E13 – Leading Through Change: HR, Crisis Management & Employee Relations with Brian Bowden

What really happens when an organisation has to change?

In this episode of The Human Side of Business Podcast, Louisa Meehan is joined by Brian Bowden, an experienced C-suite HR leader, advisor and Non-Executive Director, to explore the human side of organisational change, employee relations and what it takes to navigate uncertainty.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in senior HR roles with Aer Lingus and Trinity College Dublin, Brian shares lessons from major periods of change, crisis and transformation. He explains why people resist change, what may sit behind that resistance, and why understanding the underlying concern can help leaders find a better way forward.

Louisa and Brian also discuss:

• Why people resist organisational change and how leaders can understand the concerns behind it
• How to communicate change effectively and bring people with you
• The impact of technology and AI on roles, recruitment and the future of work
• Why the people who remain after organisational change can face some of the biggest challenges
• The importance of fair process, employee relations and doing the right thing for the right reasons

Listen now!

Brian Bowden – Former Chief People Officer, Aer Lingus & Non-Executive Director

Brian Bowden is an experienced C-suite HR leader and advisor, and a Non-Executive Director. He spent over 30 years in senior HR roles with Aer Lingus and Trinity College Dublin, most recently serving as Chief People Officer at Aer Lingus from 2015 to 2023, where he led a 35-person HR team and advised the CEO, Board and Executive Team through periods of growth and crisis.

Brian’s expertise spans HR strategy, organisational restructuring, change management, employee engagement, industrial relations, performance and reward, pensions, dispute resolution including mediation, and governance and risk. He also holds a number of board roles, including Bus Éireann, where he chairs the Remuneration and People Committee and sits on the Audit and Risk Committee.

He is a Chartered Director, holds an MBS in Human Resources Strategy, is a Fellow of the CIPD and an accredited mediator with CEDR.