Knowledge Fika 2.0: Knowledge in M365 with Copilot and Content AI

About this episode
What does it take to build a knowledge team ready for an AI-driven future?
In this episode of Knowledge Fika, Rebecka Isaksson speaks with Charlene King from The Open University about Knowledge Management, AI, governance, and organisational change.
Together they explore how to balance innovation with responsible AI adoption, build the right skills, and culture, and demonstrate the value of modern knowledge practices.
The conversation highlights why successful AI transformation is ultimately a people and knowledge challenge, not just a technology challenge.
A practical discussion for KM practitioners, change leaders, and organisations preparing for an AI-enabled future.

About Charlene King
Charlene (or Charlie) is Associate Director of Knowledge & Information Management (KIM) at The Open University, the UK's largest university, and a global leader in distance learning. She is leading the development of the university's first formal KIM function while helping shape its approach to governance, knowledge sharing, and responsible AI adoption.
Her background spans library services, metadata, accessibility, digital transformation, and AI-enabled information discovery.
When launching the new KIM team, Charlene took a refreshingly human approach, using Peppa Pig as an unexpected conversation starter to capture attention, spark engagement, and open discussions about people's concrete knowledge and information challenges. The resulting conversations and staff feedback helped shape both the team's charter and its first 100-day strategy.
Outside work, Charlene is a history enthusiast with a particular interest in the people, places, and events of WWII. She also enjoys exploring historic sites, baking Victorian sponge cakes, boxing, and practising Muay Thai (!!).
Additional Resources
• Open University Official Website
• Jamie Bartlett - How to Talk to AI and How Not To
• CollabDays Bletchley Park
• Bletchley Park - Historic Site

About this episode
What changes when you stop delivering AI solutions—and start living with them every day?
In this episode of Knowledge Fika, I’m joined by Paul Hunt for a candid conversation on career shifts, Copilot realities, and the governance questions we can’t ignore as AI becomes everyday work.
Paul shares his move from being a Microsoft 365 consultant to in-house solutions designer—and what that reveals about long-term impact. We explore how Copilot shows up in daily work, why prompt discipline matters, and where things are still a bit messy.
We also dig into governance—what it really means to manage AI agents responsibly, and why controls and intentional design are critical as automation scales.
Along the way, Paul highlights something many don’t get to experience: working in an environment that genuinelyprioritises digital wellbeing—and how that shapes both how technology is used and how work gets done.
We also touch on community and culture, reflecting on CollabDays Bletchley Park, speaker diversity, and creating space for new voices. Paul shares honest perspectives on being selected for the right reasons, alongside practical encouragement for aspiring speakers.
A thoughtful, grounded episode for anyone navigating AI, community, and career—at the same time.

About Paul Hunt
Paul Hunt is one of those rare people who combines deep Microsoft 365 expertise with a genuine commitment to liftingothers up.
A multi-certified SharePoint expert and MVP since 2016, Paul has been shaping the space since the early days—working across both IT Pro and development stacks and staying close to the platform as it’s evolved. Today, he focuses on designing solutions that don’t just work technically but hold up in the real world.
He’s also a core part of the community: a regular, and highly appreciated speaker across the UK and Europe, co-organiser of user groups, and someone who actively backs new voices. Case in point—he coached and nominated me into the MVP Programme… so yes, I owe him one 😉
Outside of tech, Paul has a creative streak that’s frankly a bit unfair. Having trained as a Chef de Pâtissier, he still makes mind-blowingly beautiful cakes—and has recently added “hobby chocolatier” to the list.
Sharp, generous, and quietly influential, Paul is exactly the kind of person you want shaping both technology and the community around it.

