Join host Guy Osmond as he delves into the intricacies of workplace strategy with Ian Baker, founder and director of Humans and Places, a workplace strategy consultancy. In this engaging episode, Ian shares his extensive experience in property management and workplace strategy, highlighting the disconnect between business goals and workplace design that became evident after the pandemic. The conversation explores whether organisations have truly grasped the need for workplace strategy, the complexities of hybrid working, the impacts of AI, and the challenges faced by different generational cohorts in the modern workplace. Featuring insights into how businesses can better align their strategies with workplace practices, this podcast is a must-listen for those interested in the evolving dynamics of work environments.

Ian Baker is the Founder and Director of Humans and Places, a consultancy specialising in workplace strategy.

With over 25 years of experience in the built environment and a background in property consulting and project management, Ian has been actively involved in the workplace and facilities management sector since 2015.

As Head of Workplace for a major outsourced FM provider, he led consultancy projects across a broad range of public and private sector organisations.

Driven by curiosity and a passion for strategy, Ian helps organisations align their business goals with tailored workplace strategies, enhancing performance, boosting productivity, and delivering cost efficiencies.

In 2023, Ian was recognised as one of the Top 50 Workplace Leaders by The Workplace Event for his contribution to the field.

He currently serves as Chair of the IWFM Workspace Special Interest Group (SIG) and sits on the drafting panel for BS 8703, a forthcoming British Standard in Workplace Strategy.

“How we work is always evolving, yet one thing remains constant: where we work shapes our ability to focus, to collaborate, and to connect. Places influence our capacity to forge social bonds, share knowledge, and lead fulfilled, balanced lives.”

In this episode of the Guy Osmond podcast, Guy welcomes Katie Deacon, a Chartered Electrical Engineer and the founder of 'Towards Belonging Limited.'

Katie shares her mission to bridge the gap between the disabled community and the technical, engineering, and architectural sectors. She discusses her various roles, including her work as a visiting professor at the University of Huddersfield and Aston University and vice president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

The conversation covers the importance of inclusive design, the challenges disabled individuals face, and the potential of AI and technology in creating more accessible environments. Tune in to learn about the critical need for accessibility in engineering and the exciting innovations in this field.

Katy's Bio

Katy Deacon is a Chartered Electrical Engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering Technology (IET), a wife and a mother of two children.

Katy’s career is a great example of tenacity, resilience and determination. She started her career as an avionic apprentice at British Airways, gaining her first-class honours degree in Air Transport Engineering from City University, London and the IIE Mary George Memorial Prize, awarded to an outstanding engineering apprentice working in the UK.

Difficulties in the aviation industry caused by 9/11 resulted in Katy moving her skills and knowledge to focus on electrical design in buildings. She won the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year award in 2006. After completing her master’s degree in Advanced Engineering from Loughborough University, she became a Chartered Engineer and adjusted her career to focus on renewables and low carbon buildings.

Her development of the Kirklees and Yorkshire Forward Renewable Energy Toolkit won the NICEIC Energy Efficiency Product of the Year. In the same year, Katy won the WES Karen Burt Award for the most outstanding newly Chartered Woman Engineer of the Year.

She enjoyed designing and project managing the installation of renewable energy systems and managing building energy management systems until she decided to expand her experience in management and leadership. She then changed her focus to advance her management skills, become a leader within a large organisation and develop her experience in information governance and cyber security.

In 2011 she started displaying serious symptoms which were diagnosed in 2012 as multiple sclerosis. After years in a wheelchair, living with the difficulties posed by lack of understanding from engineers and architects in how to build inclusive and accessible environments, Katy now runs her own business Towards Belonging Limited.

Towards Belonging Limited bridges the gap between the disabled community and the engineering community, improving inclusive engineering design implementation, enabling the disabled community to share their experiences of inaccessible spaces and helping engineers to understand the importance of designing for everyone.

Katy is a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at Aston University and the University of Huddersfield, specialising in Inclusive Engineering Design. She is also a Vice President of the Institute of Engineering and Technology where she chairs the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Board, helping the IET to lead the way for inclusion within the engineering and technology industries.

In this episode of The Guy Osmond Podcast, Guy is joined by two brilliant guests for a dynamic conversation about communication, inclusion, and the science of being heard in the modern workplace.

Joining Guy is Paige Hodsman, a workplace acoustics specialist from Saint-Gobain Ecophon, whose research explores how acoustic environments and unconscious biases influence who gets listened to at work. Alongside Paige is Guy’s daughter-in-law, Rebecca O’Dwyer, a finance professional and advocate for diversity and inclusion, offering insight from the corporate front line. Together, they explore:

• Why women often feel unheard in meetings—and the psychology behind it
• How workplace design and acoustics impact inclusion and communication
• The role of leadership, culture, and hybrid working in driving positive change
• What the latest research says about communication styles, personality, and perception
• Practical ways businesses can make meetings more inclusive and effective

Whether you’re a leader, designer, people manager or just passionate about better conversations at work, this episode is full of fresh perspectives and practical ideas.

Paige Hodsman, MSc., PGDip., BA, APA, BPS

Paige is the Concept Developer and Workplace Specialist at Saint-Gobain Ecophon in the UK and IE and utilises her diverse background in psychology, environmental management, office interior design, and acoustics to create sustainable and productive workplaces. With over 25 years of experience in the field, she has worked on global projects from both the client and supplier sides.

She is focused on creating awareness about the importance of mental and physical wellbeing in office environments and advocates for a research-based approach to architecture and interior design. She is also the co-developer of the psychoacoustic profiling tool for office workers and specialises in solving office noise distraction and design issues related to health and wellbeing.

She holds an MSc. in Psychological Sciences (Research Psychology), a PGDip. in Environmental Management, and a BA in Interior Design. Paige is a speaker and author of numerous research papers, book chapters, and articles related to acoustics and health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Her current research subject is: ‘Hearing Women in the Workplace’, along with Dr. Nigel Oseland.

Rebecca O’Dwyer

Rebecca joined M&G Investments in 2015, in the Direct Lending team within Fixed Income. She is responsible for co-leading corporate private credit origination, with a focus on originating, structuring and executing mid-market Direct Lending Investments in Northern Europe.

Before joining M&G, Rebecca worked for Natwest (formerly RBS) in the Leveraged Finance team, originating and structuring debt packages for Private Equity backed and Founder owned corporates. She started her career by completing the RBS Corporate Banking graduate programme.

Rebecca holds a 1st class History BA from the University of York.