High performance. The buzz term du jour on LinkedIn and in the business community. The man who literally has a podcast on the topic has his doubts about whether people actually know its true meaning. Jake Humphrey is a former BBC and BT Sport presenter and the Founder of the Whisper Group, a multi-award-winning company that has emerged as the standout breakthrough broadcast production company of the last twenty years. Besides changing the landscape of broadcasting, the company has also been name...
Nov 08, 2023•56 min•Ep. 99
“Rebel with a cause” is the term often associated with the president of Seat and Cupra. A quick glance at his LinkedIn reveals that Wayne Griffiths is not your usual business leader. He’s a vehement fan of David Bowie, despises suits and ties and is almost always seen sporting jeans and a leather jacket. In 2016, Luca de Meo, who was recently named the most influential and successful person within the global automotive industry by Autocar UK, brought Griffiths over to Seat as Vice President of S...
Nov 01, 2023•29 min•Ep. 98
30 minutes a day on personal training and development methods, according to research from the Centre for Management & Organisation Effectiveness. Inspiration can come from books, Ted Talks, podcasts and many more sources. But what about improv comedy? Neil Mullarkey is a unique communication expert who has spent over two decades helping organisations large and small transform their thinking through the power of improv… and yes, that is his real name. His latest book In The Moment provides a ...
Oct 25, 2023•41 min•Ep. 97
If you haven’t heard of disruptive men’s health brand Numan, it’s time to start taking notice. Since its launch in 2018, the company has helped 430,000 men maximise their health. Having raised over $75m (£61.2m) in funding and boosting a team of over 150 people, the company offers personalised, integrated care in one digital platform and is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Sokratis Papafloratos. We spoke to Sokratis about learning from a severe business failure, the key belief you need to l...
Oct 18, 2023•40 min•Ep. 96
“ I wasn’t taught money management at school. ” This is a long-held frustration by almost everyone who’s attended formal education. But one company has taken matters into its own hands, with the mission to “ make every kid smart with money ” and become a household name in the process. The entrepreneur behind GoHenry, the financial technology company founded in 2012, is Louise Hill. Targeted at 6- to 18-year-olds, the fintech was born out of frustration after realising that there was nothing in s...
Oct 11, 2023•40 min•Ep. 95
Five years ago, AI education was provided by Hollywood. Fast forward to today and AI has smashed through the mainstream zeitgeist, and it’s estimated that over 77% of companies across the globe either use or are exploring the use of AI. Working within a variety of industries, including banking, FinTech, and investments, TurinTech has solidified its place as the leader in AI-powered code optimisation. Along with three of his fellow co-founders, CEO Leslie Kanthan launched the business in 2018 wit...
Oct 04, 2023•32 min•Ep. 94
She has an unstoppable global brand, her name has become a verb synonymous with class and style, she’s a former Dragon, a renowned presenter and author, and a champion of British enterprise, Kelly Hoppen is without doubt an icon. However, Kelly’s story isn’t one of overnight success. She was relentlessly bullied at school, she’s dyslexic, she suffered from severely low self-esteem, and her father passed away when she was just 16 years old. At 16 and a half, she convinced her stepfather’s friend ...
Sep 27, 2023•28 min•Ep. 93
In the fast-paced world of digital transformation, Natascha van Boetzelaer shines as a prominent thought leader on all things related to digital talent and organisations. As a seasoned expert based in the Amsterdam office of global leadership advisory firm, Egon Zehnder, she has been instrumental in guiding both disruptive start-ups and established companies through the intricacies of digital capabilities on a global scale. With a diverse portfolio of clients, Natascha collaborates with a wide s...
Aug 02, 2023•37 min•Ep. 92
Roc Nation is an undisputed juggernaut. Since Hip-Hop icon Jay-Z founded the company primarily with the intent of signing pop and rap artists in 2008, Roc Nation has grown into the world’s preeminent entertainment company. Boasting clients such as Rihanna, DJ Khaled, Jess Glynne, and Alicia Keys, the company announced the formation of a game-changing sports management division, Roc Nation Sports, dedicated to sports representation for professional athletes in 2013. Michael Yormark was brought in...
Jul 26, 2023•32 min•Ep. 91
Reviews can make or break a company. What about going on one of the biggest TV shows in the country and having a respected business say, “ I like it because it’s a good lesson on how not to run and set up a business.” That less-than-glowing review was by ex-career banker turned entrepreneur and business turnaround specialist, Jenny Campbell on the hit BBC show Dragons’ Den in 2018. One of the men in the Den that day was Pasta Evangelists’ Co-Founder, Alessandro Savelli. Fast forward to 2021 and ...
