Curious Leadership with Dominic Monkhouse E346 | Scaling Culture, Velocity & AI in HR Tech with Phil Coxon
What happens when you lead three HR tech brands through growth, acquisition, and the AI revolution?
Phil Coxon is in the thick of it.
In this episode, Dominic is joined by Phil Coxon, Managing Director of Breathe, Elmo UK, and RotorGeek - three HR and workforce management platforms tackling different ends of the market.
Phil shares what he’s learned scaling global businesses like Criteo and Mindbody, and how he’s now applying those lessons in the world of SME and enterprise HR software. From sales strategy and product orchestration to company culture and AI integration, this episode dives deep into what it takes to lead through disruption and transformation.
Phil also discusses how Breathe is deploying Gemini AI internally, how they’re navigating shifting regulation, and why whiteboard sales still beat PowerPoint pitches every time.
- Scaling Across Markets: How Phil navigates leading three brands (Breathe, Elmo UK, and RotorGeek) that serve wildly different customer profiles—from micro-SMBs to global enterprises.
- Whiteboard Sales Magic: Why abandoning PowerPoint in favour of live co-creation on a whiteboard leads to the most memorable and successful sales pitches.
- The AI Assistant Mindset: How Breathe is embedding Gemini into daily workflows, from sales to implementation, and why every employee is encouraged to spend an hour a day with AI.
- Security and Trust in AI: The rigorous compliance approach Phil takes to integrating AI in HR—where data sensitivity is non-negotiable.
- Driving Sales Without Demand: Why great sales today means educating customers who weren’t planning to buy—and how regulation is helping create urgency.
- From IPO to Impact: Phil’s reflections on scaling Critéo from $30M to $2.3B, leading teams in Manhattan and across the globe, and what stuck with him.
- Cultural Synergy After Acquisition: Lessons in merging different business cultures without breaking what works—from emergency ward scheduling to HR platforms.
- Mandatory Training Saves Lives: How small steps like cyber security and equality training aren’t just box-ticking—they can protect 147-year-old companies from collapse.
- The Fast-Follow Product Strategy: Why speeding up the delivery of customer-requested features is Breathe’s north star—and how AI-generated code will make it happen.
Phil Coxon is the Managing Director of Breathe, Elmo UK, and RotorGeek. With a background in global SaaS, adtech, and scaling tech companies, Phil now leads a suite of HR products focused on small businesses through to large-scale enterprise clients.
Key Topics Covered:
- Why culture is the key to post-acquisition success
- How AI is supercharging sales, engineering, and implementation
- What it takes to sell HR tools to buyers who aren’t looking
- The future of engineering with code-generating AI
- Why clarity beats complexity in modern leadership
Where to Find Phil:
📚 Book Recommendations from Phil
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
- Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
--------
Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter:
https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.com
Follow us on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/monkhouse-and-company
https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/curiousleadership
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:
https://link.cohostpodcasting.com/52495078-fc00-41b8-a42e-9371bb2fa3e0?d=sZwdKMGh4