Chris Patten, former British Governor of Hong Kong, shares insights on his decision to accept the role, challenges faced during the handover to China, reflections on political shifts, Tiananmen Square aftermath, and the influence of Catholic faith in Hong Kong.

Joanne Weiss is a brilliant American education reformer who worked in the US government under President Barack Obama and was a key figure in delivering one of the most ambitious federal education programs in history. In this episode, she discusses the challenge of working on large-scale reform within the US political system and what she learnt from that intense period of her career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stuart Lancaster has had a long and impressive career in professional sport, having coached the England rugby union team for over four years before going on to coach Leinster Rugby in Dublin, one of the most successful teams in Europe. In this episode, Stuart discusses the highs and lows of working in elite sport, the transferable lessons that any leader can learn from managing a sports team and the importance of culture, identity and belonging. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ziauddin Yousafza is known now for being Malala’s father, but he was a bold and courageous education campaigner long before Malala was even born. He founded and led a low cost private school in the Swat valley in Pakistan and was a leader and an advocate for girls’ education in his community for many years before Malala’s attack. In this episode, we discuss the influence of having five sisters who were not afforded the same education as him, his passion for learning and the resistance he faced running a school that prioritised educating girls, and his thoughts on the Taliban’s current ban on female education in Afghanistan.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Malala Yousafzai is an activist who became the youngest winner of the Nobel Prize in recognition for her brave and tireless campaigning for girls’ access to education.  In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, she discusses her childhood in Pakistan, her family’s long-term campaigning for girls’ education, what she remembers about her attack and the months after, and her determination to hold world leaders to account for their promises on education.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can elite sailors learn from professional cyclists? What does a left back at OGC Nice football club have in common with a Formula One driver at Mercedes?  In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Sir Dave Brailsford discusses his distinguished career in elite sport and some of the characteristics that cut across all high performance environments. Along with insights into managing diverse teams and advice to people starting their career in sport, Dave shares how a health scare gave him a new perspective but did not diminish his drive and ‘all in’ attitude. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just a few weeks into her new role as CEO at UK Youth, Ndidi Okezie faced the immediate chaos of the pandemic and the following months of lockdowns, restrictions and disruption. The impact on young people was huge - suddenly many were cut off from their only safe spaces in schools and youth centres. In this episode of the Accomplishment podcast, Ndidi Okezie discusses the importance of youth work, why the language we use about young people is so important and why she is so optimistic for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After four years as Secretary of State for education, David Blunkett became Home Secretary just a few months before 911 changed the world dramatically. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Lord Blunkett discusses the lessons from his many years working in politics and what he would do differently if he had his time again, his advice to current and future Ministers, and why spending time away from Westminster is the best thing any politician can do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baroness Sue Campbell is one of the most influential people in British sport. In her most recent role as Director of women’s football at the Football Association, she played a critical role in the recent success of the England team at the Euros. In this episode of the Accomplishment podcast, she talks about her battles to get the right resources for the women’s team, the pride of seeing 20,000 people watch women play ‘a different kind of game’ and why there needs to be more funding for PE in schools. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katherine Swift was a rare book librarian who gave up her job to create the acclaimed gardens at the Dower House, Morville Hall. The accompanying book “The Morville Hours” is a beautiful chronicle of the 20 year project and includes stories of the previous generations who had put roots down in that same soil. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Katherine discusses her motivation for undertaking this labour of love, the local community who gathered around to help, and the mental, physical and spiritual benefits of connecting with a piece of land and its changing seasons.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.