Jul 05, 2023•34 min•Ep. 90
Over 200 years since its first publication hit the streets, The Sunday Times business section has solidified its role in British culture as a must-read for business leaders and entrepreneurs. “With a nose for scoops”, Oliver Shah has risen to the role of Associate Editor at the publication, even writing a best-selling book along the way. In this exclusive interview, we talk to Oliver about the demise of brash business leader personalities, the current relationship between business and politics, ...
Jun 28, 2023•45 min•Ep. 89
Harriet Green is the real deal. She’s run some of the world’s largest companies and has been banging the drum on the tangible benefits of inclusivity for over two decades. From 2018 to 2020, she served as the Chair and CEO of IBM Asia Pacific, where she focused on driving innovation-led growth within the organisation. Prior to that, she was the leader and founder of the IBM startup Watson Internet of Things from 2015 to 2017. Green's expertise and leadership contributed to the advancement of IBM...
Jun 21, 2023•47 min•Ep. 88
OCI is a trailblazing commercial process outsourcer that possesses the power to reshape supply chains and propel organisations to unprecedented heights of growth. In addition to bagging the prestigious Overall Scale-Up Business Award at the esteemed 2022 Scale-Up Awards, the company was also named the fastest-growing company in the UK and the third fastest-growing company in Europe. At the helm of OCI, is the company’s founder Oliver Chapman. Under his tutelage, since its founding in 2010, the c...
Jun 14, 2023•57 min•Ep. 87
Adversity. A word associated with so many high-profile business figures since the dawn of time. James Dyson had 5,126 failed prototypes before coming up with his now legendary bagless vacuum. Self-made multi-millionaire Inger Ellen Nicolaisen, Founder of Nikita Hair, overcame being raised by an alcoholic father and being a homeless 15-year-old with a daughter to care for. These inspirational stories shed light on the never-say-die attitude of entrepreneurship. Lewis Raymond Taylor’s story is one...
Jun 07, 2023•42 min•Ep. 86
Social media. Influencers. Gen Z. There are many businesses and their leaders who still don’t fully grasp the importance and scope of these influential terms. One young entrepreneur was on the ground floor of the social media revolution and built and sold a company worth tens of millions of pounds. Timo Armoo is a name you should get to know. We met with him at Servcorp’s beautiful office at The Leadenhall Building in London to discuss building his company Fanbytes, the importance of baking IP i...
May 30, 2023•55 min•Ep. 85
Obediah Ayton was raised in the UK but began his professional career studying accounting in the United States of America. Upon his return to the UK, he got a job working at a Family Office under a German entrepreneur, learning about buying companies and becoming a keen Investment Analyst. He then set up shop in the Middle East with a dream of building his own companies. Despite starting with nothing, he set up several businesses including an accounting company and a media company, before moving ...
May 23, 2023•48 min•Ep. 84
Fred Reichheld is a legend in the field of customer loyalty. If you’ve ever received a text or email asking to rate a product or service, you can thank Fred for that. Although the system isn’t without its critics, it’s estimated that NPS (Net Promoter Score) is now used by two-thirds of Fortune 1000 companies. Since its initial development in the early ‘90s, Fred developed the NPS system to measure how likely customers were to recommend a company to a friend. His latest book, Winning on Purpose:...
May 17, 2023•42 min•Ep. 83
I don’t think there are many organisational psychologists in this world that can claim to be endorsed as a Jedi by Mark Hamill. Professor John Amaechi OBE can. On top of this, John is also an award-winning, international best-selling author, a sought-after public speaker, an executive coach, and the Founder of APS Intelligence. John’s CV and list of achievements is a fitting testament to this big thinker (and that’s not a reference to his 6 ft. 10 in. stature). Often outspoken, and frequently dr...
Apr 12, 2023•45 min•Ep. 82
Even if you’ve never heard of The Sidemen, there’s a teenager in your life who has. One of the world’s most renowned YouTube factions, this content group is a juggernaut but they need smart representation to make the most of their commercial opportunities. Enter Arcade Media and its Co-Founder, Jordan Schwarzenberger. Jordan’s savvy representation has seen The Sidemen launch three fast-growing businesses: fried chicken restaurant Sides, premium alcohol brand XIX Vodka and the official Sidemen me...
Apr 05, 2023•50 min•Ep. 81
Making the trip to meet with John Caudwell, founder of the Caudwell Group – which included mobile phone retailer Phones4u – at his house in Mayfair, showed just how far this young “ginger curly-haired boy” from the streets of Stoke-on-Trent has come. We talk to John about his career, his new book Love, Pain and Money: The Making of a Billionaire , selling his baby, why anyone could do a better job than some of our politicians, and much more. Here's what we discussed: Could a business like Phones...
