🎧 Episode Title: Culture First, AI Second: Leading Thoughtful Tech Transformation with Julia Heap, Principal & CEO of Hopwood Hall College 🎙️ Podcast: AI Works Podcast Hosted by Richard Foster-Fletcher and Kurt Hintz 🔍 Episode Overview How can leaders effectively navigate the rapid adoption of AI and technology while maintaining a supportive and authentic organisational culture? Julia Heap, Principal and CEO of Hopwood Hall College, joins Richard and Kurt to discuss her thoughtful, culture-first approach to embedding digital innovation within the college. Julia discusses:Hopwood Hall’s journey into AI and digital transformation, and the importance of starting from a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and trust.Practical experiences introducing tools like Copilot and ChatGPT, strategically improving staff workload, efficiency, and overall workplace satisfaction.How Hopwood Hall’s internal digital champions—trusted educators turned tech advocates—have helped colleagues embrace and adopt new technologies.Julia’s leadership philosophy: empowering her teams to innovate at their own pace, offering gentle nudges rather than imposing rigid mandates.Creating a safe space for staff to experiment with technology through innovative approaches like Hopwood Hall’s annual "digital marketplace."Addressing common fears about AI's impact on jobs and the critical importance of clear, consistent communication from leadership.Balancing structured frameworks and organisational risk management with the flexibility needed to foster creativity, innovation, and individual growth.This episode provides an honest, clear-eyed, and practical perspective on leading successful, human-centred digital transformation.🧭 What We Cover✔️ Julia’s approach to creating a culture-first environment that empowers teams to experiment with AI in safe, supported ways.✔️ How internal champions and digital marketplaces are helping Hopwood Hall staff confidently embrace new technologies and methods.✔️ Insights into successfully managing fears about AI’s impact on jobs, emphasising skill enhancement and improved working lives.✔️ The importance of maintaining authenticity and human connections amidst increasing AI-driven interactions and automation.✔️ How Julia strategically balances risk, cost, and innovation to ensure investments in technology are impactful and sustainable.✔️ Julia’s vision for nurturing staff confidence, professional development, and long-term organisational agility through thoughtful technology adoption.👤 About Our Guest Julia Heap is Principal and CEO at Hopwood Hall College, renowned for her thoughtful leadership and commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration. With a clear passion for supporting staff and students alike, Julia leads from a foundation of trust, authenticity, and curiosity—guiding the college through transformative digital innovations without losing sight of the human element at the core of education.🔗 Links & MentionsHopwood Hall College: https://www.hopwood.ac.ukJulia Heap on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-heap-73253876/ Richard Foster-Fletcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardfosterfletcherKurt Hintz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-hintz📬 Stay Connected For updates, resources, and future episodes, follow the AI Works Podcast and join our conversations on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/mkai-works

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