The Lens – UK Responsible Business Podcast

This month our host Harjot Singh is joined by John Healy OBE, Vice President and Managing Director of Allstate Northern Ireland and Indy Hothi CA, Co-Founder of Upside Products, Deputy President of ICAS and One Young World ambassador .
In this episode, Harjot and his guests discuss how business can engage with communities that are otherwise hard to reach, and we ask our guests if business leaders can make a true impact in communities that have experienced conflict. 
They also talk about global citizenship, and how developing a mentality of servant leadership and being willing to explore new ideas with an open mind can benefit you.
How can business leaders face the future with empathy, intelligence and put communities at the hearts of their businesses? Is it really true that when a business knows better, it does better? When a business is unselfish with its resources, does everyone benefit? 
Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Allstate’s John Healy and Indy Hothi from ICAS.

Our Guests

John Healy OBE has over 25 years’ experience in technology, predominantly in the financial services domain. He has extensive experience at leading global teams, developing strategy and delivering solutions to address business and technology issues.

Prior to joining Allstate, John led Citi’s delivery centre in Belfast, providing IT, Operations, HR, Legal, Finance and Risk Services to the broader Citi group as one of 27 global delivery centres in its global network. Before serving in this position, John held senior management roles as head of technology and as a business unit manager for Citi, as well as senior roles at Grafton Recruitment, Liberty IT, J P Morgan Chase, St George Bank Treasury and Merrill Lynch.

John joined Allstate NI in January 2016 as Managing Director responsible for over 2,400 employees based in Belfast, Derry and Strabane. He was promoted to Vice President in July 2016.

John is the Executive Sponsor for the Women in Technology at Allstate (WITA) and the Embrace (LGBT) network. External to Allstate NI, he is a Women in Business Diversity Champion. John is President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Queen’s University Employers’ Forum, is a school governor and is chair of the ICT Panel of the NI government’s technology foresight group MATRIX. John earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Engineering and Computer Science from Queen’s University Belfast.

Indy Hothi CA is the co-founder of Upside Projects, a consultancy and venture builder which provides strategic advice on digital transformation, innovation and sustainability to public and private sector clients. Prior to Upside Projects, Indy was a senior economist with EY in London. He worked across a number of high-profile social/economic impact studies which influenced public policy and included clients such as the Premier League and Rugby World Cup.

Through his passion for social and humanitarian causes, Indy is a Director of Khalsa Aid International, a charity which provides humanitarian aid in disaster areas and civil conflict zones. His work has led him to the frontline on a number of projects including Iraq, DR Congo, Lebanon, Nepal and Haiti. Throughout 2020 and 2021 Indy has been working with Khalsa Aid to improve its governance, revamp its strategy and oversee its humanitarian response to COVID-19.

Indy is currently the Deputy President of ICAS, for the worlds first professional body of Chartered Accountants (CAs). ICAS has over 20,000 members worldwide. Indy is an ambassador for One Young World and a passionate advocate for education around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Lens Podcast

Supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Harjot Singh in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

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