Mar 28, 2023•38 min•Ep. 80
Built and sold a company, struggled with alcohol and mental health and launched an investment firm – and he’s still under 30. Dominic McGregor co-founded the award-winning marketing agency behemoth Social Chain, boasting clients such as Apple, McDonald's, BBC, and Boohoo. Social Chain grew to a business worth over £300m with 700 staff, alongside Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett. After exiting the business at the age of 27 and having gone through struggles of his own at the start, McGregor was c...
Mar 22, 2023•40 min•Ep. 79
Marmite: beloved by some, and loathed by others. Over the past few years, Matt Gubba has solidified himself as social media Marmite. What began as outspoken talk about the Government’s handling of the Covid-19 lockdowns developed into a rallying cry about the potential for Governments around the globe to limit personal freedom. But there is much more to this business leader than many social trolls are willing to find out. In this conversation with Matt Gubba, Founder and CEO of BizBritain, we co...
Mar 15, 2023•45 min•Ep. 78
It’s safe to say that firing yourself is a rather unique experience in business. But this is an entrepreneur that has made a career of challenging the norm and thinking differently. Whether it’s taking on the male-dominated insurance industry or questioning the culture of high company valuations (AKA “Ponzi schemes”), she’s not afraid to blaze her own trail. With refreshing honesty and unwithering self-reflection, in this conversation with Sam White, Founder of Freedom Services Group & Stell...
Mar 08, 2023•45 min•Ep. 77
This week’s guest on The Business Leader Podcast rose to fame on Dragon’s Den having founded the male cosmetics brand War Paint. Danny Gray's most recent venture is JAAQ, an interactive mental health platform that gives users access to knowledge from experts and known figures with lived experience. We talk to Danny about building a brand in the face of hate, revolutionising an entire industry, and helping people manage their mental health. Here's what we discussed: What was your motivation for s...
Mar 01, 2023•40 min•Ep. 76
This week's guest on The Business Leader Podcast is Ezechi Britton MBE, a tech founder, early-stage investor and a seasoned NED. In addition to roles as chairman of Uome and Strategic Board Advisor for Venture Studio from Crisis, he is also a founding member at VC firm Impact X Capital and Code Untapped, which aims to help coding and tech professionals from minority and ethnic backgrounds access roles in financial services. Here's what we discussed: Could you tell us about your journey to this p...
Feb 22, 2023•38 min•Ep. 75
This week's guest on The Business Leader Podcast is Or Lenchner, the CEO of public data collection platform Bright Data. He is also the founder of the Israel-based digital media agency Dmarketing, and was a part of the founding team and head of customer relations for Trophit, a patent-pending technology company. We speak to Or about Bright Data's lawsuit against Meta, the differences between the Israeli and American tech scenes, the importance of public data for businesses, and much more. Here's...
Feb 15, 2023•35 min•Ep. 74
This week's guest on The Business Leader Podcast is Manny Medina, the co-founder and CEO of Outreach, a Seattle-based sales tech company that reached unicorn status in 2018 and is valued at $5bn. He has previously held positions as CEO at the hiring platform GroupTalent and Director of Business Development for Microsoft. We talk to Manny about the secrets to facing adversity as a CEO, how he scaled a billion-dollar company, and the importance of product-market fit to success. Here's what we disc...
Feb 08, 2023•38 min•Ep. 73
This week’s guest on The Business Leader Podcast is Sian Gabbidon, the Founder of Sian Marie, a UK-based premium loungewear company. She is a media personality with over 100K followers on Instagram and was the winner of the hit BBC show The Apprentice in 2018. Sian has grown her business from a small swimwear brand she founded in her bedroom, to a known loungewear brand with over 60K followers on Instagram. We talk to Sian about the secrets to creating a unique fashion brand, her experience on T...
Feb 01, 2023•44 min•Ep. 72
Embracing YouTube before most people had even heard of it, through perseverance and grit, Caspar Lee rose to become one of the biggest content creators on the planet. From his bedroom as a teenager in South Africa, he built his channel amassing a seismic following and leading him to collaborate with many of the world’s biggest stars including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ed Sheeran and Kevin Hart. Caspar leveraged his success and co-founded a global influencer marketing business. Th...
Jan 25, 2023•31 min•Ep. 71
Our guest is the founder and CEO of JBM, an executive search firm working with fast-growing tech start-ups and scale-ups. He is also the host of his own podcast, 40 Minute Mentor, which is one of the top careers podcasts in the UK. We talk to James Mitra about pivoting a business, the executive search market and much more. Here's what we discussed: Can you tell us a bit about your journey up until this point? (00:50) What has been a significant challenge you’ve faced in growing your business and...
Jan 18, 2023•45 min•Ep. 70
