In the spring of 2017, I got the chance to interview Professor Yuval Harari, author of Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. This is a mind-bendingly interesting book, and I relished the chance to talk to Professor Harari. My interview was for the Q2 edition of Influence, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations magazine. Perhaps most strikingly, Harari believes that peace and quiet is the new symbol of wealth and power. He, like many of the world’s elite, does not carry a smartphone.

At the end of 2016, I visited Sandhurst, home of the British Army officer, to meet Brigadier Suzanne Anderson, one of the most senior women in the army and the woman responsible for soldiers’ and officers’ individual development. We had a hearty breakfast in an oak-panelled room with a large animal skin hanging on the wall, and she explained how the army is now giving soldiers the tools to survive in the civilian world, from the very day they sign up. Here’s the full interview, which was originally published in the winter 2017 edition of Professional Manager, the Chartered Management Institute magazine.

Not long after the Brexit vote, I was invited to a private press event with Lord Dobbs (aka Michael Dobbs, author of the original novel House of Cards). We discussed, among other things, how to give a truly memorable speech. He, having worked close-up with former PM Margaret Thatcher, had fascinating things to say on the subject. This article, “The essence of the memorable speech”, was originally published in Professional Manager, the official Chartered Management Institute magazine.