Business Leader

Former England scrum-half, British & Irish Lion and Rugby World Cup winner Matt Dawson joins host Josh Dornbrack for an honest and inspiring conversation about performance, leadership and reinvention. The conversation goes far beyond rugby. Dawson shares how the values forged on the field - discipline, communication, accountability and the idea of “borrowing the shirt” - have shaped his life in the corporate world. Now working with global real-estate firm JLL, he reveals how elite sporting principles can transform businesses, strengthen team culture and help leaders unlock performance in fast-moving environments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Reed is the chairman and chief executive of Reed, the recruitment business, which was founded by his father. He has also written a new book called Karma Capitalism, in which he says capitalism needs to change. In this podcast episode, James Reed speaks to Graham Ruddick about building a family business with annual revenues of more than £1 billion and his big ideas about the future of capitalism... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aron Gelbard is a founder and CEO obsessed with feedback. The business he has built is Bloom & Wild, which made its name with flower delivery but has now expanded into other gifts, such as brownies and whisky. It pioneered the idea of letterbox delivery, where flowers are packaged in flat boxes that can be assembled into bouquets at home. Gelbard tells Dougal Shaw how an obsession with feedback, including A/B Testing and NPS (Net Promoter Score), has been the secret to growing his business, which is now international and has annual revenues of more than £110m. If you truly embrace feedback you can turn disappointed customers into your greatest fans... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zygi Kamasa is building a new movie business called True Brit, which is focused on British films. Kamasa is the former chief executive of Lionsgate UK and Europe as well as Marv Studios, one of Business Leader's Growth 500, the fastest-growing businesses in the UK. He tells Graham Ruddick the story behind why he is building his own business, the story behind his global hits like Bend it Like Beckham, and how to deal with the setbacks, like turning down blockbusters such as Slumdog Millionaire... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From chart-topping pop star to powerhouse entrepreneur, Rochelle Humes has built a career defined by creativity and reinvention. As the founder and creative director of My Little Coco, one of the UK's best-selling baby and family brands, Humes has shown how passion and purpose can drive lasting success.In this episode, she opens up about the challenges of starting a business during a global pandemic, learning the power of saying no and building a brand that celebrates inclusivity and family. Humes also shares her lessons on leadership, trusting your instincts and embracing vulnerability as strength. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Auto Trader has gone from a dying print magazine to one of the UK's biggest tech businesses. Auto Trader made 60 per cent of its revenue from the print magazine in 2007. But today it makes nothing from the magazine, having stopped it in 2013. Yet Auto Trader is now a much bigger business. It is part of the FTSE 100 and valued at £7bn. So how did this extraordinary transformation take place? Graham Ruddick speaks to Nathan Coe, chief executive of Auto Trader, to find out... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francesca Brown is the award-winning founder of Goals4Girls and a champion of female youth development. She has turned her love of football into a transformative programme that empowers girls aged 11-16 in marginalised communities, boosting their confidence, leadership skills and educational outcomes. Josh Dornbrack and Lucy McPhee dive into her journey from aspiring athlete to social impact pioneer, her vision for sustainable development pathways and the unique role sport plays in unlocking opportunity.If you're a founder, executive or aspiring leader seeking tangible inspiration from outside of the boardroom, this episode will leave you equipped with both mindset shifts and actionable takeaways. From leveraging networks and finding mentors, to creating a culture of opportunity and designing programmes with real-world impact, Brown's journey is a powerful case study in leadership, social enterprise and growth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you make the big strategic decisions that will define the future of your business? How do you gather the information to make that decision? Simon Carter, chief executive of British Land, one of the biggest property companies in the UK, bet on offices when many said that office-working was dead. Graham Ruddick speaks to Simon Carter about making that contrarian decision, running a FTSE company and the future of shopping, with British Land owning retail parks across the country as part of its £10bn portfolio... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Amaechi is an organisational psychologist, best-selling author and a professor of leadership at the University of Exeter Business School. He is quick to dismantle the myth that great leaders are “born, not made.” In this candid conversation, he reveals that the skills which make leaders exceptional, from emotional literacy to effective storytelling, aren't magic tricks. They're basic, learnable tools that anyone can master with intention and practice.Amaechi shares how leaders often hide behind the excuse that “it just comes naturally to others” to avoid confronting their own fears. Whether it's public speaking, conflict mediation or building trust, he argues that leadership is about consistent work, not innate talent. This episode will leave you inspired and equipped with a new mindset: if leadership excellence isn't magic, then there's no reason you can't achieve it too.Presented by Josh Dornbrack and Lucy McPheeJohn Amaechi's book, It's Not Magic: The ordinary skills of exceptional leaders, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The biggest investor in promising businesses in Europe is Saul Klein's venture capital firm, according to new research from Dealroom. He is the name behind many of Britain's fastest-growing tech businesses. So what does he look for in a business? How can UK businesses take on the US tech giants? And what did he learn from being co-founder of LoveFilm, the UK answer to Netflix? Graham Ruddick went to his offices in London to find out... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanna Carman leads the Plusnet broadband brand, which is owned by BT, and also serves as its chief marketing officer. She joined BT in 2019 and took up the Plusnet role two years later while still in her mid-thirties.Dougal Shaw caught up with Joanna Carman at BT's London HQ to learn about forging a leadership style that appeals to Gen Z... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Roest experienced a traumatic event 25 years ago that changed his life. When he was 14 his father collapsed in a restaurant, crashing through a table, due to an undiagnosed heart condition. He survived but was left with long-term health issues.Steve Roest wants to prevent other families from experiencing a similar episode. He co-founded PocDoc with his wife in 2019. It makes at-home digital diagnostic kits so people can do health tests for chronic conditions like heart disease. The company can make up to 200,000 tests per month. It already has 40 employees and millions of pounds in revenue.Dougal Shaw went to PodDoc's warehouse and headquarters outside Cambridge to hear the story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you build one of the biggest hotel brands in the world? Simon Vincent is president of Hilton hotels in Europe, Middle East and Africa. He is responsible for around 1,000 hotels. Vincent joined Hilton in 2007 and looks after more than 85,000 employees, 18,000 of whom are based in the UK. In this episode, Simon Vincent takes Dougal Shaw on a personal tour of the Park Lane Hilton, speaking to him in the luxury penthouse suite that has welcomed rock star Jon Bon Jovi and many others. Hilton reveals the detailed calculation that goes into the slow, steady expansion of hotels. This involves scouting and testing potential locations, but also figuring out the best balance between managing your own hotels and finding a franchisee to work with. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

B&Q and Screwfix are two of the biggest retail brands in the UK, but when Thierry Garnier arrived as chief executive of Kingfisher, the owner of the chains, it was a business under pressure. Thierry Garnier has got Kingfisher firing and is pioneering new ways to shop, including online deliveries within 30 minutes. Much of what he has learned about retail and leadership comes from China, where he spent eight years as the boss of Carrefour's business there. China may offer a glimpse of the future, and Thierry Garnier is keen to learn what that looks like... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would you do if your company had just 90 days to survive? That's the reality turnaround expert Bill Canady has faced more than once. In this episode of the Business Leader Podcast, we speak with him to unpack the three drivers of business transformation: growth, fear and exit. Canady shows how focusing on profitability first, leveraging the Pareto 80/20 principle and taking tough but necessary decisions can set a business back on course.From restructuring teams to repricing products, his insights cut through complexity with actionable advice. Whether you're battling cash flow problems, stalled growth or preparing for a strategic exit, this conversation will help you reframe your challenges as opportunities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rishi Khosla, the co-founder and chief executive of OakNorth, joins Graham Ruddick to tell the story of how OakNorth was built. Founded in 2015, OakNorth was valued at $2.8bn (£2.1bn) in its last funding round and is generating annual profits of more than £200m. Khosla and co-founder Joel Perlman set-out to revolutionise banking for small and medium-sized businesses. Despite some ups and downs, they are doing just that... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Innovation isn't reserved for tech giants. It's the beating heart of any business that wants to grow and stay relevant. In this episode, we dive into what it takes to build a culture where innovation thrives. From uncovering hidden skills in your workforce to reshaping how teams collaborate, you'll discover practical steps to spark new thinking.We speak with David Keene, the co-founder and CEO of tech firm Aurrigo, Nathan Thomas, Ricoh Europe's director of innovation, Richard North, president at innovative toy manufacturer Wow! Stuff, Zoe Harris, travel company On The Beach's chief marketing officer and Andrea Morgan-Vandome, the chief innovation officer at supply chain software provider Blue Yonder. They share hard-won lessons on fostering curiosity, reducing fear and creating environments where bold ideas can take root. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was not until 1998 that Starbucks opened its first UK coffee shop. Around the same time, Martyn Dawes, who suspected that people wanted easier access to quality coffee, started putting Coffee Nation coffee machines into shops.Today, coffee shops are everywhere and Coffee Nation has become Costa Express, which is owned by Coca-Cola after a blockbuster £3.9bn takeover. In this episode of the Business Leader Podcast, Martyn Dawes, the founder of Coffee Nation, explains how a trip to the US inspired the business, why his initial idea was wrong and whether he regrets selling too early.Martyn Dawes is now a Business Leader facilitator, overseeing peer-to-peer forums between CEOs and founders. To find out more about Business Leader membership, visit: https://businessleader.co.uk/membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI has been called the biggest business shift since the internet but what does that actually mean for your business? In this episode, Matt Weaver of OpenAI explains how businesses can move beyond experiments and embed AI into daily operations. He reveals why literacy, executive sponsorship and experimentation are the three critical levers leaders must pull.You'll also hear how Virgin Atlantic is using AI to extend its trademark personal service and why the real win isn't about replacing jobs but removing repetitive tasks so people can focus on higher-value work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WD-40 is one of the world's best-known brands. You probably keep a can somewhere in your house for unjamming locks and stopping squeaks. The company was founded in San Diego, California in the 1950s and the secret formula used in WD-40 was devised by a team working on missile maintenance in the aerospace industry. Today the company is worth around $3 billion and listed on the stock market in the US. But it is run by a Brit, Steve Brass, who speaks to Dougal Shaw about the story behind the company, why it is important not to get distracted from your core product and why Sir Alex Ferguson is his ultimate role model... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's competitive business landscape, technical skills and strategy are no longer enough to lead effectively. Emotional intelligence, the ability to understand yourself, manage your emotions, and connect with others, is increasingly becoming the defining trait of successful leaders. In this episode, we speak to Amy Jacobson, who has written a book titled The Emotional Intelligence Advantage: Mastering Change and Difficult Conversations. We explore her five-pillar framework for building emotional intelligence. From owning your wiring to handling difficult conversations with empathy, she explains how leaders can turn emotional intelligence into a practical, measurable business advantage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Richards tells the story of how he founded Vue International and built it into one of the biggest cinema chains in the world...Hosted by Graham RuddickProduced by Anouszka Tate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is one of the busiest weeks of the year for travelling as people enjoy their summer holidays. Many of you will have travelled on Wizz Air, one of the biggest airlines in Europe and a business that has emerged as a new low-cost rival to Ryanair and EasyJet in recent years. In this classic episode of the Business Leader Podcast, Graham Ruddick speaks to Jozsef Varadi, the founder and chief executive of Wizz Air, about what it takes to build an airline. This episode was originally released in April 2024. Business Leader is sharing classic episodes throughout August in response to demand from our fantastic audience. We will be sharing the best founder and scale-up stories from our archive... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the finale of series 1, we look at Chiefs' attempt to achieve their goal by winning the double, when to take tough personnel decisions and break down the full anatomy of the turnaround. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The start of the new football season is here, which means lots of new football kits, including many made by Castore, the UK's answer to Nike and Adidas. In this classic episode of the Business Leader Podcast from early 2024, Graham Ruddick sits down with Castore co-founder and chief executive Tom Beahon to hear the story of how he and his brother Phil have built a new sportswear giant...Business Leader is sharing classic episodes throughout August in response to demand from our fantastic audience. We will be sharing the best founder and scale-up stories from our archive... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens after you reach the top?In the fourth instalment of our five-part series, Exeter Chiefs claim their first Premiership title but then face a new challenge: staying there. We explore how a solid culture can negate complacency, how focusing on what they could control got Chiefs through a major scandal and the Covid lockdown and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gordon Sanghera, the co-founder and chief executive of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, has announced he will step down as boss after more than 20 years of building the business into a £2bn unicorn at the forefront of science and technology.In this classic episode of the Business Leader Podcast from early 2023 (back when it was called Business Studies!) Graham Ruddick speaks to Gordon Sanghera about the story behind Oxford Nanopore...Business Leader is sharing classic episodes throughout August in response to demand from our fantastic audience. We will be sharing the best founder and scale-up stories from our archive... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when you've come so close, only to fall short again and again? In this third episode of our five-part series, we dive into Exeter Chiefs' toughest year, which included four major heartbreaks in 14 months, a painful Premiership final loss and a crisis of confidence.We find out about the behind-the-scenes team meeting that changed everything. It's a raw and inspiring look at resilience, accountability and the power of emotional reset. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You asked, we delivered. Our fantastic Business Leader audience is growing fast and you have been asking us to share our favourite episodes from the back catalogue. So throughout August we will be doing just that and re-publishing some of our best founder and scale-up stories.This episode on Monzo is a classic scale-up story. How do you turn a popular consumer brand into a business that actually makes money? Graham Ruddick met TS Anil, the chief executive of Monzo to find out. Under his watch, Monzo has gone from a loss-making business into one reportedly working on a stock market floatation that could value the digital bank at more than £6bn. As TS Anil says: "A mission without a business plan is a bumper sticker. Anybody can write one." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Sinek, the best-selling author of Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last, joins Richard Harpin and Graham Ruddick to discuss how to build a successful business.To listen to previous episodes of How to Make a Billion and get updates when new episodes go live, subscribe to the series via the links below:Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-make-a-billion-in-9-steps-with-richard-harpin/id1825363917Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5aPBAfRKnqW8A2kN44X37w In this show, Richard Harpin, who built Homeserve into a £4.1bn business, explores his nine steps to building a billion-pound business. To find out more about Richard's nine steps and how to build a successful business you can buy the book How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps at Amazon here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Billion-Nine-Steps/dp/0349445389This is a Business Leader podcast hosted by Graham Ruddick and produced by Lucy McPhee. Filmed at Spiritland studios in London Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second episode of our five-part series, where we revisit the night Exeter Chiefs rewrote their destiny. From underdog mentality to promotion glory, hear how grit, resilience and leadership took this Devon side into the Premiership for the first time. Discover how strategy, culture and character won out over money and reputation, and what business leaders can learn from one of sport's most unlikely success stories.In this episode, we look at the galvanising effect of being counted out, the power of opening your eyes and believing what you see and how Chiefs' academy system tested the coaching team's leadership.To listen to the rest of the series, subscribe to The Turnaround feed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nike historian Scott Reames joins Graham Ruddick to discuss the story of how the world's biggest sports brand was built. They discuss:-The origins of the Nike name and swoosh logo-What Phil Knight was like as a founder and chief executive-How challenges in the 1980s lay the foundations for Nike to go from good to great-The other key people who helped build Nike, such as Rob Strasser-What the film Air gets right and wrong about the story of how Nike signed Michael Jordan in 1984-Why Nike has faced challenges in recent years Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to turn around an organisation? Take it from struggling to thriving? Rock bottom to the top? The Turnaround will tell the stories of the organisations and people who have done just this.In series one, we look to the world of sport and the remarkable story of how a small rugby team in Devon went from amateurs to English and European champions. That team is Exeter Chiefs.You will hear from the management, coaches, players and those who were watching it as it happened. You will hear about the ambition that launched the turnaround, the false starts it suffered, and how, just when they thought they had made it, they realised they still had so much to learn.This is the first episode of our five-part series. To listen to the rest of the series, subscribe to The Turnaround feed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What causes CEO burn-out? What can be done to avoid it? And how do you help CEOs who have burned out? Welcome to the Paracelsus Recovery clinic, which has been treating CEOs in Zurich since 2013. Patients are assigned therapists who live with them during their stay and are on-call 24/7. A team of 15 people, including psychiatrists, nurses, nutritionists and personal chefs, are responsible for each client. Clients may stay for up to two months at a time and get VIP treatment that costs around £85,000 per week. Dougal Shaw travelled to Zurich to speak with Jan Gerber, the founder and CEO of the clinic, to find out why CEOs fly in from all over the world to be treated here... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this new podcast series, Richard Harpin, who built Homeserve into a £4.1bn business, explores his nine steps to building a billion-pound business. In episode two, Richard speaks with Steve Hewitt, the former chief executive of Gymshark, about three of his steps. These steps are:-Bricks, clicks and paper-Hire your replacement-Go global with localsTo find out more about Richard's nine steps and how to build a successful business you can buy the book How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps at Amazon here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Billion-Nine-Steps/dp/0349445389You can subscribe to this new series via the links below:Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-make-a-billion-in-9-steps-with-richard-harpin/id1825363917Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5aPBAfRKnqW8A2kN44X37wThis is a Business Leader podcast hosted by Graham Ruddick and produced by Lucy McPhee. Filmed at Spiritland studios in London Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The financial crisis nearly destroyed Britain's banks, but from the remnants of this chaos the Business Growth Fund was created. BGF, backed by the biggest UK banks, is now the most active investor in small and medium-sized businesses in the country. If the UK is to turn more promising businesses into large companies then BGF will be key. It has already invested £4.5bn into more than 600 businesses since it launched. So now what? Graham Ruddick meets Andy Gregory, the chief executive of BGF, to find out... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this new podcast series, Richard Harpin, who built Homeserve into a £4.1bn business, explores his nine steps to building a billion-pound business. In episode one, Richard speaks with Touker Suleyman, the Dragons' Den star, about the first three of his steps. These steps are:-Copy and pivot-Get an investor-Get some coachmentTo find out more about Richard's nine steps and how to build a successful business you can buy the book How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps at Amazon here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Billion-Nine-Steps/dp/0349445389You can subscribe to this new series via the links below:Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-make-a-billion-in-9-steps-with-richard-harpin/id1825363917Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5aPBAfRKnqW8A2kN44X37wThis is a Business Leader podcast hosted by Graham Ruddick and produced by Lucy McPhee. Filmed at Spiritland studios in London Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir John Hegarty is one of the most revered figures in the UK advertising industry. Starting out in ‘swinging Sixties' London, he went on to be a founding partner of Saatchi & Saatchi in the 1970s and co-founder of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) in the early 1980s. With BBH he masterminded adverts that became part of the national conversation, including the Levi's 501 jeans adverts with model Nick Kamen stripping in a launderette. He also helped to create the famous "Vorsprung durch Technik" campaigns for Audi. These days he is creative director of The Garage Soho and runs a course called The Business of Creativity. In a wide-ranging interview about creativity, he explains to Dougal Shaw that “practices change, but principles remain”, sharing his thoughts on social media influencers, how to find beauty in business and the best way to approach artificial intelligence... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GoFundMe is one of the world's biggest crowdfunding platforms. It focuses on charitable donations and has generated over $30bn in funds since it launched in 2010. It is based in San Diego, California and has more than 800 employees. But it has been led by a Brit, Tim Cadogan, since 2020.Dougal Shaw speaks to Tim Cadogan in the latest episode of the Business Leader Podcast. Cadogan grew up and studied in the UK, before moving to California in order to pursue his dream career in tech. After two stints with big management consultancies, he worked at Yahoo! for five years, before co-founding his own adtech start-up, OpenX. He discusses the unique challenges of operating in the donations space, how AI can help digital fundraising and how his business makes money... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kenny Wilson speaks to Graham Ruddick about the story behind how Dr Martens, the famous footwear brand, trebled its annual revenues to £1 billion while he was chief executive. It is a story that begins with Kenny Wilson as a promising footballer at Aberdeen while Sir Alex Ferguson was manager, involves learning about brand and leadership at Levi's, and has some challenges along the way... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the business books you should be reading right now? What are the leading CEOs and founders reading? Josh Dornbrack, Graham Ruddick and Sarah Vizard get together to discuss what the business world is reading and what they would recommend to you. Plus, they do a blind-ranking of some all-time classics... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who are the fastest-growing businesses in the UK and what are the stories behind them? Graham Ruddick, Sarah Vizard, Dougal Shaw and Robert Watts get together to discuss what Business Leader has founded by building the Growth 500, the most comprehensive guide ever to Britain's fastest-growing businesses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imran Hakim is a serial entrepreneur and has built Hakim Group into a collection of independent opticians across the UK. But he also found extraordinary success through Dragons Den and invented a toy that became one of the UK's most popular Christmas presents. In this episode of the Business Leader Podcast, Victoria Price speaks to Imran Hakim about building his business, Dragons Den and the challenge of being a parent and chief executive... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick Grey is the founder and owner of Gtech, which he has built into a multi-million-pound technology business. Gtech started out with vacuum cleaners, but has since expanded into power tools, hair dryers and much more. Grey is the inventor behind many of its original designs, initially working from his home in Worcestershire. He founded Gtech in 2001 having previously worked as a window-fitter on building sites and a lab technician at Vax.Dougal Shaw went to meet Nick Grey at Gtech Community Stadium, where football club Brentford play, to hear the story behind this innovative UK success story... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graham Ruddick and Sarah Vizard are joined by Rob Watts and James Whittaker, the head of UK wealth management and chief executive of Deutsche Bank UK, to discuss what it takes to build a billion-pound business in the UK. Who are the people who have done this? What are their stories? And what are the 56 businesses on Business Leader's list of Great British Billion-Pound Businesses? All this and more is covered in the latest episode of the Business Leader Podcast.This episode is sponsored by Deutsche Bank Wealth ManagementTo see the full-list of Great British Billion-Pound Businesses please click this link: https://businessleader.co.uk/feature/gbbpb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dougal Shaw checks-in to a Yotel for a guided tour of the business with CEO Hubert Viriot. The brand is known for its compact, functional but stylish designs. It was started by British entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe, who also founded the Yo! Sushi food chain. Inspired by high-end, long-haul travel and the minimalism of Japanese hotels, he opened the first Yotel at Gatwick Airport in 2007. The idea was successful and expanded to other international airports. Hubert Viriot joined the business as CEO in 2014 with a mission to supercharge the concept with global expansion, taking it into urban areas. It now has 23 hotels in cities around the world, in places like New York, Miami, Singapore, Geneva and Edinburgh. So what's the secret formula for Yotel and how do you scale a new hotel brand? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce Bratley has gone from studying for a PhD to building one of the UK's most successful recycling businesses. He founded the waste management and recycling company First Mile in London in 2004. It now has 200 employees, an annual turnover of £50m and helps more than 30,000 businesses around the UK with recycling solutions. Its clients include large companies like Pret, Caffè Nero, Netflix and Amazon, as well as small businesses ranging from clothes stores to restaurants. First Mile collects more than 65,000 tonnes of waste every year using zero and low-emission vehicles and electric cargo bikes, which it takes to recycling centres. Bratley explains to Dougal Shaw how he built the business from scratch as well as offering some tips on how to recycle more intelligently... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graham Ruddick meets Joe Lister, the chief executive of Unite Group, to hear the story behind how this business went from a student start-up in Bristol to a FTSE 100 company. Unite's unique culture is at the heart of it all... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here are three business leaders who all have one thing in common - they lead US-based, SaaS companies valued at more than $1 billion. SaaS (software as a service) businesses are the lifeblood of the modern economy. Their products help with everything from sales calls and marketing to employee onboarding and supply chain management. These days all companies are awash with data, but artificial intelligence is making it easier than ever to put that data to use. Dougal Shaw speaks to the three CEOs about how they scaled-up their business. He speaks one-on-one with Katherine Kostereva of Creatio, Chet Kapoor of Datastax and Doug Winter of Seismic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Highland Europe was founded on the basis that promising European businesses, including those in the UK, can take on the US tech giants if they get the right funding. In this episode of the Business Leader Podcast, Fergal Mullen, the co-founder of Highland Europe, explains what he looks for in founders and promising businesses (and what he avoids). And why Europe could take on the US by merging the major stock markets across the continent, including London Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Pyke is joint managing director of the Sizewell C nuclear plant and she thinks nuclear power has an image problem. She blames a lot of this on The Simpsons cartoon and in particular, the evil character Mr Burns. However, as Pyke explains to Dougal Shaw, she is trying to challenge that stereotype while building Sizewell C in Suffolk, which is due to switch on in the mid-2030s.The UK hasn't turned on a new nuclear plant for three decades. The climate crisis has made nuclear energy more appealing. However, nuclear disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima still loom large in the public imagination. Pyke explains how she is building a nuclear workforce that is diverse and reflects modern society, while also making the case for the safety of the nuclear industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.