Podcast appearances and mentions of james ashton

Tensions are rising between two nuclear powers after India launched missile strikes into Pakistan-controlled territory. Pakistan's calling it an “act of war”. The London Standard's reporter Jacob Phillips joins us to explain what's happened, why now, and what it means for the UK and wider world.Plus, we hear from James Ashton, co-founder of Oscar's Book Prize. He tells us about this year's winning picture book “Just The Two of Us” by Polly Noakes - and the moving legacy behind the award. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with James Ashton, CEO of the Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA). They discuss the importance of transparency and governance in the business world, the role of small and medium-sized companies in the UK economy, and the challenges these companies face in public markets. Ashton emphasises the need for a supportive environment for growth, the significance of retail investors in the market, and the need for equities to be as attractive and accessible as crypto The conversation also touches on the QCA's growth strategy, the impact of regulatory changes, and the balance between purpose and profit in leadership.

In this episode of Conversations with Leaders, Sam North speaks with James Ashton, CEO of the Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA). They discuss the current state of the UK capital markets, the role of QCA in supporting mid and small-cap companies, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for 2025. James shares insights on the importance of retail investment, the impact of politics on the market, and his vision for the future of UK capital markets. He also discusses his book on Arm, highlighting its significance as a corporate success story in the UK.

Today we welcome Re-recording Mixer/Sound Designer James Ashton who joins us to talk about their work on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. James will took us through creating the sound scapes for the various vehicles in the film and the creative choices made for the sound.  Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJMuhwVlca4 Produced by Daniel Miller and Monika Ditton Artwork Designed by Piotr Motyka Music by ELPHNT Contact: creativeindustryinsight@gmail.com

Have you ever wondered what a fund manager does, how they think, the types of investments they look for and what led them to pursue careers in finance and investing? Join Judith MacKenzie, Head of Downing Fund Managers and Rosemary Banyard, Fund Manager, as they peel back the veil and share their guiding principles and experiences from careers spanning multiple decades in the finance industry as investment fund managers. In this first part of a six-part series, Judith, and Rosemary share how they got started in finance and some of their experiences as women in finance, both good and not-so-good. They share their biggest influences and why they pursued careers in finance. This was a real insight into two seasoned fund managers and what it was like for them in their early careers during the late 80s and early 90s. They finish off with an introduction to the capital markets and why they are important for the UK economy and how Judith is actively working to help improve the investing landscape for both companies and investors alike. Each episode of this six-part series builds on the next with episode two discussing different investing styles to suit different personalities, small cap vs large cap, investing in the UK vs the global market and much, much more Timestamps: 3:00 Rosemary shares how she got her start in the city. 6:30 Judith shares how she got her start in the city. 10:15 They both share what it was like in thier early careers during the late 80s and early 90s 13:00 Judith and Rosemary each share a story of unconscious biases they have experienced. 15:30 They both share the positives of being women in finance. 19:45 They both share who their early influences were on their lives and careers. 23:45 They both share why they are so passionate about investing and the markets. 30:15 They both share passionately what needs to be done to improve the landscape for British companies and UK PLC 33:15 Jusith shares the book she is currently reading The Everything Blueprint by James Ashton 34:10 Rosemary shares the book she is currently reading an autobiography of Thomas Jefferson by John B. Boles Hope you enjoy this episode and have a wonderful day. The FYR Team If you like this episode, please let us know by subscribing for future company reviews and insightful conversations about the markets, personal finance, portfolio management and stock analysis. Links & Resources: Visit Downing Fund Managers here: https://www.downing.co.uk/downing-fund-managers Follow Dowing on X/Twitter @downingllp: https://twitter.com/downingllp?lang=en The Everything Blueprint by James Ashton: https://amzn.to/48CzO60 Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson by John B. Boles: https://amzn.to/48zoqrC Visit Fund Your Retirement: https://www.fundyourretirement.com/ Follow FYR on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FRetirement  Visit Quoted Companies Alliance: https://www.theqca.com/  Disclaimer: This presentation is for educational purposes only. All opinions and information are for demonstrational purposes and do not constitute investment advice. Trading and investing carries a high level of risk and are not right for everyone. If you need financial advice, consult with a regulated financial adviser in your country before making any decisions.

This week James Ashton joins us to talk about the complicated dance around the re-listing of ARM in the first tech IPO in some time. Few IPOs come this big, and few have had to revise down their target market price so quickly. All chips are on red, and we're ready to spin the wheel and see where this UK tech darling lands on the US NASDAQ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we have a bonus episode for you, live from the FT Weekend Festival in London. Michela sat down with two experts on Arm, the British chip designer, to discuss its imminent initial public offering. Tim Bradshaw, the FT's global tech correspondent and James Ashton, author of The Everything Blueprint, talk about where Arm stands as a company, and what its chances for growth are when it goes public later this month. This conversation was recorded on September 2, 2023. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Arm searches for growth beyond smartphonesArm: IPO valuation climb down does not go far enoughSoftBank seeks to build investment war chest on back of Arm IPOWhen SoftBank is selling, why are you buying?- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On Twitter, follow Tim Bradshaw (@tim) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Financial journalist and author, James Ashton joins us to talk about his book ‘The Everything Blueprint: The Microchip Design that Changed the World'.James tells the Arm story - a big corporate story, of global and high impact, with products used by 70% of the world's population.From producing a better chip for Acorn Computers, tension and competition with Intel and other corporate interactions, how the relationship with Nokia embraced the mobile opportunity, the human pursuit of creating great things, and other topics from Arm's 33-year history so far.The Everything Blueprint: The Microchip Design that Changed the World is available in all good book shops, and as an audio book.Produced by Carl Homer, Cambridge TV Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Nick talks to James Ashton, an author and CEO of the Quoted Companies Alliance. James has been a financial journalist for over 20 years was City Editor and Executive Editor at the Evening Standard, and has also worked at Reuters and the Sunday Times. James is also the CEO of the Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA), which is an enabling, principles-based, corporate governance code for companies focused on growth. James is also an accomplished author, and his third book The Everything Blueprint: The Microchip Design that Changed the World tells the story of UK's technology success ARM. Nick and James discuss James' background, and what drove him to join Fleet Street, joining the QCA, perceptions of public markets and what needs to change to keep UK Capital Markets relevant on the international stage. James also discussed the process of writing his latest book and the high-tech, international story of ARM. James' book choices where Philip Agur's The Bank That Lived a Little - Barclays in the Age of the Very Free Market and Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe. This content is issued by Zeus Capital Limited (“Zeus”) (Incorporated in England & Wales No. 4417845), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) for designated investment business, (Reg No. 224621) and is a member firm of the London Stock Exchange. This content is for information purposes only and neither the information contained, nor the opinions expressed within, constitute or are to be construed as an offer or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities or other instruments mentioned in it. Zeus shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages, including lost profits arising in any way from the information contained in this material. This material is for the use of intended recipients only.

