Head of Marketing
5 Minutes Read
This blog is based on Kara Connect’s Can We Have a Word? guest interview with Fiona Mullan, Chief People Officer at Bloom and Wild, in conversation with host Tobba Vigfusdottir.
With experience at companies like Facebook, Accenture, and now Europe’s largest online florist, Fiona Mullan brings a practical, people-first approach to the intersecting challenges of hybrid work, scaling teams, and supporting wellbeing, now in the context of rapid changes brought by AI. In this interview, she reflects on lessons learned, what’s working at Bloom and Wild, and how HR can shape healthier, more sustainable workplaces.
Here are five takeaways from Fiona’s candid conversation:
1. See HR’s Role in AI as Opportunity, Not Just Challenge
“The first is really the opportunity with AI and how that will transform work. … We’re encouraging people to use and see what might be best for us.”
Fiona doesn’t see the emergence of AI as a threat to people teams. Instead, she encourages HR to take the lead in exploring how these tools can free up time from repetitive, operational work, allowing employees to focus on tasks that are “more valuable but also more fulfilling.” By involving employees directly in experimenting with AI, always with clear guardrails, her team is helping others become “stronger change enablers” while building practical digital confidence.
2. Build Belonging Through Connection and Flexibility
“We believe in two things … connection and flexibility. There’s an argument for saying those two things are in conflict … but we offer a lot of flexibility for people to do work and how and where they believe it can best be done.”
At Bloom and Wild, work-life balance isn’t a buzzword; it’s grounded in real workplace philosophy. The company strives to foster both meaningful social connection (through team gatherings and shared culture) and personal flexibility (trusting people to work in ways that fit their lives). Fiona notes that connection can look different: sometimes face to face, often virtual, and that nurturing a sense of belonging at multiple levels (small group, team, company) is essential to wellbeing and performance.
3. Prioritise When Scaling, Don’t Just Add More Work
“I’ve tried this … to hire more people and to work harder. And eventually we realise it doesn’t work. … Focus on, first, normalise the situation and call it for what it is, which is, you know, chaotic and, you know, insurmountable levels of work, and try and make people feel good about it, that it’s okay, that that’s what they’re experiencing.”
Fiona is candid about the difficulties of rapid growth, mergers, or scaling a company. Simply hiring more people or pushing existing employees harder isn’t the answer. Instead, she recommends openly acknowledging when the workload is overwhelming, setting clear (and limited) priorities, and properly celebrating successes however small. She also emphasizes the need for time off, both social and restful, to build resilience for the long term.
4. Invest in Manager Capability and Peer Support
“Quality managers are really important here … there is research out there that has shown us that the quality of my management relationship is more influential on my well being than that of my doctor or my spouse.”
Fiona believes the impact of people managers on wellbeing is often underestimated. The best support doesn’t just come from formal programs, but from skilled, empathetic managers who challenge and support their teams. She also advocates building manager communities so supervisors can support each other, not just rely on HR. Training, coaching, and peer networks all play a critical role in spreading good management practices and creating psychologically safe teams.
5. Make Wellbeing Support Visible, Practical, and Preventive
“We’ve got a mental health first aider program, and then we have access to support for counseling as needed… educate yourself as an HR person, perhaps the first thing.”
Fiona highlights that wellbeing must be visible and accessible (not just in policy), but in culture. Normalise conversations about mental health by recruiting champions at all levels, providing relevant training, and making practical resources visible (like counselling or mental health first aiders). Importantly, HR must “educate itself” on where its role ends and when to guide employees toward external professionals. Early intervention, easy signposting, and a culture that values both self-care and community care are all vital.
Conclusion
Fiona Mullan’s approach to people strategy at Bloom and Wild combines curiosity about change with a steady commitment to practical wellbeing. Her advice: take the unknowns in stride, invest in people managers, and co-create a culture that balances connection with flexibility. With the right support, workplaces can help employees not just adapt to change but genuinely thrive.
Listen to this episode of Can We Have a Word? for the full conversation.
If you care about AI, workplace wellbeing, scaling culture, or the future of HR, this is a must-listen.
