Podcast
Jimmy's Jobs of the Future
Hosted by Boxlight Creative Studio · EN
Former Downing Street adviser, Jimmy McLoughlin interviews top entrepreneurs, politicians, and just about anyone at the top of their game on where they think the future of our economy is going through the prism of jobs.
56episodes
Episodes
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[SPECIAL] When the world's most powerful CEOs enter Downing Street
6d ago00:46:03Summary readyInside Number 10: Jimmy on Tim Cook, getting a wedding letter from Theresa May, and Starting Jobs of the Future We decided to swap the seats this week: Jimmy is the guest. He went on The Independent's In The Room to talk about the three years he spent deciding who got through the door of Number 10 and what that taught him about how people actually get hired. Helen MacNamara, the former Deputy Cabinet Secretary, and Cleo Watson, former special adviser to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, run a summer series called Lessons from Number 10 - what it's really like to work behind that black door. Jimmy worked with both of them. Which, given this show spent the last month asking how you get in the room when you know nobody, is a fairly on-the-nose demonstration of the answer. In this conversation: what the Prime Minister's Business Director actually does all day, why Number 10 has no floor plan and what that does to a new starter, how he got entrepreneurs into the building instead of the companies with big lobbying teams, what business consistently misunderstands about government and the other way round, why bringing business leaders into politics so often doesn't work, the trade trips and the logistics of losing CEOs in foreign countries, and the day it all stopped being fun. Also: the origin story of this podcast. A question Theresa May asked him one morning about where jobs actually come from - and why he's been trying to answer it ever since. Thanks to Helen, Cleo and the team at In The Room for letting us play this here. Their show is at @intheroom.pod, and it's part of The Independent Podcast Network, produced with Next Chapter Studios. Jimmy's Jobs of the Future is a show about work, careers and how people actually get hired - long-form interviews with the people who do the hiring. Next week: Jimmy vs the Producers, on Andy Burnham interview. You can read Jimmy's piece on the BTS of our Andy Burnham interview here: https://jimmysjobs.substack.com/p/did-i-like-andy-burnham Follow us on socials at @jimmysjobs, and follow Jimmy on Instagram at @jimmymcjournal for more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Real Threat to Your Career Isn't AI | Steve Rigby, Rigby Group CEO
2w ago00:59:40Summary readyAI, Sovereign Compute, and the Future of Family Business in the UK | Steve Rigby on Jobs of the Future In 2026, Steve Rigby joins Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future to discuss why AI adoption in large companies will be slower than hype suggests because it requires difficult process transformation plus governance and security, while SMEs can move faster with low barriers to entry. He argues the UK is behind on preparing society and government for disruption, citing data that 39% of MPs have never used AI and calling for a multi-department “war footing,” including urgent AI data-center expansion and sovereign compute backed by government offtake. Rigby explains his role as chair of Family Business UK, the impact of new 20% tax charges on intergenerational transfers, and why the UK incentivizes selling businesses over long-term ownership. He outlines the Rigby Group’s scale, family succession planning, his philanthropy and education programs, and his efforts to influence policy via media, LinkedIn, and a new podcast. 00:00 AI Shift Like the 90s 00:43 Why Big Firms Move Slow 01:46 Reskilling and Job Risk 04:14 MPs Not Using AI 06:50 Data Centers and Compute 08:49 AI Sovereignty Plan 10:31 Chairing Family Business UK 11:22 Tax Changes Hit Succession 12:51 Rigby Group Overview 15:14 London Family Office Hub 16:40 Non Doms and Tax Carrots 19:39 UK Incentives and Mittelstand 22:40 First Jobs and Joining Family Firm 25:28 Building Tech Retail in the 90s 27:42 Family Business Life and Succession 29:40 Preparing the Next Generation 32:21 Kids Careers Outside the Firm 33:29 What Intelligence Really Means 34:08 Learning Styles Matter 34:42 Tech Powered Classrooms 36:24 Cradle to Career Impact 38:23 Inspiring Futures Model 40:12 Plural Career Time Split 41:44 Influencing Policy and Media 44:40 Family Business UK Growth 46:39 Podcast for Hard Issues 48:59 Sleep Data and Health Tech 52:22 Competitive Sports Journey 57:12 Giving Values and Dividends 57:58 Future of Family Firms 01:00:40 Mittelstand and UK Incentives 01:02:28 Podcast Pick and Wrap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryPrime Minister Andy Burnham.