The remarkable story of how Arm became one of the most successful and talked-about technology companies that Britain has ever produced. What does Arm actually do so well? Why is Apple so key to this story? And should the £24 billion sale of the company to Japanese investor Softbank and its charismatic founder Masayoshi Son have been stopped in 2016? All of these questions and more are explored with James Ashton, author of a new book on Arm called The Everything Blueprint: The Microchip Design that Changed the World.A note for listeners: Business Studies will be taking a short-break after this episode and will return with a bang in June. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit offtolunch.substack.com

Some of James' feature film credits include: The Flowers Of War, The Grandmaster, Tanna, Lion, Mary Magdalene, Nitram, Mortal Kombat, and Three Thousand Years Of Longing. James' television projects include: Season One of La Brea as well as the upcoming Amazon series The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart.

Does London still have momentum as a great capital market – and what can be done to address the cost and complexity of listing? What needs to change to connect companies with capital on the public markets? This week's episode of the Friday Fix covers the MiFID II, Silicon Valley Bank, and everything in between.Russ Lynch, Director at Powerscourt, turns the tables on his former boss, James Ashton, CEO of the Quoted Companies Alliance, for a wide-ranging interview about the City. Did the Chancellor deliver a Budget for growth? Listen to all episodes on our website.Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Dr Philip Smith(1) interviews Dr James Ashton(2) on the papers, "The importance of high quality ‘big data' in the application of artificial intelligence in inflammatory bowel disease" and "Artificial intelligence and inflammatory bowel disease: practicalities and future prospects" published online in Frontline Gastroenterology in 2022. Read the articles in Frontline Gastroenterology here: https://fg.bmj.com/content/early/2022/11/17/flgastro-2022-102342 https://fg.bmj.com/content/13/4/325 (1) Social Media and Associate Editor of FG and Honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, UK. (2) Paediatric Gastroenterology trainee at the Southampton Children's Hospital, Southampton, UK, and Clinical Lecturer in Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine at the University of Southampton Listen to our regular podcasts and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. If you enjoy our podcast, please rate us on your chosen platform, and leave us a review on the Frontline Gastroenterology Podcast page on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fg-podcast/id942944229

This is the second in a new series of BMJ Open Gastroenterology interviews, in which we will be covering high-profile publications in conjunction with the lead authors of the papers. In this episode we are focusing on a paper entitled ‘Iron deficiency anaemia: pathophysiology, assessment, practical management' published online in January 2022 (https://bmjopengastro.bmj.com/content/9/1/e000759). Dr James Ashton, Social Media Editor of BMJOG, interviews the authors Dr. Aditi Kumar(1) and Prof. Matthew Brookes(2). This paper is currently our most read article online and covers practical tips for diagnosis, management and additional investigations for this very common problem. Related blog post: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmjopengastro/2022/01/25/a-cutting-edge-review-iron-deficiency-anaemia-pathophysiology-assessment-practical-management/ Listen to our regular podcasts and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. (1) Gastroenterology trainee at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (2) Consultant gastroenterologist and lead of gastroenterology clinical research program at Wolverhampton, Professor of gastroenterology at the University of Wolverhampton

The Pod 20, hosted by multi-award winning presenter, Graham Mack, is a weekly show featuring guest podcasters talking about their podcast, what they've been up to, what they've been listening to....and the top 20 podcasts according to Podcast Radio. But in a little more detail: who stands out this week? Week 23, 2022 including Michael Morea, Jo Youle, James Ashton & Ben Shapiro Full chart is below: BUT AVOID THE BELOW IF YOU WANT TO HEAR THE COUNTDOWN WITHOUT SPOILERS!! --- The Pod 20 The Pod Twenty is heard on Podcast Radio on DAB in the UK, on demand in the USA at Talkers dot com, around the world on multiple platforms and as a podcast itself. 20. The Matt Walsh Show A no-holds-barred take on today's cultural, religious, and political issues. The latest episode is called, “Stand And Salute The Pride Flag You Bigots!” 19.  Behind the Bastards The podcast about the worst humans in history, this week they ask, “What's New With Alex Jones?” 18. Sky News Arabia The podcast from the 24-hour rolling news channel broadcast in the Middle East. 17. On Purpose with Jay Shetty Fascinating conversations with the most insightful people in the world. 16. Real Perspective The podcast that reviews movies and TV shows. 15. CounterClock To tell the story of a crime, you have to turn back time. The latest episode is about, “Park Predators”. Sometimes the most beautiful places hide the darkest secrets. 14. Today, Explained Your all killer, no filler, Monday to Friday news explainer. 13. Dish Nick Grimshaw and the chef Angela Hartnett talk about food, drink, entertaining and more. 12. Sh**ged Married Annoyed The only way Rosie and Chris Ramsey can have a conversation without being interrupted by a toddler or ending up staring at their phones is by doing a podcast. 11.The Reset Rebel Hosted by Jo Youle. 10. Freakonomics Radio Discover the hidden side of everything with Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books. Episode five hundred and six is called, “What Is Sportswashing (and Does It Work)?” 9.  Fox News Radio Hourly Newscast The latest news from the fastest growing radio news network. 8. The Jordan Harbinger Show In-depth conversations with people at the top of their game. 7. Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend After 25 years at the Late Night desk, Conan has never made a real and lasting friendship with any of his celebrity guests. So, he started a podcast to fix that. One of his latest new friends is Jeff Goldblum. 6. Leading with James Ashton  James brings together people from the top of very different organisations in the worlds of business, charity, the arts and beyond. 5. My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark Karen and Georgia tell each other their favorite tales of murder and hear crime stories from fans. 4. Morbid: A True Crime Podcast A spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. 3. The Rest is Politics Former Downing Street spin doctor, Alastair Campbell and failed politician Rory Stewart - join forces from across the political divide. 2. Crime Junkie If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you've found your people. And at number one… The Ben Shapiro Show.. News and information from the right of American politics… Will your favourite podcast make it to the top of the chart? Find out with Graham Mack on The Pod 20, Fridays at 5pm and across the weekend on Podcast Radio. Influence the chart, make a recommendation at www.thepodcastradio.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are 'Human' and 'Campaigner' leaders rising to the top of organisations? Journalist and author James Ashton tells us how the importance of purpose and the challenges of hybrid working has seen new styles of CEO emerge.Read 'The Nine Types of Leader' here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our guest on the Sales Code Leadership Podcast this week is James Ashton.James Ashton is a UK-based financial journalist, speaker and adviser. He was City Editor and Executive Editor of the London Evening Standard and Independent titles and City Editor of the Sunday Times.In his recent book, The Nine Types of Leader, he defines distinct CEO categories encountered in his 20+ years of journalism. Meet the Alpha, the Campaigner, the Fixer, the Seller and more. How did they get to the top – and how do they stay there? Which type are you?James also hosts his own podcast, Leading with James Ashton, where CEOs from the worlds of business, charity, the arts, sport, military and technology discuss how they learnt to lead and the advice they offer others.Thank you, James for a really interesting discussion about what makes a great sales leader.

