Stephen McGee, CEO of Scottish Friendly, joins Jens Heitland on the Human Innovation Podcast to talk about the move from CFO to CEO and the surprising shift that came with it: a leader becomes accountable for everything while being directly responsible for very little, and every opinion is received as an instruction. The conversation explores how a mutual ownership structure lets a Glasgow-based life insurer make long-term decisions without quarterly market pressure, why customer service is an area where cost cutting can quietly erode advocacy, and how balancing customers, colleagues and owners drives long-term performance. Stephen also shares how he builds culture by putting the right people in place and stepping back, why performance and potential only make sense alongside ambition, how AI is changing both operations and customer behaviour in financial services, and why the future of savings will be shaped by the transfer of wealth across generations.