Is SEO still relevant in an AI-driven world?

Ben Rees, marketing leader, Chief Marketing Officer joins Perry Fletcher in The Impact Room to explore why traditional search tactics are losing their edge and how Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) are redefining visibility and the Marketing Playbook.

Learn how to ethically influence AI-powered algorithms.

Build a reputation that scales, and equip your teams for the dual-speed marketing era.

Powered by Douglas Jackson, independent boutique recruitment and Executive search, experts in hiring diverse, impactful leaders for CX, growth and transformation.

Follow Ben here. https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminrees/

Learn more: https://www.bjrees.com/services/

Find out more about Perry Fletcher and how he can support your Operational Support Recruitment Functions including Resource Planning, AI, Analytics, Insight and Data Transformations, scale and growth. https://www.douglas-jackson.com/operational-support-ai-data/

If you would rather watch this episode you can do that here. https://youtu.be/ZlSuKrYDqjU

#aeo #geo#seo#marketing #onlinevisibility #cmo #answerengineoptimisation #generativeengineoptimisation

In this episode of The Impact Room, Michelle Ansell speaks with Lyndon Purnell, a seasoned Chief Information Officer and fractional technology leader with more than two decades of experience across digital, cyber security, data and large-scale transformation.

Together they cover: • The real role of a CIO and how it differs from a CTO • Why technology spend is often wasted and how to build value instead • Practical steps smaller organisations can take to reduce cyber vulnerability • How to assess your tech and cyber posture in the first 30 days • Why people, not systems, are the biggest cyber risk • How fractional CIOs are helping businesses access FTSE-level talent without permanent headcount • The leadership mindset required to navigate AI, automation and fast-moving digital change • How leaders can better understand tech without needing to become experts

Lyndon helps unpack

Perfect for CEOs, COOs, operational leaders and boards who want to strengthen resilience, make better technology decisions, and avoid the risks of an increasingly digital world.

Follow Lyndon Purnell here. https://linkedin.com/in/lyndonpurnell

If you would prefer to watch this episode you can do that here: https://youtu.be/DbYkh2QV_e0

Learn more about Douglas Jackson, the independent boutique recruitment and executive search firm who hire more impactful, diverse leaders on a Permanent, Interim, NED and Fractional basis to help your business, thrive, scale, transform and grow. https://www.douglas-jackson.com/services-retained-executive-search-firm/

#hireachiefinformationofficer #cio #fractionalhires

Are customer surveys still fit for purpose?

Adam Elliott, proven Customer Insight Director, Operational Excellence and CX Leader working with brands E.On, Aviva, National Grid joins Perry Fletcher in The Impact Room to explain why traditional survey-based metrics like NPS are becoming obsolete, how can we continue to base our customer strategies and roadmaps on so few survey results? And shares an alternative approach, predictive modelling, is this a better future.

This episode explores: • The collapse of survey reliability (1–2% response rates) • Predictive insight using operational and behavioural data • How AI and advanced analytics accelerate customer understanding • The organisational changes required to shift from reactive to predictive • Real examples from utilities, energy and financial services

Packed with practical value and strategic direction, this episode is essential listening for CX, Voice of Customer, Customer Insight, Operation Efficiencies and transformation leaders building the next era of customer-centric organisations.

Powered by Douglas Jackson experts in hiring diverse, impactful leaders for growth and transformation.

If you would prefer to watch this episode you can do that here.

Follow Adam Elliott here. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-elliott-59a63a4/

Learn more about Douglas Jackson, who can help you hire CX and Customer Insight specialists and leadership talent. An independent boutique Executive Search and Recruitment Consultancy and Our Operational Support Practice Area for Insight, AI, Analytics and Strategic Planning. https://www.douglas-jackson.com/operational-support-ai-data/

#customerinsight #voiceofthecustomer #voc #cx #podcast #adamelliott

In this episode of The Impact Room, Michelle Ansell talks with Elke Edwards, founder of Ivy House and ElkeEdwards.com, one of the UK’s most respected leadership experts.

Elke shares why leadership is facing a global reset, and why today’s leaders must shift from learning strategies to building strength. She discusses how emotional resilience, ownership, and wisdom are the new essentials for thriving in an era of constant change.

Discover:

• The one mindset shift that transforms leaders from overwhelmed to empowered.

• What’s missing from most corporate leadership programmes.

• How to cultivate calm, creativity and courage in uncertainty.

• The next generation’s new rules for leadership and learning.

“We can’t control what’s coming next, but we can control the state we lead from.” Elke Edwards

We’ve spent billions teaching people how to lead from strategy, but not how to lead from strength. The future belongs to leaders who know who they are, take ownership, and operate from wisdom, not overwhelm. Listen to this inspiring conversation that is challenging a broken system and redefining leadership for the modern world and tomorrow, find out how you can start leading better, being your true self today.

Find our more of follow Elke Edwards here: https://elkeedwards.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elkeedwards

Elke is also the author of The Friday Question, where she asks one question a week, to help you rise above the noise of your life, take a pause, and find the life you really want. https://elkeedwards.com/friday-question/

Elkes Book Extraordinary - How to Lead a Bigger Braver More Meaningful Life https://amzn.eu/d/5XmC0zT

Learn more from Douglas Jackson - www.douglas-jackson.com

If you would prefer to watch this full episode you can do that here.

In this episode of The Impact Room, Michelle Ansell is joined by Carolyn Blunt, Managing Director of Talent Solutions at Sedgwick, to explore the evolving world of leadership development, inclusion, and talent sustainability.

Carolyn shares her journey from contact centre L&D specialist to leadership advisor and explains why closing the gender gap isn’t just about fairness, it’s about business performance.

Carolyn shares her experience, journey and also some of the initiatives they are developing, to unpack how women can build confidence, develop strategic skills, and break through career ceilings, and how organisations can rethink their approach to learning to create environments where every leader can thrive.

This conversation covers:

• Women in leadership: why representation still matters and how to accelerate progress.

• The importance of mentoring, coaching, and community.

• How confidence, mindset, and self-talk can transform career trajectories.

• The future of learning and how technology can support leadership development.

If you’re passionate about leadership, talent, leadership across insurance and the future of work, this is a must-listen episode.

Follow Carolyn here: (27) Carolyn Blunt FCIPD | LinkedIn

Learn more about Sedgwick Talent Solutions here.

Building future-ready teams for the insurance industry

Sedgwick talent solutions offer flexible, fully integrated resourcing and education expertise tailored for the insurance sector.

Douglas Jackson are an independent boutique Recruitment Consultancy and Executive Search helping Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) organisations hire exceptional leaders who make a lasting impact. Helping organisations, scale, overcome obstacles and transform.

#diversity #leadership #femaleleaders #thrivingleaders #performance #futurereadypipelines #leadershipdevelopment #sedwicktalentsolutions #sedgwick #carolynblunt #douglasjackson

In this powerful episode of The Impact Room, Michelle Ansell sits down with the remarkable Donna Scully, Joint Owner and Director of Carpenters Group, one of the UK’s leading providers of legal and insurance services.

From the tenement streets of inner-city Dublin to the top of the UK legal sector, Donna’s story is one of courage, resilience, and unapologetic ambition. Leaving school at 16 with just GCSEs, she defied the odds and proved that social mobility isn’t just possible, it’s essential for building truly inclusive businesses and leadership teams that reflect the real world.

With refreshing honesty, Donna speaks about:

• Her working-class upbringing and the battles she faced navigating professional spaces.

• How she built her career without the “right” background or connections.

• Why we must rethink traditional hiring, qualification pathways, and what "professionalism" really looks like.

• How kindness, integrity and hard work still matter in today’s cutthroat business world.

💥 Donna's Quote: "I'm the social mobility poster girl. I’m grateful for every opportunity, and I’ve worked hard because I know how lucky I am – but it shouldn’t be about luck."

This episode is a must-watch for business leaders, HR professionals, educators, and anyone passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion. Donna’s journey challenges us to see people’s potential beyond their postcode or qualifications and to rebuild access routes into business with heart, fairness, and intention.

💡 The Impact Room is brought to you by Douglas Jackson, a founder led, independent boutique recruitment consultant and Executive Search firm. We help organisations hire more impactful, diverse leaders who stay longer and succeed.

👉 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/6DAPJ9scVRc

Follow Donna here: (35) Donna Scully | LinkedIn

Learn more about Carpenters Group https://www.carpentersgroup.co.uk/

Learn more about Douglas Jackson and the regulated sectors we serve including, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance here. https://www.douglas-jackson.com/practice-areas-douglas-jackson-executive-search/

#TheImpactRoom #DonnaScully #SocialMobility #WomenInBusiness #LeadershipWithHeart #DiversityandInclusion #KindnessInLeadership #CareerInspiration #LegalLeadership #DouglasJackson

AI is everywhere – from Spotify recommending your next playlist to hospitals diagnosing conditions faster than ever before. But what does it really mean for businesses and leaders? In this episode of The Impact Room, Perry Fletcher talks with Ahmed Khan, Co Founder of Edge vision AI an AI expert, technologist with over 20 years of experience, about separating hype from reality and finding the true value of AI.

Ahmed shares how companies can leverage AI for efficiency, strategy, and customer experience – and the pitfalls of adopting it blindly. He also explores cutting-edge uses in medicine, transport, and nanotechnology that show the future is already here.

Quote from Ahmed: “The biggest mistake is treating AI like a magic wand. Without strategy and the right data, it won’t work. Get those right, and it can transform your business.”

Whether you’re a CEO, COO, or future-focused leader, this episode gives you clear insights into what AI can do today – and what’s coming next.

If you would prefer to watch this episode go here: https://youtu.be/uZubTbvN3-c

Follow Ahmed here: (9) Ahmed M S Khan | LinkedIn

Learn more about Douglas Jackson, an independent boutique recruitment and Executive Search firm and how to hire more impactful leaders who stay longer and are more successful in AI, Data transformation, Operational Support, Tools Tech, Insight, Analytics and Resource Planning.

https://www.douglas-jackson.com/services-retained-executive-search-firm/

Welcome to The Impact Room, where we speak with the leaders shaping tomorrow’s organisations.

In this episode, Perry Fletcher, Operational Support Practice Lead at Douglas Jackson is joined by Chris Kenny, Digital Specialist at JDI Digital Transform Limited to discuss the crisis of trust facing regulated professions—and what good leadership looks like in today’s climate. Chris has spent over two decades at the intersection of regulation, risk, and governance, helping organisations rethink culture, compliance, and what it truly means to lead with integrity.

From AI to professional burnout, Chris doesn't shy away from the big topics. He challenges the status quo and offers a practical roadmap for leaders who want to create safe, inclusive, and trusted environments that withstand scrutiny and drive impact.

If you're in healthcare, law, insurance, or any highly scrutinised sector, this episode is a must-listen.

👉 Follow The Impact Room for more powerful stories from the leaders creating meaningful change.

Follow Chris here https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-kenny-0306312a

Prefer to watch the full episode, you can do that here. https://youtu.be/e2PO0sP-ISo

Learn more about Douglas Jackson Executive Search and Recruitment Consultant for Operations, Operational Support, including, Resource Planning, Analytics, Insight, AI, CX and UX. https://www.douglas-jackson.com/

Douglas Jackson Partner with organisations across sectors to identify and attract top-tier leaders and subject matter experts, whether permanent, fractional, or NED, who drive transformation, scale, or solve critical challenges. Operating at the intersection of Operations, Transformation, Growth, Customer, CX, Marketing, Digital and Operational Support, helping you hire high-impact leaders, C-suite, SVP, Director and subject matter, critical expert hires who stay longer and are more successful.