In our sixth episode of Powered by People, Three Hills’s Operating Partner, Tim Pointer, interviews @Melanie Steel, Interim People & Change Specialist, on her exceptional breadth of cross-sector transformational work which includes @ATPI @ARUP @Arriva Rail London and @Ministry of Defence.

Melanie Steel implements change at pace and at scale, overhauling longstanding structures and business operations. In this podcast, she reflects on how she aligns people and data to purpose, in order to drive successful transformation.

Melanie has led people-centric business change for a fascinating cross-selection of organisations and plotted their alignment to sustainable business delivery in tomorrow’s world. Challenging longstanding ways of working takes courage and the skill to create the professional connection required to push through any discomfort. Melanie shares her methodology for ensuring that business direction is delivered in step with employees, the leadership group, and the wider stakeholder mix.

Listen for actual examples of transformation from orienting a variety of global offices to setting up a 24-hr rail provision for Londoners. Melanie shares real examples and personal considerations that aligned customer and colleague experience as these organisations evolved and scaled. Melanie's track record in building capability and positioning change team-by-team gives real insight into tackling real business challenges. As she says,

“There is no playbook. One starts off the journey that they need to progress.”

In our fifth episode of Powered by People, Three Hills’s Operating Partner, Tim Pointer, interviews Jen Lawrence, Founder of @TGI Monday & former HR Director at @Lindt & Sprüngli, @Virgin Atlantic & @Unilever.

Jen has led people strategy for a selection of the world’s best-loved brands and navigated sustainable growth alongside stand-out employee autonomy and engagement. She shares her approach to aligning her colleagues’ direction and experience to the business strategy. Listen for true stories, from leaning into the gift of giving with Lindt’s gold bunnies to the reality of a Virgin Atlantic flight crew forming a new team ready to go on every flight. Jen shares real insights and judgements that built consumer and employee loyalty as these brands scaled into new markets and experiences. Jen's proven ability to build leadership capability and embed acumen alongside empathy gives contemporary leaders case studies of how to build teams, build business and build brand advocacy.
Jen’s work at @Lindt & Sprüngli led to recognition as a @Great Place to Work and the overall winner prize at the @Business Culture Awards – This is an accredited, winning insight into leading outstanding business performance.

In our fourth episode of Powered by People, Three Hills’s Operating Partner, Tim Pointer, interviews @Claire Smith | LinkedIn, Head of People & Culture at UK law firm @gunnercooke and former Chief People Officer at @ www.linkedin.com/company/home-of-movera Movera and @ www.linkedin.com/company/mortgage-advice-bureau Mortgage Advice Bureau.

Claire shares multiple insights into creating business leadership at every level to drive resilient business expansion and how it's critical to listen to 'Sharon from Finance' when rewiring business processes. Claire's unique take on implementing a people-first strategy in professional services evidences how colleague engagement & accountability drives business expansion, engagement and results.
Both @Mortgage Advice Bureau and @gunnercooke have been awarded the overall winner prize at the @Business Culture Awards so Claire provides a peer-recognised best-of-class approach to people-led business performance.

In this new episode of Powered by People, Three Hills’s Operating Partner, Tim Pointer, sits down with James Hartley, former MD at Swiss Re, interim People Lead at The Nottingham and Leeds Building Society, and co-founder of The London Cat Clinic. James describes how leaders can create the conditions for teams to show up authentically and courageously, helping everyone to stay connected to the business mission and results. This original perspective on the financial sector deep dives into the importance of people, purpose and performance.

As James say, "Change is never won by a process or by PowerPoint. Challenging the corporate status quo is what's driven me: Metrics without Purpose are meaningless, and Purpose without Metrics becomes intangible."

On this week’s episode of Powered by People, Three Hills’s Operating Partner, Tim Pointer, discusses with Tiger de Souza MBE, Executive Director of People & Culture at Samaritans, how to lead in the charity sector, why leaving a legacy matters, and how both skilful storytelling and active listening can connect and support people across our society.

Tiger's experience within the NSPCC, The National Trust and Samaritans, tells us that legacy does not necessarily mean standing still in time. By placing importance on innovation, inclusion and adapting to new generations, Tiger demonstrates how driving change internally - in an inclusive, accessible way - can lead organisations to evolve to the needs of their audiences, and impact society in a meaningful way.

At Three Hills, we are investors who know that people are at the centre of every great business story. That’s why our new podcast, Powered by People, puts the spotlight on the pivotal role of leadership, talent and culture in unlocking growth and achieving lasting business success.

Across eight episodes, our Operating Partner, Tim Pointer (ranked #1 on HR Magazine’s 2025 Most Influential list), explores what creates and maintains a high-performing team delivering organisational success. Every other week, you’ll hear candid stories and actionable insights on “People-Powered Transformation” – real experiences of how a strong culture, clear strategy and purpose, and engaged colleagues empower businesses to evolve and meet tomorrow’s challenges.

From select market-leading brands in diverse sectors (including finance, hospitality, non-profit, and FMCG) trail-blazing guests discuss the role of strategic intent, leadership alignment, colleague engagement, the power of storytelling, and bespoke learning in priming organisations to win. They share their experience of energising workforces to enter new markets and implement new services, and the role that people-centric approaches have in driving positive and sustained business growth.

Guests include former Chief Growth & People Officer at Hawksmoor, Ceri Gott; Executive Director of People & Culture at Samaritans, Tiger de Souza MBE; former Vice President, HR and Global Talent & Learning at PlayStation, Nadine Bainbridge; and more.

Whether you’re investing in growth like Three Hills, leading a team, scaling a start-up, or simply passionate about people, you’ll pick up practical ideas and expert perspectives to help build resilient, future-ready teams and businesses – all Powered by People.

Kicking off our brand-new podcast, Powered by People, Three Hills’ Operating Partner, Tim Pointer, sits down with Ceri Gott, former Chief Growth, Culture & People Officer at Hawksmoor. Ceri was an architect of Hawksmoor’s impressive growth, scaling from £10M to £100M and expanding their restaurants internationally. Ceri shares her playbook for building customer-centric, high-performing teams – teams that maintain a productive relationship with one another and their work.

Evolving a company mindset to prioritise resilience, kindness, and purpose doesn’t just support team development – it shapes guest experience and brand reputation. Ceri shares how this approach has underpinned Hawksmoor’s impressive growth across the UK and USA in the past decade, offering practical insights for anyone looking to build a thriving, purpose-driven business.