let go of her victim mindset and begin to build a life that was worth living.

Working with the likes of PwC, Herbert Smith Freehills, Channel 4, Monzo Bank, Novartis, Accenture, Avanade, Eagle Eye, Financial Ombusman and Havas Lynx group - she translates her story into solutions for teams today including challenging the masks we wear, promoting bravery and building elite teams that can navigate any challenge together.

She’s known for comparing cults to corporates and adapting her message to suit audiences of employees, senior leadership teams and HR or Diversity and Inclusion teams.

As well as keynotes and inspiring team talks, she also works with organisations to go deeper through workshops, masterclasses and hosting dynamic panel events as well as offering advice on effective and inclusive wellbeing strategies that enhance diversity of thought, gender issues and leadership styles.

She adapts her story and expertise to include neuroscience, positive psychology to inspire your people to achieve greatness.

• How our people are essential to the future of work
• Mindsets for Success
• A new angle on wellbeing
• How cults are like corporates – and what to do about it
• Leadership and dynamic management
• Burnout and navigating change

Featured in Newsweek, the Huffington Post, BBC Radio, Stylist and many more she’s known for her no-bullsh*t approach to challenging behaviours and motivating leaders, employees, HR professionals and wellbeing champions to truly be the change they wish to see at work.