2w ago00:29:48Summary readyPrime Minister Andy Burnham on Youth Unemployment, Work Shadowing, and the Future of Work | Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future Thanks to LinkedIn for partnering on this episode. Learn more about how the UK labour market is changing in the age of AI in LinkedIn’s latest report: https://lnkd.in/labour-market-report In a special early interview at 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Andy Burnham joins Jimmy to discuss why too many young people are struggling to get their first break, and what government, employers and senior leaders can do about it. Reflecting on his own journey from an unpaid local newspaper reporter to Prime Minister, Andy explains why family connections often matter more than qualifications, why work shadowing can transform a young person's confidence, and why every leader should help open the door for someone without an established network. They also discuss the future of education, apprenticeships, AI, recruitment, social capital and why Britain needs to value technical careers as much as university degrees. Andy shares what he looks for when hiring, why creativity and communication remain essential skills in the age of AI, and the leadership lessons that have shaped his career. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:29 Sponsor 01:49 PM Priorities on Youth Jobs 02:50 Early Career and Drift 05:35 Social Capital and Access 06:53 Hiring and Leadership Skills 08:51 Ambition Beyond London 09:42 English Degree and Creativity 12:24 Kids View of Job Market 13:49 Placements and Employer Role 17:26 AI and Future of Work 18:30 LinkedIn Data Break 19:51 Apprenticeships and Reform 21:28 Nostalgia Game and Advice 26:24 Closing Note and LinkedIn Credits: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Thuy Dong Aggie Mellor Annabel Wilcken Ethan Pearman Josh Eames Laura Dunn Special thanks to: Sunny Winter Nguyen Anh Duc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryFrom Boots the Chemist to Lewis Hamilton's Boardroom | Dr. Hayaatun Sillem
4w ago01:07:41Summary readyThis week, a special crossover episode: Jimmy's Jobs of the Future meets What We Don't Know. Check out What We Don't Know here Hayaatun Sillem, host of What We Don't Know, spent eight years as CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering - the first woman, and the first person in over two decades, to hold the role. Before that: 8 years of biochemistry, a walkout from the lab that ended her PhD overnight, and a stint advising Parliament on everything from forensic science to carbon capture. She also co-chaired Lewis Hamilton's commission on the representation of Black people in UK motorsport, and is now a founding trustee of his charity, Mission 44. In this conversation, Jimmy and Hayaatun cover the moment people mistook her for anyone but the CEO, the leadership skill she thinks is most underrated, the decision to leave a job she loved while she was still doing her best work, and why she thinks "more jazz than classical" is the only way to lead through uncertainty now. ********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Sunny Winter Producer: Thuy Dong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryHow Heathrow Runs Britain's Biggest Workplace | CEO Thomas Woldbye
4w ago00:55:28Summary readyHeathrow isn't just an airport - it's one of the UK's largest workplaces. Every day, more than 200,000 passengers pass through Heathrow, supported by around 100,000 people working across hundreds of different roles. From firefighters and engineers to security teams, baggage handlers and AI specialists, it's a city-sized operation that has to work flawlessly, every single day. In this episode, Jimmy sits down with Thomas Woldbye, CEO of Heathrow Airport, to explore what it really takes to run one of Britain's most complex organisations. They discuss: Why Heathrow employs around 100,000 people The leadership challenges of running a 24/7 operation How AI is changing the future of airports Why security queues have fallen to under five minutes The case for Heathrow's third runway How Heathrow balances growth, sustainability and passenger experience What makes a great leader in high-pressure environments Whether you're interested in leadership, infrastructure, business, operations or the future of work, this conversation offers a rare look behind the scenes of one of the world's busiest airports. Chapters: 00:00 The UK's Biggest Workplace 01:28 Why Heathrow Is Britain's Biggest Workplace 05:12 What Does the Heathrow CEO Actually Do? 09:45 Leading 100,000 People 15:34 Behind the Scenes of Running an Airport 20:48 Security, AI & The Future of Travel 27:41 Why Heathrow Wants a Third Runway 34:26 Can Heathrow Keep Growing 40:55 Sustainability vs Growth 47:18 Crisis Leadership & Decision Making 53:07 Careers at Heathrow 58:14 Leadership Lessons from Running Heathrow 01:03:10 Quick Fire Questions ********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Sunny Winter Producer: Thuy Dong This is a partnership with Heathrow Airport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryJohnny Reynolds on Jobs of the Future: Skills, Scale-Ups, Net Zero and AI