About this episode:In this episode of Knowledge Fika, I’m joined by ⁠Amy Carlton⁠ (⁠Novartis⁠) — who I first met at the ⁠Knowledge Summit Dublin⁠ in 2025 — to talk about what it really takes to make KM stick.As a Microsoft powerhouse Novartis is deeply engrained in M365 and we talk about how her team uses AI and M365 as a foundation, while keeping things firmly human-centred. From content lifecycle to communities of practice, this is KM – without the fluff.We spoke a lot about how their KM team of 5 (!) have created their KM strategy through conversations with their business leaders. Thus, building it ground up, looking at knowledge flows and business value, as opposed to doing "KM forthe sake of KM". About Amy Carlton:Amy ⁠is a quietly formidable KM leader at Novartis, driving global work across L&D, Knowledge Management, and advisory services — supporting everything from drug development to research.
With a consulting background at EY and IBM, she brings a sharp, structured, no-nonsense approach to KM. Add an MSc in Strategy & Innovation and a full set of certifications(PMP, PRINCE2 Agile, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Scrum, PROSCI), and you get someone who delivers change properly.
Also: frequent flyer at a chic Irish Fika Coffee Shop chain, and (apparently) someone who voluntarily goes to IKEA — which might be the most unexpected credential of all to me!

🎙️About this episode
In this episode of Knowledge Fika, I sit down with fellow MVP Simon Hudson to talk about what’s actually changing in the world of AI, knowledge, and Microsoft 365.
We get into the rise of skills files and AI agents—and why they’re quickly becoming critical to how AI understands context and delivers value. Spoiler: it’s not magic… it’s still metadata doing the heavy lifting.
We also cut through the hype and get real about governance—because if we don’t get that right, we’re just scaling chaos faster. (And yes… garbage in, garbage amplified absolutely applies here.)
If you’re collaborating with Copilot, agents, or trying to make sense of where knowledge management fits next—this one’s for you.
☕️ Grab a coffee. Let’s fika.

👤 About Simon Hudson
Simon Hudson is what happens when deep healthcare expertise meets serious tech chops—and a long-standing habit of building things that matter.
He’s been an entrepreneur since 2008, founding and scaling multiple ventures (including one of the first “in‑the‑box” SharePoint intranet businesses), with a career spanning medical devices, BI, sustainability, and more acronyms than we have time for over a proper fika. He’s also a Microsoft MVP, M365 community contributor, and a regular voice on where AI, knowledge, and governance are heading.
These days, Simon runs Novia Works (where he also blogs!!) —but more importantly (for this episode), he’s a dear friend, classic car geek, canal boat owner (yes, still slightly obsessed), and avid world traveller… which explains both the stories and the perspective.
PS. “Talks too much and stays too long.” is what his conference bio says. Accurate?
That’s for you to decide...☕️

About this episode:
In this episode of Knowledge Fika, Rebecka Isaksson is joined by Microsoft MVP Marijn Somers for a refreshingly honest conversation about what AI adoption actually takes in Microsoft 365.
Yes, Copilot comes up—but the real focus is on habits, behavior, governance, and change management. Because AI value doesn’t come from switching a tool on; it comes from how people use it. As Marijn puts it, “It’s about the adoption, not the tool.”
Together, Rebecka and Marijn unpack why training isn’t enough, how governance can enable (or quietly block) progress, and why coaching and engagement matter more than another rollout plan. Practical, grounded, and refreshingly human—this one is for anyone who wants AI to stick, not just launch.
☕ Technology moves fast. People don’t. Fika helps.

About Marijn:
Marijn Somers is a Microsoft 365 expert who focuses less on shiny tools—and more on the people expected to use them.
With nearly 20 years in the Microsoft ecosystem, Marijn helps organizations turn Microsoft 365 and AI into practical, sustainable ways of working. As a Microsoft MVP and Productivity Coach at Mijn 365 Coach, he’s known for cutting through noise with calm authority and deep respect for behavior, habits, and governance.
A sought‑after international speaker and coach (not a lecturer), Marijn believes adoption is built through engagement, not enforcement. He’s also the co‑host of the M365 Distilled podcast with Steve Dalby, translating real‑world Microsoft 365 challenges into clear, usable insights—minus hype, plus clarity.
Best served with Fika. And possibly a Biscoff.