Liberty IT’s Emma Mullan: Leading Culture-Driven Transformation in the Age of AI

In today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, transformation is no longer just about adopting new tools—it’s about fundamentally reshaping how organizations think, work, and grow. At the heart of this shift is culture, and few leaders understand this better than Emma Mullan, Senior Director of Talent at Liberty IT.

Mullan, who leads the human resources and communications function at Liberty IT, has made it her mission to create environments where people feel empowered to innovate, collaborate, and thrive—even amid the most disruptive changes. “Transformation is fundamentally about driving and managing change,” she explains. “My priority is to create as much certainty as possible so people can focus on opportunity rather than fear.”

For Liberty IT, transformation isn’t a top-down mandate—it’s a collaborative journey. Mullan and her team approach large-scale change as a shared exercise, mapping out impacts and building a foundational people-first culture. “When people feel safe to ask questions, experiment, learn from one another, and share insights, capability grows sustainably,” she says. This is especially critical as the pace of change accelerates, with artificial intelligence (AI) at the forefront.

To make this culture tangible, Liberty IT has introduced two groundbreaking initiatives: the Culture Playbook and the Culture Stars programme. The Culture Playbook defines the company’s purpose and the behaviors that guide how teams work together—how they collaborate, share knowledge, support one another, and continually raise the bar on quality as skills and technology evolve. The Culture Stars programme, meanwhile, celebrates employees who embody these values, reinforcing the behaviors that drive success.

Recent Programmes and Initiatives: The GenAI Learning Mission

One of Liberty IT’s most ambitious initiatives is the GenAI Learning Mission, a curated collection of events and resources designed to help employees navigate, share, and develop in an AI-augmented workplace. This isn’t just for engineers—it’s for everyone. With tools like LibertyGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot becoming integral to daily operations, AI is critical across the organization.

The GenAI Learning Mission is designed to support transformation in a practical way, building the capabilities needed for tomorrow while reinforcing the culture and standards that matter today. It offers clear learning pathways for different roles and starting points, ensuring that everyone—from seasoned engineers to newcomers—can engage with AI in meaningful ways.

But Mullan emphasizes that the biggest shift isn’t learning new tools—it’s about learning and adopting new ways of working. With the rapid advancement of GenAI, skills such as critical thinking, flexibility, curiosity, and creativity are more important than ever. That’s why Liberty IT is investing in leadership enablement and team conversations, so people feel supported to ask questions, experiment, and learn by doing.

Building Current and Future-Focused Skills Through Culture Programmes

Culture-focused programmes don’t just support positive employee experiences—they make skills development real by shaping what happens day to day. Leaders play a pivotal role in creating a culture of learning within their teams, encouraging time for learning, sharing, and innovating.

Over the past year, Liberty IT has focused on giving leaders the tools to both manage change themselves and lead their teams through change. “We’ve been leaning into the human aspects of moving through transformation,” Mullan says. By supporting employees in this way, Liberty IT has created a safe environment for continuous learning and development, setting them up to learn the skills they need for today and the future.

Mobility is another key pillar of Liberty IT’s approach. The company actively supports movement between teams, whether that’s through stretching opportunities, cross-team projects, or transitioning into emerging areas like GenAI. This allows people to build experience and capability in real contexts, creating a workforce that’s more resilient, more engaged, and better prepared for whatever skills the future demands.

Advice for Tech Leaders: Strengthening Culture During Transformation

For tech leaders looking to strengthen culture during transformation, Mullan’s advice is clear: leaders shape culture through what they prioritize, what they reward, and the behaviors they role-model every day. During transformation, people need clarity and consistency—clear direction on what’s changing, why it matters, and how teams are expected to work together as priorities and tools evolve.

A big part of a positive culture today is enabling future skills development. Leaders need to create space for learning in the flow of work, encourage knowledge sharing, and invest in the mindsets that enable adaptability, curiosity, critical thinking, and confidence to try new approaches—particularly as AI becomes increasingly embedded.

It’s also important to recognize the human reality of change. Transformation can bring uncertainty, so actively listening and involving teams in shaping solutions builds trust and resilience. When leaders normalize learning-by-doing, celebrate progress, and remove barriers to collaboration, culture becomes a practical support system, not just a set of values.

The Future of Recruitment: Navigating the AI-Driven Landscape

Looking ahead, Mullan predicts that the recruitment landscape over the next 12 months will continue to be heavily influenced by the rapid acceleration of AI. Organizations across multiple sectors are increasingly seeking talent with experience in these emerging technologies, capabilities that don’t yet exist at scale. This will intensify competition and increasingly require organizations to hire for potential rather than experience.

As roles continue to evolve, greater emphasis will be placed on core, transferable skills such as problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and adaptability. Individuals who demonstrate a growth mindset and curiosity about emerging technologies will remain in high demand, even as job titles and technologies continue to evolve.

However, Mullan also sees a risk emerging in the market. Reduced demand for entry-level technical roles, driven by market uncertainty, could create a future shortage of experienced talent, as fewer early-career professionals are given the opportunity to enter and grow within the industry.

To respond effectively, organizations will need a balanced approach. At Liberty IT, this means combining targeted hiring for critical skills with sustained investment in developing people and rethinking how to upskill entry-level talent.

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Tags: Liberty IT, Emma Mullan, workplace transformation, culture-driven change, AI in the workplace, GenAI Learning Mission, Culture Playbook, Culture Stars programme, leadership enablement, skills development, recruitment trends, future of work, human-centered transformation, innovation culture, continuous learning, adaptability, critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, growth mindset, emerging technologies, AI-augmented workplace, talent development, organizational change, employee engagement, resilience, mobility, knowledge sharing, leadership, transformation, AI, workplace culture, tech leadership, Silicon Republic

Viral Sentences:

• “Transformation is about creating certainty so people can focus on opportunity, not fear.”
• “The biggest shift isn’t learning new tools—it’s about learning and adopting new ways of working.”
• “Culture becomes a practical support system, not just a set of values.”
• “Hire for potential, not just experience, in the AI-driven future.”
• “When people feel safe to experiment, capability grows sustainably.”
• “Leaders shape culture through what they prioritize and role-model every day.”
• “The future of work is about adaptability, curiosity, and critical thinking.”
• “Mobility within teams builds a workforce that’s more resilient and engaged.”
• “Transformation can bring uncertainty, but involving teams builds trust and resilience.”
• “The rapid acceleration of AI is reshaping the recruitment landscape.”

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