4w ago00:57:02Summary readyJohnny Reynolds on Jobs of the Future: Skills, Scale-Ups, Net Zero and AI This is a replayed 2023 interview with Johnny Reynolds, now returning to run the Department for Business amid major UK government reshuffles under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, including moving AI to the Cabinet Office. Jimmy and Johnny discuss visiting businesses such as Football Manager’s studio and Nissan’s Sunderland plant, arguing the state should help people manage economic change, especially through net zero, automotive transition and opportunities like green steel. 00:00 UK Government Shakeup 00:32 Why Replay This Interview 01:54 Football Manager Visit 04:19 Factory Tours and Learning 05:47 North East and Change 08:38 Future Sectors and Trade 13:27 Workplace Flex and Hybrid 15:41 Manchester Boom Story 18:00 City and Listing Concerns 20:57 Scaling Up UK Startups 24:52 How Reynolds Works 28:29 What Business Wants Most 30:12 Policy Levers for Growth 30:39 Skills Shortages and Immigration 32:25 Reforming the Apprenticeship Levy 34:06 Devolution and Local Skills Planning 35:12 From Law to Parliament 38:42 How the MP Job Changed 42:24 Working-Class Roots and Values 45:36 AI Disruption and Regulation 49:18 Entrepreneurship and Risk 51:25 Dream Jobs and Capital Allocation 53:15 Books Podcasts and Wrap-Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryGeorgie Coleridge Cole, Sheerluxe Founder | Building a £40M Business By Ignoring the Rules
Jul 1400:55:06Summary readySheerLuxe Founder on Hiring, Creator-Led Media & Selling the Business for £40M Jimmy interviews Georgie Coleridge Cole about building SheerLuxe over nearly two decades into a creator-led digital media business, what she looks for when hiring (culture add, broadcasters/curators/tastemakers), and how the company is structured across editorial, social, content, design, marketing, commercial, and video teams with around 100 staff and strong retention. She explains SheerLuxe’s approach to new channels using gut instinct, prioritizing engagement and the right content “order” by platform, and a people-first model that drives trust and monetization. Georgie details early fundraising before the financial crisis, becoming profitable within about three years, and maintaining disciplined growth. She discusses launching Blush Talent Management to manage internal and external talent, and reflects on selling SheerLuxe to Future for £40M, why she publicized the number, and what she wants to focus on next, including education, ex-offending initiatives, and support for under-16 social media restrictions. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:47 Sheerluxe Team Structure 03:05 Editorial vs Content Workflow 05:14 Growth Stages and New Channels 08:32 Launching Platforms by Instinct 13:42 Employee Generated Content Origins 17:11 Early Hires and Retention 22:25 Funding and Profitability Lessons 26:38 Leadership Style and Chief of Staff 29:27 Hiring for Culture 30:37 Blush Talent Launch 34:01 Internal and External Roster 34:53 Why Share the Sale Price 39:46 Slow and Steady Growth 42:55 Life After the Exit 45:06 Purpose Beyond Business 51:38 Social Media Age Limits 55:43 Status and Aspiration Shift 01:00:26 Closing Thoughts ********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Thuy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryAmazon: The Plan to Get 30,000 People Into Work
Jul 600:14:57Summary readyAmazon’s Upskilling Push: Career Choice, Skilled Hiring, and Supported Internships At a new Amazon fulfillment center, Amazon UK & I Country Manager John Boumphrey discusses job announcements, hiring needs, and major upskilling efforts, including the Career Choice program that funds nationally recognized qualifications up to £3,000 a year in the UK, training about 30,000 people in the UK and 300,000 globally, with a planned $1B investment by 2030 to train an additional 500,000 people. He explains employees often retrain for tech and hard-to-hire roles such as mechatronics for increasingly robotic warehouses, and describes a skills gap despite 1 million under-24s in the UK not in education or training. John details ongoing UK hiring and investments, including new sites in Northampton and Peterborough and a previously announced £14B UK investment. John emphasizes work experience, communication, teamwork, and reflection, highlights Supported Internships for young people with learning disabilities and autism, and shares his executive hiring approach focused on evidence-based examples and continuous learning. 00:00 Upskilling at Amazon 01:22 Courses and Career Paths 02:18 Mechatronics and Robotics Roles 02:57 The Hiring Paradox 04:03 UK and Europe Expansion Plans 06:02 What Amazon Wants in Hires 07:12 Work Experience and Inclusion 08:35 Supported Internships Stories 10:42 Hiring Senior Leaders 12:41 Lifelong Learning Wrap Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryTom Kerridge REVEALS What Destroys the Hospitality Industry
Jul 200:38:54Summary readyTom Kerridge on Why UK Restaurants Are Failing: Rising Costs, VAT the Problem, and the Fight to Save Hospitality Watch the full documentary: https://youtu.be/LKaEiZ5TE5Q At Tom Kerridge’s Whitehall restaurant, we explores why UK hospitality is struggling despite strong demand: rising utility bills, food inflation, minimum wage and national insurance increases, and business rates have eroded already thin margins, contributing to three hospitality closures a day across an industry involving 4.5 million people. Tom explains his hiring priorities and outlines London kitchen pay ranging from over £40k to six figures in senior roles. He argues government support that helped during COVID (furlough, VAT reduction) has vanished, calls for hospitality to have its own dedicated ministry, and criticizes Labour’s communication and lack of action on VAT. He also discusses how TV and commercial work subsidizes his five restaurants and shares his journey to sobriety at 40 after years of extreme drinking. 00:00 Inside a Busy Service 00:15 Kerridge’s Profit Struggle 01:02 Why Restaurants Are Closing 02:08 Building Great Teams 04:17 Pay and Career Progression 04:55 Costs Crushing Margins 08:29 Hospitality’s Social Impact 13:36 Kitchen Tour and Stations 15:55 Plating the Crab Crumpet 18:06 Making Lobbying Relatable 20:00 Why Not Run For Office 22:01 Fixing Hospitality Policy 23:53 Labour Comms And Leadership 27:06 TV Work Funds Restaurants 29:36 How Cooking TV Changed 31:00 Why Independents Are Struggling 32:22 Quitting Alcohol For Good 36:08 Staying Sober In Hospitality 37:32 Which Minister Can Cook ********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Sunny Winter https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnywinter/ Junior Producer: Thuy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryBrexit Made Us Poorer? Think Again | Vote Leave CEO Lord Elliot
Jun 2301:10:40Summary readyLord Matthew Elliott on Vote Leave, Modern Campaigning, AI Microtargeting, and the Jobs Foundation Jimmy interviews Lord Matthew Elliott, former Vote Leave CEO and author of “Ten Years On,” about building and running political campaigns, recruiting and developing talent, and measuring success through objectives, media impact, and interim targets. Elliott contrasts traditional campaigning with today’s faster, noisier, social-driven landscape, describing Vote Leave’s use of polling, fundraising, Facebook/Google ads, and the iconic bus tour with Boris Johnson, plus the operational roles behind it. He discusses how AI and data-driven microtargeting, especially in the US, could reshape elections, and predicts more short-lived single-issue campaigns. Elliott reflects on Brexit’s effects, arguing the UK avoided “Project Fear” outcomes and has performed comparatively well versus some European economies. He also shares his adult autism diagnosis, links it to his focus and work, highlights low autistic employment rates, and outlines the Jobs Foundation’s mission to promote business-led jobs, training, and pro-growth policy. Chapters: 00:00 Brexit Ten Years On 01:14 Meet Matthew Elliott 02:43 Building Campaign Teams 04:40 Recruiting Early Talent 07:50 Developing Spokespeople 09:22 Measuring Campaign Success 11:12 Modern Campaign Playbook 13:23 Cutting Through Noise 15:44 Brexit Campaign Today 18:11 The Iconic Bus Strategy 20:08 Behind the Bus Operation 23:34 AI and Microtargeting 27:31 Winning Swing Voters 31:33 Why Brexit Hit Hard 34:37 Culture Replaces Class 35:45 Why Culture Wars Rise 37:28 Short Term Politics Trap 40:50 Running Government vs Campaigning 43:05 Future of Campaigning 44:29 Autism Diagnosis Story 48:53 Autism and Employment Gap 51:58 After Vote Leave Fallout 54:56 Building Jobs Foundation Coalitions 58:18 NEETs AI and Flexibility 01:00:51 Brexit Reassessment Debate 01:04:13 Regulators Planning and Growth 01:07:10 Coalition Building Skillset 01:08:36 Closing Thanks ********** Follow us on socials! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjobs Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimmysjobsofthefuture Twitter / X: https://www.twitter.com/JimmyM Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-mcloughlin-obe/ Want to come on the show? hello@jobsofthefuture.co Sponsor the show or Partner with us: hello@jobsofthefuture.co Check out our clips channel here! ⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@JimmysJobsClips Credits: Host / Exec Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Producer: Sunny Winter https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnywinter/ Junior Producer: Thuy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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