The vision of one person led to a nation-wide business success which still reflects its founder’s values, 65 years later.

Engineering consultancy Curtins started in the home of founder Bill Curtin and now has 14 offices around the UK and Ireland.

Curtins' Director of Engagement and Culture Rhiannon Carss explains how Bill’s socialist approach to supporting disadvantaged communities ultimately led the business to becoming employee-owned. The company is also a member of the Purpose Coalition, a network of organisations who are committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, chaired by former Secretary of State for Education Justine Greening.

Useful links:

Curtins: https://www.curtins.com/

Engineering Change: Curtins and The Purpose Coalition Lead the Way in Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity https://www.purpose-coalition.org/impact-reports/curtins

Mastering clear communication about needs and boundaries in the bedroom builds transferrable skills for workplace conversations in the boardroom.

So says our Culture Reset guest Kanica Saphan, who joined the podcast from her home in Montreal, Canada. Kanica is an unusual executive coach, having trained as a sexologist before adapting her coaching skills to help business leaders to overcome barriers to success.

She explains why her coaching works – and shares tips on how to achieve a better sex life through conversation and simple actions before entering the bedroom.

Kanica was in conversation with hosts Juliette Kumar and Caroline Kenyon.

Useful resources:

Guided conversation about sex: https://www.kanica.ca/tools/guidedconversationsex

CEOs Often Feel Lonely. Here’s How They Can Cope. Harvard Business Review article here.

The Gottman Institute blog: Six hours a week to a better relationship

A healthy workplace helps to create a healthy culture – and vice versa, according to our Culture Reset guest Jean-Jacques Sillito.

Jean-Jacques, or JJ as he’s known, is Health Intervention Officer at Liverpool City Council where he is part of the authority’s organisation development team, focussed on support for individuals while building a healthy culture.

The Council’s Chief Operator Officer Jacqui McKinlay, a previous guest on Culture Reset, adds her views on JJ’s pioneering approach and how it fits in with the bigger plan for the organisation.

Useful links:

Sickness absence and health in the workplace: understanding employer behaviour and practice

State of health in the city: Liverpool 2040

What is a Marmot place?