Business Leader

Ben Askins is the co-founder of Gaia, a green technology company that builds online tools for companies within the environmental space. But he cut his teeth as an entrepreneur by creating a digital marketing business for luxury brands, which he scaled and successfully exited. He shares with Richard Harpin practical advice on interview techniques to hire the best candidates, building an engaged and happy workforce and how to scale a start-up with a future exit in mind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Stoffel is the entrepreneur who founded the matched betting platform Outplayed, taking a punt on the online betting space. He explains to Richard Harpin how he bootstrapped a simple idea into a multi-million pound enterprise by copying and refining existing business models and mastering digital marketing. He shares the leadership lessons he picked up along the way, including the dangers of "shiny object syndrome". The interview explores the technicalities of subscription-based revenue, the risks of rebranding while you scale, and the importance of well-planned delegation. Stoffel also discusses his exit and transition to his latest venture, Subspot, sharing his ambition to scale a globally successful software platform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hub van Bockel shares his story with Richard Harpin about founding Tenzing, a natural energy drink brand inspired by Himalayan sherpas. Drawing on his marketing background at Unilever, MTV, and Red Bull, van Bockel explains how he identified a gap in the market for low-sugar, plant-based alternatives to artificial energy drinks. But how do you take on incumbents in such a competitive space? He explains his bootstrapping strategy, which to begin with focused on niche communities like climbing and running. He also explains how he slowly wooed major retailers like Tesco and Sainsbury's. But it all really began with a pitch deck he presented to convince his wife of the risks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Business Leader podcast, Richard Harpin interviews Caspar Lee, the YouTube pioneer who successfully transitioned from influencer to powerhouse entrepreneur. Lee reveals the strategies behind co-founding Influencer.com, a marketing agency with multi-million pound revenues and his subsequent move into venture capital with Creator Ventures. The conversation explores vital insights for scaling businesses. Lee explains why hiring 'big company' veterans can backfire in mid-sized firms. He also outlines how partnerships can be used to drive organic growth when building communities. He also shares his tips for personal branding, reflecting on the strategies he used to build his own following. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is cost cutting really a strategy or is it quietly holding businesses back? In this episode of the Business Leader podcast, Sir Richard Harpin sits down with advertising and marketing legend Rory Sutherland. Sutherland challenges some of the most deeply held assumptions in modern business, from efficiency and procurement to marketing, pricing, and customer experience – all through the lens of a marketer. Drawing on decades of experience at the advertising group Ogilvy and in behavioural science, Rory explains why an obsession with cost reduction and short-term efficiency can destroy long-term value, and why businesses need to think in terms of opportunity, not just spreadsheets. This episode is essential listening for founders, CEOs and senior leaders who want to grow sustainably without sacrificing innovation, trust, or long-term opportunity. Subscribe for weekly conversations with the thinkers and leaders shaping the future of business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rohan Blacker is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Sofa.com. Blacker shares his journey with host Dougal Shaw, from an unfulfilling legal career to becoming a pioneer in UK e-commerce. He left Sofa.com in 2015 when a private equity firm took over. Today he's still very much in furniture retail, running Pooky.com and Schplendid sofas. Blacker tells the story behind acquiring the Sofa.com domain name, explaining why he and his co-founder felt a "nuts name" was essential for success, in the brave new world of online branding. Blacker also explains why he thinks Sofa.com declined after his exit, citing "death by a thousand cuts", including excessive discounting and high rent overheads. He explains how he is now using the lessons learned from his Sofa.com days to power his latest venture, Schplendid, which aims to champion sustainable sofas in a world of "fast furniture". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Mishreki is the founder of the UK-based, fast-growing skincare brand Skin + Me. In this episode Mishreki discusses with host Richard Harpin his unconventional entrepreneurial journey. It began in childhood with selling copied CDs at school and included a stint as a professional poker player, a role he credits with building his resilience. The conversation explores how Skin + Me aims to disrupt a £140bn beauty and cosmetics market plagued by a 55% customer dissatisfaction rate. Mishreki details his company's innovative personalised subscription model, which provides prescription-grade treatments through a vertically integrated system, including their own pharmacy and factory. Mishreki shares his philosophy on "rejection training" and explains why he transitioned from CEO to Chairman to focus on his core strengths. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FlightStory CEO Georgie Holt and Chief Revenue Officer Christiana Brenton discuss with Dougal Shaw how they are pioneering podcasts and new media alongside Steven Bartlett, creator and host of The Diary of a CEO. Moving beyond traditional audio, they operate an end-to-end studio scaling global IP across newsletters, live events, and commerce. The duo explains how they "kill the guesswork" using proprietary technology like Guest Radar and Creator Radar to identify high-potential talent through data. They delve into their collaborative leadership, the necessity of "killing the romance" to avoid stagnation, and the role of Flight X in disrupting their own success. Finally, they highlight the transition from digital consumption to real-world communities, arguing that "packaging" long-form content for algorithms is essential for maximising global human impact. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sue Hayes, CEO of Nottingham Building Society, joins Dougal Shaw on the Business Leader podcast to explore how she's been transforming a 175-year-old institution into a modern mutual. Hayes discusses her key strategy, defined as "together we fight for the extraordinary". Her mission is to target underserved borrowers, like Gen Z and side hustlers with irregular incomes, and help them buy homes. She explains how her building society leverages AI and fintech partnerships to modernise mortgages while maintaining its purpose-driven ethos. From rebranding to the future of high street branches, Hayes shares insights on leadership and staying relevant in the modern banking sector. She was speaking to Dougal Shaw in early November 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few businesses have more than 17 million customers and can say the Queen was one of them. But that's the AA. However, it has had a difficult time recently. It was drowning under £2.7 billion of debt and was taken off public markets following a takeover by the private equity firms Warburg Pincus and Towerbrook. Since then chief executive Jakob Pfaudler has been working on a turnaround of this unique business. This is the story of the AA and that turnaround... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He leads a US tech firm valued at $8bn, but Sanjay Poonen puts his success down to a major career setback. Poonen is CEO of US cybersecurity and AI company Cohesity, based in Silicon Valley. He grew up in Bangalore, India, but a scholarship to Dartmouth College in the US to study computer science brought him to the US. On graduation, he rose up the ranks of a Who's Who of Silicon Valley tech companies, including Microsoft, Apple, Symantec, SAP and VMware. It was while he was vice president of marketing at Informatica that he suffered his first major career setback – he was fired. Poonen explains to Dougal Shaw why this moment of rejection ultimately made him a better, more mature and compassionate leader. He also gives advice on how to hire the best talent in the competitive world of tech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Josh Dornbrack speaks with Bob Skinstad, former Springbok and Rugby World Cup winner, about leadership, elite performance and transitioning from professional sport into business. He shares lessons from rugby, venture capital, consulting and building winning teams in high-pressure environments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The department store chain Debenhams was founded in 1778 but went bust in 2020, leading to thousands of job losses and the disappearance of one of Britain's best-known high street names. But now it is back, reimagined for the digital age. In this episode of the Business Leader Podcast, Debenhams chief executive Dan Finley tells the story behind this turnaround. Dan Finley was appointed the boss of Debenhams in 2022 after the brand was bought by Boohoo. Now he is chief executive of the whole Boohoo group, which has been renamed Debenhams. That has brought its own unique challenges... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a magnet for side hustlers around Europe. The CoCreate event was held this November in London, the first time it's come to Europe. It's an event run by Alibaba.com, a global online marketplace for b2b wholesale trade. Small businesses use it to source in bulk products from manufacturers and trading companies to then sell to consumers themselves. Alibaba.com is part of Alibaba Group founded by Jack Ma in China in 1999. Alibaba.com now connects 50 million buyers with 200,000 global suppliers, many of them based in China. At CoCreate there are suppliers showing off their wares, including everything from robot vacuum cleaners to skincare products and fashion items. Dougal Shaw spoke to the entrepreneurs who flocked to this event before catching up with Kuo Zhang, the president of Alibaba.com, to find out how small companies can access global supply chains, with AI making the task increasingly sophisticated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many prime ministers don't make it to 10 years in office. US presidents only get eight at most to secure their legacy. Katharine Viner has had a decade and counting as editor-in-chief at the Guardian newspaper. She is also the first woman to hold the role. She's made radical changes to an institution more than two centuries old, while returning it to profit. Dougal Shaw took a trip to the Guardian HQ in London to learn about the reader revenue model that took everyone by surprise, commercial innovations like The Filter and how she plans to attract younger audiences while navigating the perils of social media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Lucie Macloud reveals the unexpected story behind Hair Syrup's meteoric rise—from a homemade solution shared on TikTok to a multi-million-pound beauty brand. In this episode of the Business Leader podcast, she joins Lucy McPhee and Josh Dornbrack to talk about battling self-doubt, navigating Dragons' Den, handling explosive growth and learning how to lead long before she felt ready. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of how one of the best-known high street chains was built. Mountain Warehouse now has more than 400 shops and generates more than £450m in annual revenue. But, as founder and chief executive Mark Neale tells Graham Ruddick, this story starts with a shop selling roller blades... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thea Green, the founder of Nails.INC, is one of the UK's most successful entrepreneurs in the beauty and self-care space. Her early background was in journalism, but she spotted a gap in the fashion market back in the late 1990s – and grabbed the opportunity. When the world was crazy about everything “dot com” and coffee shops, she saw that the UK hadn't caught up yet with the American trend for getting a regular manicure at nail bars. She first built her beauty empire around nail bars on the high street and in department stores. These days she presides over a multi-million-pound retail business that is based on innovative nail products like varnish, art packs and polishes. Last year Nails.INC was acquired by a private equity firm in a reported £30m deal. Thea Green remains at the top of the company she founded. Dougal Shaw went to her HQ in Mayfair, London to learn how she has evolved as a leader and what others can learn from her experience... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iwoca is one of the UK's most promising new businesses. It has a fascinating mission - to finance one-million small businesses. Christoph Rieche and James Dear founded Iwoca in 2011 to solve one of the biggest problems facing the UK economy - how to get more funding to small and medium-sized businesses to help them grow. As Christoph Rieche tells Graham Ruddick, they are making real progress, but this is just the start... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people measure success in likes and views — but not Amelia Sordell. In this unfiltered discussion, she sits down with Lucy McPhee and Josh Dornbrack to explain why virality is meaningless without credibility and connection. Sordell shares the frameworks she uses with CEOs, founders and global enterprises to turn content into clients. She also demystifies what actually works on platforms like LinkedIn and reveals why leaders must stop outsourcing their voice. Learn how to build a brand that survives algorithm changes, drives revenue and resonates long after the scroll stops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Zhang founded Airwallex in 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. It has now gone global and is valued at more than $6bn by investors. Zhang has moved to London in order to help Airwallex scale globally. He tells Dougal Shaw why there was a unique window of opportunity to build his fintech platform and why traditional banks still have a lot of catching up to do if they want to capitalise on the new revolution in artificial intelligence.Airwallex is a tech-first financial operating system helping businesses scale across borders faster, by doing things like processing international payments. Zhang was born and raised in China but moved to Australia aged 16, without his family, to pursue his education. While working for several large companies as a computer programmer, he also ran multiple side hustles. It was a coffee shop venture that led to the idea for Airwallex, as he encountered the high costs associated with global payments between currencies... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.