The boards of companies are expected to weigh in on an ever-widening range of topics and problems. But when are these new pressures good, and when do they distract from a board's most crucial and fundamental responsibilities? Dambisa Moyo spent a decade at Goldman Sachs and World Bank, and is currently non-executive director at Chevron, 3M and Condé Nast. She discusses her time in a variety of boardrooms with financial commentator and Portland senior advisor James Ashton, and the pair consider how good, balanced boards can help corporations run better in a complicated world.

Nicola Mendelsohn oversees the vast $100bn-a-year advertising business at Meta, the social media giant known until recently as Facebook. She is one of the most senior women in UK tech, now heading to New York to take up her new role. Business is booming for Meta, which also includes Instagram and Whatsapp, as it plots a push into virtual reality worlds. But so are critics' voices, especially after damaging leaks suggesting the group knew its products contributed to violence and mental health problems. Regulators are asking how it might take greater responsibility for what goes on on its platform, which boasts 1.9bn daily active users. Lady Mendelsohn joined Facebook in 2013 as vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa after 20 years in advertising, spent at firms including Karmarama, Grey and BBH. She joins James Ashton to discuss: Mark Zuckerberg's vision for the future and how he plans to lead Meta forward; The importance of asking questions and seeking mentors; Coping with cancer in a leadership role and why it's OK to show vulnerability; And thriving in a male-dominated advertising industry. For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton's book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available now

Laura Tenison is the always-on founder and CEO of JoJo Maman Bébé, the children's clothing, gifts and maternity wear chain which brightens dozens of UK high streets. The business now stretches to 88 shops, a strong online presence, 900 employees and an annual turnover of £70m. Laura joins James Ashton to discuss: The life-changing car accident that led to the foundation of her business in 1993; Rolling up her sleeves to join her warehouse workers during the Covid-19 pandemic; The mentorship she received from the Body Shop's Anita Roddick that informed JoJo's focus on sustainability; And the importance of supporting fellow entrepreneurs including through the everywoman platform. For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton's book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available now

Patrik Frisk is CEO of Under Armour, the US sportswear brand worn by top boxer Anthony Joshua, rugby star Maro Itoje and taekwondo champion Jade Jones that goes head-to-head with Nike and Adidas every day. Frisk joined UA in 2017 to help get it back on track after sales growth stuttered. He oversees a global team of 15,000 and annual revenue of $5bn. He joins James Ashton to discuss: Taking the helm from UA's long-serving founder Kevin Plank, who created his first T-shirt in 1996; What he learns from the athletes that have become UA brand ambassadors; Battling loneliness in leadership; His last job, running shoe brand Aldo, and earlier years spent at Timberland and North Face; And betting – and literally losing - the farm because of one of his business ventures flopped in his native Sweden. What are the lessons you take from failure? For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton's book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available now

James Ashton is an AACTA Award winning sound designer, known for his work on Lion (which he shared in the Best Sound award at the 2017 AACTA awards), Mortal Kombat, Tanna, and Justin Kurzel's latest film, Nitram. In this deep discussion about Nitram and Lion, James talks about his creative process, the art of building a soundscape, and how one of the most intense and powerful scenes in a film this year was sonically crafted. It was a genuine treat to be able to explore a different side of fimlmaking with James, and we wrap up this interview discussing what the future of sound design might be in Australia, highlighting the hopeful aspect of how having major Hollywood films like Mortal Kombat and Shang-Chi being made here will strengthen and showcase the excellent talent of Australian creatives. Make sure to see Nitram in cinemas from Sept 30th 2021, with an eventual release on Stan. down the line. Read Andrew's review of Nitramhere, and listen to Matthew Eeles from Cinema Australia interview Justin Kurzel and Shaun Grant here. Clips in this episode: Nitram trailer // Cannes first look at Nitram // Rider from True History of the Kelly Gang. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin is First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, overseeing more than 30,000 personnel and a fleet of aircraft carriers, assault ships, submarines and more designed to protect UK interests at sea. He joins James Ashton to discuss: The new investment and recruitment needed to tackle changing threats abroad; Taking life threatening decisions and fulfilling our duty in Afghanistan; His career so far, including three command tours of Iraq; The importance of not second guessing those above you; And how to enjoy the role without being intimidated by the Royal Navy's great legacy. Admiral Radakin was commissioned in 1990 and operational service has seen him on security duties in the Falklands and countering smuggling in Hong Kong and the Caribbean. Command positions have included the Iraqi Maritime Task Force, the Portsmouth Naval Base and NATO's High Readiness Maritime Component Commander. For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton's book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available now

A little more detail: The Pod 20, hosted by multi-award winning presenter, Graham Mack, is a weekly show featuring guest podcasters talking about their podcast, what they've been up to, what they've been listening to....and the top 20 podcasts according to Podcast Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What type of leader are you? Are you an Alpha or a Lover even? Top city journalist James Ashton has met hundreds of CEO's and has come up with nine, distinct, types that classify the species in an original, memorable and insightful way. In this episode we hear about tycoon Richard Desmond's transition from cigars to bananas and why people don't necessarily want the leader of the country to be the same type as the leader of their company. Get your copy of NINE TYPES OF LEADER HERE Join Bookomi HERE

Bill Sweeney is chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, English rugby's 150-year old governing body that oversees half a million regular players and strives for elite international success. Sweeney joins James Ashton to discuss: Bringing back the fans and steadying the finances in the wake of the Covid-19 closedown; Making your own luck on and off the pitch; Instilling a team ethic in the athletes who brought back a record medals haul from the Rio Olympics in 2016 when he led the British Olympic Association; What he learnt from working with Usain Bolt and the All Blacks during his time at Puma and Adidas and his hopes for future Rugby World Cup victories. Bill Sweeney was a junior footballer with Chelsea and played rugby for Aberdeenshire and Rosslyn Park before gaining corporate experience working for Shell, Mars and Unilever. His passion for sport saw him join Adidas, a supporter of Team GB at the Beijing and London Olympic Games, and later become head of business development at Puma. Sweeney was appointed chief executive of the BOA by Lord Coe in 2013, describing his decision to depart for the RFU in 2019 as “the only opportunity I would have left the BOA for”. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world's largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insight For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton's book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now

Katie Bickerstaffe is joint chief operating officer at Marks & Spencer. She is part of the top team tasked with reviving the retailer's clothing and home business while capitalising on the appeal of its expanding food operation and the shift towards shopping online. Bickerstaffe joins James Ashton to discuss: Her quest to make daily improvements to the business that still frustrates customers; Career confidence and experience gathered at Dixons, Dyson and SSE; How she makes a four-day week work; And why she believes M&S's new alumni network M&S Family will benefit both the business and its leadership. Bickerstaffe is a product of Unilever's graduate scheme but has also worked at PepsiCo, Dyson and the supermarket group Somerfield, where she became managing director at the age of 33. Spending a decade at electricals retailer Dixons, she led the UK and Ireland arm and bedded down a merger with Carphone Warehouse. Bickerstaffe had been a non-executive director at M&S since 2018. She became strategy and transformation director in 2020 and took on her current role in May 2021. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world's largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insight For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton's book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now

Poul Weihrauch is global president of Mars Petcare, the largest division of the family-owned food empire still best known for its chocolate bars and chewing gum. Selling brands including Whiskas and Pedigree, the business also runs thousands of pet hospitals and comprises a workforce of 85,000 operating across 55 countries. Weihrauch joins James Ashton to discuss: Keeping up with demand as pet ownership boomed during lockdown; Concerns over rip-off vets' fees; Navigating his way up through a global organisation that plans for the long term; The founding Mars family’s approach to leadership; And how taking his dog to work is good for business. Weihrauch began his career marketing chewing gum in his native Denmark and after six years with Nestlé arrived at Mars in 2000 as Snickers’ brand leader in Europe. Following a succession of broader roles, he joined the 110-year old American firm’s leadership team in 2011. Weihrauch took on his current petcare role in 2015, leading the $8bn acquisition of veterinary business VCA two years later. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insight For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now

Hilary McGrady is director-general of the National Trust, keeper of the nation’s treasures including the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, Sir Winston Churchill's family home Chartwell in Kent and Scafell Pike in the Lake District. With 5.5m members and more than 50,000 volunteers in normal times helping to keep stately homes, parks and coastline open and maintained, everyone has a view of what the boss should be doing. McGrady joins James Ashton to discuss: Her plan for recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, which cost the Trust a third of its revenues and resulted in 1500 redundancies; Inspiring members to do their bit to combat climate change; The very personal reason she joined the organisation in 2005; Lessons learnt from marketing whiskey and clashing with politicians in Northern Ireland earlier in her career still come in handy today. McGrady took the helm of the Trust in 2018, the first director-general to have worked her way up through the organisation. She previously worked for drinks firm Diageo, an arts charity and led Belfast’s unsuccessful bid to become Europe’s city of culture. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insightFor further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.comJames Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now

Darren Henley is chief executive of Arts Council England, the public body that distributes £700m every year to support galleries, theatres, museums, dance studios, music venues and libraries. He joins James Ashton to discuss the challenge of restarting the arts post-pandemic and their importance on the world stage. Henley’s background is in radio, having risen from weekend newsreader to managing director during 22 years at Classic FM. After leading reviews of music and cultural education for the government, he swapped the private for the public sector in 2015. At Arts Council England, Henley is treading a fine line by ploughing more taxpayer and National Lottery money into the regions without damaging London’s cultural gems including the Royal Opera House and Southbank Centre. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insight For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now

Moray MacLennan is chief executive of M&C Saatchi, one of the most famous names in advertising. He joins James Ashton to discuss taking over the reins at the start of 2021 at a critical time – after a boardroom exodus and accounting crisis rocked the business. MacLennan joined Saatchi & Saatchi in 1983 and followed the brothers Maurice and Charles when they set up their breakaway agency M&C in 1995. He made his name overseeing key accounts British Airways, Silk Cut and Famous Grouse whisky and in 2010 became worldwide CEO, building a global network of communications agencies operating in 30 countries. Now MacLennan must get the firm back on track and remake the working environment post-pandemic to get the best out of his creative team. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insight For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now

Writing a business book is a particularly visible form of leadership - how do you find the courage for that? In this week's look back through my most recent Extraordinary Business Book Club conversations, I uncover the principles, tactics and Jedi mind tricks that enabled these authors to find the courage to make their voices heard.  There'll be something here that you can use too, to make yourself a little bit braver and a little bit more likely to succeed.  Learn from:  Drew Ellis on taking risks in a manageable way Stephen Van Bellegham on sharing your story early Susanne Althoff on confidence for women The $7 Millionaire on sneaking past your inner critic Yetunde Hofmann on love-based research  Rob Kerr on the power of involving other people James Ashton on podcasting as a test bed Sara McCorquodale on not taking rejection personally Kathryn Bishop on focusing on the reader, not yourself. If there's a recipe for courage, this is it. 

James Ashton is a British financial journalist. He was City Editor and Executive Editor at the London Evening Standard and Independent titles and before that City Editor at The Sunday Times. He has also written for the Daily Mail, Reuters and the Scotsman, covering some of the biggest economic and corporate stories of recent times. He has produced hundreds of in-depth interviews featuring leaders of the Bank of England, Barclays, Tesco, Virgin, General Electric, Nestlé, Huawei, Anglo American and WeWork among others.   James joined me on the podcast to talk about his most recent book, "The 9 types of leader", available now on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08PPZ4GY7/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0 

Andy Silvester is joined by James Ashton, the Evening Standard's former City & Executive Editor, to discuss the latter's new book as well as the business landscape as we cautiously enter a post-Covid world.  James talks about his book The Nine Types of Leader as well as London's place in the new economic order. Andy is also joined by City A.M. reporter Poppy Wood, looking at the Government's roadmap for re-opening the UK economy.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston is Chief of the Air Staff, the leader of the Royal Air Force, defender of the UK skies. He joins James Ashton to talk about managing the fast-changing defence threat to the UK and leading through the toughest times when lives are lost. In 35 years of service, Sir Mike has flown at seven miles a minute in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. Now he’s trying to speed up the RAF’s adoption of new technologies – including unmanned aircraft – and he’s determined to improve culture and the diversity of his workforce. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insight For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now

Tech jobs are some of the most lucrative in the employment market, but there's a perception that they're only for the extremely tech-literate. In this episode, Saul Klein dispels that myth. A technology investor at venture capitalist firm LocalGlobe, Klein has backed a slew of British start-up successes, including LoveFilm, Improbable, TransferWise and Kazoo. In conversation with episode host James Ashton – a Financial Journalist and Senior Adviser at Portland – Klein also discusses how the UK can stay on top of Europe's tech industry, the "New Palo Alto", and how a £50 billion valuation has become the new £100 million valuation. Learn more about Portland here: https://portland-communications.com/

Are the rules that make powerful people powerful changing? Can they still bank on the old myth of the superhuman CEO or political leader? Business journalist from the Telegraph, Evening Standard and beyond James Ashton has just published The Nine Types Of Leader: How The Leaders Of Tomorrow Can Learn From The Leaders Of Today. He talks to Alex Andreou about how leadership is changing. “The pendulum has swung from alpha dominated populists to diplomats – from Trump to Biden.”“I hate these words like passion and authenticity – but a leader has to be believable.”“There are still plenty of arrogant thin-skinned leaders around, who need to be surrounded by people who just say the right thing”Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rachel and Simon speak with business journalist and author James Ashton. James was city editor and executive editor of the Evening Standard and Independent titles and before that city editor of the Sunday Times. He has also written for the Telegraph, Times, Daily Mail, Scotsman, Business AM and Reuters. His book “The Nine Types of Leader” chronicles the different categories of CEO he has encountered in over twenty years of journalism. We spoke to James about the art of the CEO interview, his book, and what it's like to move from working at a newspaper to working freelance. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Having interviewed hundreds of CEOs as a journalist, James Ashton started to notice some patterns. He got curious. In this fast-changing world, where leadership is more challenging than ever, what kinds of leaders have emerged and how do they respond to those challenges? A fascinating conversation about leadership itself, but also a practical glimpse into how a professional journalist organises and structures ideas to create a powerful book. 

Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia and Richard Harpin join James Ashton to discuss starting a business in a pandemic, coping in a crisis, long-term ambition and being kind to yourself. Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia is the founder and executive chair of Snoop, a banking app designed to help consumers save money on bills and day-to-day spending that recently raised £10m via crowdfunding. Dame Jayne-Anne spent six years at Norwich Union, before founding Virgin Direct and then Virgin One, which was acquired by Royal Bank of Scotland in 2001. Her next venture was challenger bank Virgin Money, which swallowed much of the collapsed Northern Rock. It listed on the stock exchange in 2014 and was bought by another lender, CYBG, in 2018. Richard Harpin is chief executive of Homeserve, the home repairs firm that helps more than 8m customers worldwide with burst pipes and heating breakdowns and runs the Checkatrade tradespeople website. He founded the firm in 1993 as a joint venture with South Staffordshire Group and successfully revived the business after it was hit with a giant £31m fine for mis-selling in 2014. Harpin’s business training came through Procter & Gamble’s brand management programme and a stint as a management consultant at Deloitte. Now he backs entrepreneurs by investing in promising start-ups. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insight For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now.

Stephen Kelly and Chris Yeh join James Ashton to discuss what UK tech leaders can learn from Silicon Valley – and vice versa. Plus, how to harness the sector’s current growth spurt and the relentless reinvention of successful bosses including Oracle’s Larry Ellison, Airbnb’s Brian Chesky and Marc Benioff of Salesforce. Stephen Kelly is chairman of Tech Nation, the state-backed organisation that supports the growth of the UK’s most promising technology firms. Set up in 2014, Tech Nation speaks out on behalf of the sector and runs training and skills programmes for young leaders, as well as a fast-track visa scheme. Until 2018, Kelly was chief executive of the FTSE 100 software company Sage. He has also served as chief operating officer for the UK Government, driving the efficiency and reform programme. He led two more tech companies - Micro Focus and Nasdaq-listed Chordiant Software – and spent nine years at Oracle earlier in his career. Chris Yeh is a Silicon Valley-based author, investor, speaker and mentor. Along with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman he wrote Blitzscaling, a book that explains how world-changing companies including Amazon and Alibaba were built. Yeh co-founded the Global Scaling Academy to guide start-up founders. He has worked with hundreds of companies and entrepreneurs since switching away from product design which he studied at Stanford University. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insight For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now.

A RINGSIDE SEAT ON SOME OF THE BIGGEST DEALS AND BIGGEST PERSONALITIES IN BUSINESS AND GLOBAL POLITICS. FTSE is an account of how a small start-up created by the Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange launched in the mid 1980s to provide financial information, became a world leader and one of the UK's most trusted and famous brands. It chronicles how the FTSE 100 was born and details the ferocious dealmaking that followed over 35 years of market boom and bust. It provides a ringside seat on some of the biggest deals and biggest personalities in business and global politics. There have been behind-the-scenes rows with chief executives of some of the world's largest companies, political in-fighting, diplomatic incidents, and even controversy over a pioneering push into responsible investing that began life as a conversation with James Bond actor Roger Moore. FTSE is a modern British brand recognised the world over, like the Royal Family, the BBC or Sir Richard Branson's Virgin empire. They are just four letters on an electronic ticker tape, but FTSE has become a byword for money, power, influence and - crucially after numerous financial crises - trust. How this organisation, FTSE International, brought order to the financial system over several decades is a story of how capitalism globalised and a data revolution transformed the investment industry. It is a story of how a team of British innovators seized an opportunity to build a business that today leads its field and guides the fortunes of an astonishing $16 trillion of funds. It is a story that Mark Makepeace, as the founding Chief Executive of FTSE International, knows better than anybody.

Javed Khan and Simon Levine join James Ashton to discuss tough decision-making caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, prejudice at work and inspirational role models. Javed Khan is chief executive of Barnardo’s, one of the UK’s largest charities which supports over 350,000 vulnerable children, families and carers each year. With roots going back to 1867, Barnardo’s today has 700 shops, 8,000 staff and 14,000 volunteers looking after children who have suffered from abuse or violence. The impact of Covid-19 on retail and fundraising means it must cut back some services. Khan trained as a maths teacher, entering local government at Birmingham City Council and then becoming director of education at Harrow Council. After a civil service secondment, he was appointed chief executive of Victim Support in 2010 and has led Barnardo’s since 2014. Simon Levine is global co-CEO of the law firm DLA Piper, which has lawyers in more than 40 countries and revenues last year in excess of £2bn. DLA’s clients include nearly half of the FTSE 350, governments and public sector bodies. Levine’s expertise lies in intellectual property, media and sports law. He has advised pop stars and film studio heads in a 30-year career. He joined DLA in 2005 from Denton Wilde Sapte and was elected to lead by partners in 2015. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insight For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now.

Ewan Venters and Rita Clifton join James Ashton to discuss retail under pressure, tackling self doubt, the importance of kindness and knowing when it’s the right time to move on. Ewan Venters is chief executive of Fortnum & Mason, the Queen’s grocer which was founded in 1707 and is famous for its luxury hampers, teas and preserves. In charge since 2012, Venters has boosted online delivery and opened new stores in Hong Kong and Heathrow Airport, but the Covid-19 pandemic has dealt trading a severe blow. Venters spent a decade at Sainsbury’s, starting out on the management trainee programme, later running the food and internet operations at department store Selfridges. In 2021, he will become chief executive of Hauser & Wirth, the contemporary art gallery group. Rita Clifton is a branding expert, non-executive director, speaker and author. She was vice chairman and strategy director at the advertising group Saatchi & Saatchi before joining Interbrand, the global brand consultancy, as London CEO and later chairman. In 2013, Clifton became co-founder and chair of the business consultancy BrandCap, which was later sold to its managers. She is a non-executive director at Nationwide Building Society and Ascential, and formerly Asos and Bupa. Her leadership book, Love Your Imposter, demonstrates how people can take on their imposter self and use it to come out stronger. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insight For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now.

Sir Ciarán Devane and Kate Lee join James Ashton to discuss communicating in a crisis, diplomacy at work and when personal and professional lives collide.Sir Ciarán Devane is chief executive of the British Council, the organisation which projects the UK’s image on the world. Since 1934 it has aimed to forge trust and understanding with other countries through arts and education programmes, and is the number one specialist English language teacher. Last year the British Council reached almost one billion people with its work and employs a staff of 12,000.Sir Ciarán began his career as an engineer and manager for chemicals group ICI before becoming a management consultant. He changed direction in 2007 when he was appointed chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, the charity that helped care for his late wife, before taking over at the British Council in 2015.Kate Lee is chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, the leading UK charity which supports more than 200,000 people with dementia every year. She took the helm in 2020 at short notice and with crises brewing as her predecessor departed early and national lockdown loomed.Lee had to rebuild morale and is now campaigning for better family access to dementia sufferers in care homes – which includes her own mother.She spent 14 years at the British Red Cross, rising to become director of strategy. For five years until 2020 she was chief executive of the cancer charity Clic Sargent. Leading is supported by Lockton, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent insurance broker. Lockton's independence means its 8,000 associates worldwide are free to focus solely on their clients' risk and insurance needs. To hear more from Lockton experts, please visit locktoninternational.com/gb/insightFor further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.comJames Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now.

Navina Evans joins James Ashton to discuss life leading a key division of the NHS, the challenge of attracting and retaining a giant workforce, why she kept treating patients after becoming chief executive - and overcoming workplace sexism even after rising to the top.Navina Evans is chief executive of Health Education England, a unit of the NHS that plans, recruits, educates and trains the health workforce of the future.Currently there are more than 160,000 NHS students including doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics and physiotherapists but Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic has made the staffing challenge more acute.Before joining HEE in 2020, Evans spent 25 years at the NHS’s East London Foundation Trust, starting her career as a psychiatrist, working her way up to clinical director and becoming chief executive in August 2016. James Ashton’s book The Nine Type of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now.Find out more about this series @leadingpod or at leadingpod.com

LEADING talks to leaders at the top of a wide range of organisations to discover how they learnt to lead, the big decisions they’ve taken and the advice they offer to others.From the worlds of business, charity, the arts, sport, technology and healthcare, CEOs share their take on leading vital causes, famous brand names, multi-million-pound enterprises and fast-growing start-ups. The podcast is presented by the journalist James Ashton.This time, hear from Claire Horton, chief executive of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the London institution that has cared for more than three million animals since it was set up in 1860. Last year it helped over 5,000 dogs and cats across three centres and is braced for a post-lockdown surge in activity.Battersea has campaigned successfully for the introduction of Lucy’s Law which has made it illegal for anyone other than a breeder to sell puppies or kittens commercially.Horton worked at the NSPCC early in her career. She was also chief executive of the University of Warwick Students’ Union and chief operating officer at the Variety Club of Great Britain before taking the helm at Battersea in 2010.She is joined on the podcast by James Mason, who became chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire at the beginning of 2020. The tourism body is dedicated to driving visitors back to the region post-pandemic to boost an industry that is worth £9bn a year in better times.Its greatest hits include attracting the Tour de France to Yorkshire in 2014, but Mason must rebuild trust among the councils and businesses that fund it after his predecessor quit following concerns over spending and the treatment of staff.He spent 12 years as a broadcast journalist before becoming chief operating officer at Bradford City Football Club and also held the same role at the sports agency First Point USA.James Ashton’s book The Nine Type of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now. Find out more about this series @leadingpod or at leadingpod.com

LEADING talks to leaders at the top of a wide range of organisations to discover how they learnt to lead, the big decisions they’ve taken and the advice they offer to others. From the worlds of business, charity, the arts, sport, technology and healthcare, CEOs share their take on leading vital causes, famous brand names, multi-million-pound enterprises and fast-growing start-ups. The podcast is presented by the journalist James Ashton. Tony Danker joins James Ashton as he is about to take on one of the biggest jobs in British business: director-general of the CBI, the leading business lobby group that speaks on behalf of 190,000 firms employing nearly seven million people. Danker spent three years building from scratch Be the Business, an organisation designed to drive up the UK’s poor productivity record that has so far put 5,000 SME leaders through its programmes. Earlier in his career, he was international director and then chief strategy officer at Guardian News & Media and a government policy advisor. In this episode, he discusses hopes that the Covid-19 pandemic could actually kickstart productivity, why he wanted to become the voice of UK business at such a “grave moment”, the importance of coaching others and why the consulting firm McKinsey – where Danker spent a decade - is such an effective CEO training ground. James Ashton’s book The Nine Type of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available to order now. Find out more about this series @leadingpod or at leadingpod.com

This month's JSA Virtual Roundtable, panelists discussed the dangerous challenges and obstacles in preparing networks for hurricane season. Watch now to hear these industry-leading executives' tips on this hurricane season's network preparedness. The virtual roundtable features Denis Lindsay, Cambridge MC as the moderator and panelists, Rudolph Gordon-Seymour of Telecom Sans Frontieres, Rosa White of DRFortress, Mike Licitra of Stream Data Centers, James Ashton of 365 Data Centers.SUBSCRIBE to JaymieScottoTV for the latest Telecom News: https://www.youtube.com/JaymieScottoTV HOMEPAGE: http://www.jsa.net LIKE JaymieScottoTV on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/JaymieScottoandAssociates FOLLOW JaymieScottoTV on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jsatv

Writing a book? Let literary agent Peter Cox and his friends from the publishing industry - and from Litopia Writers’ Colony - review your submission live! Make a Pop-Up Submission here: https://litopia.com/subs/ Featured on this edition of Pop-Up Submissions… "She's on Pointe" - young adult sport romance from Lucy Carey; "Magnus MacLeod and the Devil's Coin" - paranormal detective mystery from James Ashton; "A Night's Beckoning" - supernatural thriller/urban fantasy from Brent Turner; "Unsung" - ya fantasy/sci-fi from Kathryn Rossati; "Hylopath" - psychological suspense from Michaël Wertenberg. Subscribe to Litopia's channel on YouTube and join us live in the Litopia chat room every Sunday at 5pm UK. Make Your Pop-Up Submission here! The winner of each show is immortalised here: https://litopia.com/winners. Watch Pop-Ups on YouTube Litopia is the net's oldest and best community for writers. For two decades, we've brought writers together from all over the globe. We serve each and every member's needs... social, business, professional and beyond. If you're serious about your writing, do join us.

Writing a book? Let literary agent Peter Cox and his friends from the publishing industry - and from Litopia Writers’ Colony - review your submission live! Make a Pop-Up Submission here: https://litopia.com/subs/ Featured on this edition of Pop-Up Submissions… "She's on Pointe" - young adult sport romance from Lucy Carey; "Magnus MacLeod and the Devil's Coin" - paranormal detective mystery from James Ashton; "A Night's Beckoning" - supernatural thriller/urban fantasy from Brent Turner; "Unsung" - ya fantasy/sci-fi from Kathryn Rossati; "Hylopath" - psychological suspense from Michaël Wertenberg. Subscribe to Litopia's channel on YouTube and join us live in the Litopia chat room every Sunday at 5pm UK. Make Your Pop-Up Submission here! The winner of each show is immortalised here: https://litopia.com/winners. Watch Pop-Ups on YouTube Litopia is the net's oldest and best community for writers. For two decades, we've brought writers together from all over the globe. We serve each and every member's needs... social, business, professional and beyond. If you're serious about your writing, do join us.

In another lockdown episode, Richard Parry joins James Ashton to discuss safeguarding staff and visitors, developing new income streams and swapping commercial for charitable leadership at the helm of one of the UK’s largest not-for-profit organisations. Richard Parry is chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, the charity that looks after 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales. He became leader in 2013, a year after the organisation was created to replace the state-run British Waterways. Today the trust welcomes 4m regular visitors and 35,000 licensed boats to its estate, which is maintained by 1700 staff and 3000 volunteers. Previously, Parry spent 19 years working at London Underground - where he was acting managing director for a year - followed by a brief spell at the transport company FirstGroup. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

In another lockdown episode, Matthew Chamberlain joins James Ashton to discuss trading through the crisis, swapping an investment banking career to become CEO and respecting tradition at his 143-year old organisation. Matthew Chamberlain is chief executive of the London Metal Exchange, a City institution since 1877 that last year traded $13.5 trillion of metals including aluminium, copper and zinc. After financial roles at Citibank, Perella Weinberg and UBS, Chamberlain joined the LME in 2012 as head of strategy and implementation following its acquisition by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing – a deal he advised on. He took the top job in 2017 at the age of 34. In normal times the LME operates the Ring, the last open outcry trading floor in Europe, which sets prices for metals supply contracts all over the world. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

In another lockdown episode, Martin Houghton-Brown joins James Ashton to discuss battling Covid-19, dealing with the latest financial pressures, reorganising for the future and finding time and space to switch off.Martin Houghton-Brown is the chief executive of St John Ambulance, the medical charity that has been saving lives since 1877 and gives vital support to the NHS.In 2018 it gave first aid training to 382,000 people in schools and workplaces and treated 104,000 people taken ill at 22,000 events across the UK.Houghton-Brown previously led Depaul UK, a charity that helps the homeless and disadvantaged, and before that Missing People. He was also deputy director at the Children's Society. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

In this special lockdown episode, Evelyn Bourke joins James Ashton to discuss leading through crisis, working closely with the NHS, the future of healthcare and early career failure. Evelyn Bourke is the chief executive of Bupa, the private healthcare insurer and provider with 33m customers and clinics, dental centres, hospitals and care homes in major markets such as the UK, Australia and Spain. Founded in 1947, the private company does not have shareholders and reinvests profits in the business which employs 83,000 people. Bourke joined the group as finance director in 2012 and took over the top job in 2016. An actuary by training, she has held leadership or finance roles at several financial services groups including Friends Provident, Standard Life, Chase de Vere and Bank of Ireland. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Kevin Ellis and Matthew Shaw join James Ashton to discuss trust in business, audit quality, shattering hierarchy and lifelong learning. This episode was recorded before the coronavirus lockdown. Kevin Ellis is UK chairman and senior partner of PwC, the largest of the professional services firms which advises on tax, company audit, restructuring, technology and deals. PwC employs 22,000 people. Last year revenues rose to £4.2bn. Ellis joined the firm in 1984, specialising in insolvency work. He was elected leader in 2016 and has just been re-elected, taking his tenure through to 2024. Key challenges include diversifying the workforce and tackling government and regulatory concerns over audit quality. Matthew Shaw is chief executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), the famous London institution that has been dedicated to children’s healthcare since its creation in 1852. Last year its 5000 staff plus 1000 volunteers cared for 260,000 patients across 50 areas of specialist care. Shaw took up the role in late 2018. Joining GOSH as medical director, the consultant spinal surgeon was formerly medical director at Bupa Health Services and deputy chief executive and transformation director of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Lynda Thomas and Elizabeth Kiss join James Ashton to discuss supporting the NHS, funding future leaders, career pivots and imposter syndrome. This episode was recorded before the coronavirus lockdown. Lynda Thomas is the chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, one of the most trusted charities in the UK. Macmillan is famous for its 6000 nurses who care for thousands of people coping with cancer. It also campaigns for better NHS cancer provision. In 2018 the charity raised £231m and supported 1.9m people. Thomas joined Macmillan as joint head of media in 2001, becoming director of external affairs, director of fundraising and finally chief executive in 2015. She began her career in consumer PR but after starting a family changed direction and volunteered with NCH Action for Children. Elizabeth Kiss is chief executive of the Rhodes Trust, the organisation which runs one of the best-known scholarship programmes in the world. Set up 1903 through the will of businessman Cecil Rhodes, every year it enables 100 outstanding international students to study second or post graduate degrees at Oxford University. Well-known Rhodes Scholars include former US president Bill Clinton and Malcolm Turnbull, the ex-Australian prime minister. Kiss, who joined the Trust in 2018, aims to expand and internationalise the scheme, which costs £16m a year to operate. The philosopher was previously president of the liberal arts-led Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Georgia for 12 years, and a Rhodes Scholar in 1983. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Chris Jones and Chris Grigg join James Ashton to discuss battling adversity, Olympic legacy and fixing company culture. Chris Jones is chief executive of England Athletics, the sporting organisation that supports over 1500 affiliated running clubs which count more than 180,000 registered athletes between them. England Athletics recruits and supports coaches, officials and other volunteers with the aim of broadening participation in the sport. Jones joined in 2006 as head of strategy and took the top job in 2012. He leads a team of 60 staff. Earlier in his career he was a Sport England senior development manager and has worked in local government and secondary education. Chris Grigg is chief executive of British Land, the £12bn FTSE 100 property empire that spans the Paddington and Broadgate mixed-use developments in London and investments in Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre and Drake Circus in Plymouth. Grigg has led the company for 11 years, taking charge during the financial crisis, tackling tough times in the retail industry and moving into flexible workspaces. Before property, he was in banking, leading Barclays’ commercial bank. Earlier in his career he spent 20 years at investment bank Goldman Sachs. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Back in 2016, economists said Brexit was unlikely to happen and the media reported that Hillary Clinton was a safe bet for the US presidency. Since then, it's fair to say that world events have taken an unexpected turn. But why didn't we see it coming? Did the experts really get it wrong or are we being unfair? In an ever evolving business and economic landscape, is certainty now a thing of the past? Is there any point in making predictions at all? This week George and Lizzie are joined by leading business journalist, James Ashton, and Deloitte's chief economist, Ian Stewart, to find the answer to our latest big question: why do the experts keep getting it wrong?   Tune in to find out why: Economists just want to be popular Ian thinks forecasts are an expression of hope George reads a lot of children's literature We're all swimming in a river of fake news   Hosts: George Parrett and Lizzie Elston Guests: Ian Stewart and James Ashton Technical support: Deloitte's Creative Studio Original music: Ali Barrett  

Mark Livingstone and Geeta Nanda join James Ashton to discuss their biggest challenges, merger tactics, building a team and getting lucky. Mark Livingstone is chief executive of Pharmacy2U, the online prescription delivery company that despatches 1.2m medicines direct to patients every month. Livingstone has led the Leeds-based company since 2016 when it merged with ChemistDirect.co.uk, his previous venture. In a career spent growing start-ups, he was chief executive of the Scoot business directory, a founding investor in snacks-by-mail firm Graze and involved in DVD delivery start-up LoveFilm. Earlier on, Livingstone was head of buying for Woolworths and managing director for Lego Interactive. Geeta Nanda is chief executive of Metropolitan Thames Valley, one of the UK’s largest housing associations that traces its roots back to providing affordable homes for the Windrush generation. Created through a merger last year, the group is landlord to 57,000 homes, adding 2,000 new properties a year. It employs 1800 staff. Nanda previously ran the Thames Valley housing association for a decade and before that was operations director at the Notting Hill Housing Trust. Her career began on the graduate training programme at Wandsworth Council in south London. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Clare Gilmartin and Chris Hirst join James Ashton to discuss fostering creativity, staying resilient and reinventing yourself at Harvard. Clare Gilmartin is chief executive of Trainline, the fast-growing rail and coach app that processes more than £3bn of tickets every year across 45 countries. This year she led the technology company onto the stock market, 22 years after it was set up by a Virgin Trains-led consortium. Trainline is headquartered in London and employs 600 people. Gilmartin joined the business in 2014 after spending 11 years at online retailer eBay, rising from head of motors to European vice-president. Chris Hirst is chief executive of Havas Creative Network, part of the Havas advertising and communications group. He oversees 8500 staff around the world who work on campaigns for clients including Nestlé, IBM and Huawei. Hirst previously ran Havas in the UK and Europe, having joined the business in 2015. Earlier on in his career he was chief executive of another advertising agency, Grey London. This year he published a book entitled No Bullshit Leadership. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Alice Bentinck and Beccy Speight join James Ashton to discuss campaigning conservation, fashioning leaders from founders and megalomaniac tendencies. Alice Bentinck is the co-founder of Entrepreneur First, a venture that turns talented individuals into entrepreneurs. Since it began in 2011, more than 1,200 people have been through the EF programme, creating 230 start-ups worth a collective $1.5bn. