Speaking & Media
Evidence and ideas for conversations about how work is changing.
I speak about how work is designed and how it is changing, bringing organisational psychology, socio-technical systems thinking and research evidence to questions that matter to organisations and the people within them.
My talks draw on research and practical experience to explore hybrid work, AI and new technologies, changing workplaces and the wider challenge of designing work that works well for people and organisations.
Through The Business Psychologist, I am available for selected keynotes, conference sessions, panels, masterclasses and workshops. I also contribute expert commentary to the media in my academic capacity.
Speaking topicsSpeaking experienceMedia & expert commentaryRecent media
Topics I speak about
The changing nature of work
Work is changing through new technologies, changing expectations, greater flexibility and different ways of organising. What do these changes mean for organisations, jobs and the people doing them, and how can we approach them more intentionally?
AI, technology and the human side of change
The important questions about AI at work extend beyond what the technology can do. I look at how technology interacts with tasks, roles, skills, relationships and organisational systems, and what this means for designing responsible and effective ways of working.
Hybrid work and the future workplace
Hybrid working has moved from emergency response to an established part of working life. I draw on several years of research to explore what we have learned, why one-size-fits-all approaches struggle, and how organisations can make more intentional choices about where and how work happens.
Designing work as a socio-technical system
Changes to technology, processes, workplaces and organisational structures rarely happen in isolation. Socio-technical systems thinking provides a practical way to understand those connections, anticipate consequences and approach complex design problems differently.
Workplace design and how people actually work
Offices affect much more than where people sit. Drawing on research into workplace design, activity, interaction and hybrid working, I explore how physical environments interact with the work people do and the wider organisational system.
Meaningful work in a changing world
Technological and organisational change creates opportunities to rethink work, but also raises questions about what we want work to provide. I explore how organisations can pursue innovation and performance while paying attention to job quality, autonomy, relationships and people’s experience of work.
Speaking
I speak to professional, organisational, government and academic audiences, from conference keynotes and senior organisational events to panels, seminars and smaller interactive sessions.
I aim to make research useful. That means going beyond presenting findings to help an audience understand why they matter, connect them with their own experience and consider what they might do differently.
Talks and sessions are shaped around the audience and the questions an organisation or event is trying to explore.
Keynotes and conference talks
Research-informed talks shaped around the event, audience and questions being explored.
Panels and expert discussions
Contribution to discussions about the future of work, AI and technology, hybrid working, workplace design and organisational change.
Masterclasses and workshops
Interactive sessions providing more space to explore evidence, apply frameworks and work through questions with participants.
Selected speaking experience
Alongside my independent practice, I regularly speak at conferences, professional events and organisational sessions through my academic role at the University of Leeds.
Recent invited talks delivered through my university role include:
UK Government Occupational Psychology Profession Annual Conference, 2026
From People to Systems: The Role of Organisational Psychology in Keeping Organisations Fit for the Future
Invited keynote exploring the contribution of organisational psychology and socio-technical systems thinking to contemporary organisational challenges.
HMRC Large Business National Compliance Wider Leadership Event, 2026
Cohesive Leadership for Delivery in a Changing Workplace
Invited keynote drawing on research into hybrid working, changing capability demands and organisational systems.
University of Technology Sydney Robotics Institute, 2025
Extending socio-technical systems thinking to new design problems
Invited presentation reflecting on applications of socio-technical systems thinking across multidisciplinary projects.
Australian Catholic University Business School, 2025
A socio-technical lens on hybrid working and the future workplace
Invited seminar exploring hybrid work and future workplace design.
Centre for Transformational Work Design Conference, Perth, 2024
Future of work design
Invited speaker for a keynote panel examining the future of work design.
Earlier speaking through my academic role has included events and sessions for government departments, professional bodies, businesses and research organisations.
Research brought to life
My work brings research and practice together. The same research that informs my academic publications and organisational work also provides the foundation for much of my speaking.
When I speak, I want evidence to be useful rather than simply reported. I use research, organisational examples and practical frameworks to help audiences understand a problem differently and consider what it means for their own work.
This includes research on hybrid working, workplace design, socio-technical systems, technology and organisational change.
Media & expert commentary
I regularly contribute to media coverage in my capacity as an organisational psychology researcher and academic.
My media contributions have covered hybrid and remote working, workplace design, AI and workplace communication, changing patterns of interaction at work, employee identity and the future of the office.
I am available for interviews, expert comment and background conversations where my research and expertise are relevant.
Recent and selected media
BBC Radio 4, Dough
Discussing hybrid working, AI and changing workplace design, including quiet individual space, workplace communication and the role of in-person interaction in trust and learning.
FT Ignites
Quoted discussing the growing pushback against the idea of bringing your authentic self to work, particularly in financial services and regulated environments.
Financial Times
Quoted on changing workspace design, leadership visibility and how leaders connect with their teams in hybrid workplaces.
FT Ignites
Quoted on how AI-assisted emails and messages may affect trust, sincerity and organisational culture as workplace interaction becomes more transactional.
FT Ignites
Quoted discussing the psychological need for personal workspace and the risks of not supporting the full range of employee activities in the office.
We Not Me podcast
Discussing different generational perspectives on hybrid work, office returns, isolation and development opportunities.
The Atlantic
Featured in an article on changing workplace hierarchies and the evolving meaning of status in modern offices.
New York Times
Research featured in an article on open-plan offices and changing workplace design.
More media appearances
FT Ignites
Featured discussing changes in workplace communication and research on office activity patterns.
HR Means Business podcast
Interview exploring data and reflections on hybrid work and how HR and people management can support different needs.
BBC Worklife
Research featured in an article on hybrid working and return-to-office policies.
BBC Look North
Interview discussing the growth of office space in Leeds and the shift towards less but higher-quality workplaces.
The Telegraph
Research featured in an article exploring ergonomics, home working and the need for dedicated workspace.
Financial Times
Research and commentary featured in an article on the future of office design and hybrid working.
About Matthew
I am a Professor of Organisational Psychology and Chartered Psychologist whose work focuses on how work is designed and how it is changing.
For nearly twenty years I have combined research with applied work in and with organisations. My research includes hybrid working, workplace design, socio-technical systems and technology-enabled organisational change.
I work across academic, professional and organisational settings, translating research into ideas that can be used by people dealing with real questions about work.
Planning an event or looking for expert commentary?
If you are organising an event, looking for a speaker or need an organisational psychologist to comment on a story, get in touch with some details about what you are working on.