Employee Ownership and Leadership with Eithne Devine-Hynes
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What happens when a company becomes employee-owned?
In this episode of Speech Bubbles, Charlotte Otter sits down with Eithne Devine-Hynes, CEO of DeltaXignia, to unpack the leadership and cultural shift that comes with becoming an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
Eithne explains why becoming an EOT is not a switch you flip, but a story you have to bring to life through governance, education, transparency, and culture. She explains the practical structure behind EOTs, including trustees and quarterly governance rhythms.
On leadership: Eithne’s most formative training came from leading large projects without authority, learning how to win buy-in through clarity, metrics, and mission rather than hierarchy. She also offers a powerful reframing of diversity as diversity of thought and argues that employee ownership could play a role in tackling long-term wealth imbalance by keeping value inside communities.
Eithne’s advice for emerging leaders is clear and energising: be yourself, stay authentic, and don’t dim your light for anyone.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
* What an Employee Ownership Trust is and how it works in practice
* Why culture is the heartbeat of employee-owned companies
* How financial transparency helps employees think and act like owners
* The underrated leadership superpower of leading without authority
* How to challenge outdated leadership archetypes with authenticity
This is a thoughtful exploration with an insightful leader of how employee ownership, culture, and authentic leadership come together to create businesses where people don’t just work for success, they collectively own it.
In this episode of Speech Bubbles, Charlotte Otter sits down with Eithne Devine-Hynes, CEO of DeltaXignia, to unpack the leadership and cultural shift that comes with becoming an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
Eithne explains why becoming an EOT is not a switch you flip, but a story you have to bring to life through governance, education, transparency, and culture. She explains the practical structure behind EOTs, including trustees and quarterly governance rhythms.
On leadership: Eithne’s most formative training came from leading large projects without authority, learning how to win buy-in through clarity, metrics, and mission rather than hierarchy. She also offers a powerful reframing of diversity as diversity of thought and argues that employee ownership could play a role in tackling long-term wealth imbalance by keeping value inside communities.
Eithne’s advice for emerging leaders is clear and energising: be yourself, stay authentic, and don’t dim your light for anyone.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
* What an Employee Ownership Trust is and how it works in practice
* Why culture is the heartbeat of employee-owned companies
* How financial transparency helps employees think and act like owners
* The underrated leadership superpower of leading without authority
* How to challenge outdated leadership archetypes with authenticity
This is a thoughtful exploration with an insightful leader of how employee ownership, culture, and authentic leadership come together to create businesses where people don’t just work for success, they collectively own it.
Chapters
- 00:03 Introduction to Speech Bubbles and Eithne
- 02:50 The radical transformation of Delta Signia as an EOT
- 07:37 Quarterly governance and employee education
- 09:48 Culture as the heart of employee ownership
- 10:50 Ownership as a process, not a light switch
- 14:30 Transformation and culture working hand-in-hand
- 17:42 EOTs as a model for the future
- 20:58 Eithne's 30-year leadership journey
- 26:04 Learning leadership through leading without authority
- 27:56 Collaborative leadership style
- 29:36 Diversity as diversity of thought
- 31:48 Reputation as fragile but protected by truth
- 34:31 Shifting leadership archetypes through open minds
- 37:42 Book recommendations on spirituality and understanding
- 39:52 Advice for emerging diverse leaders
- 41:33 Finding joy
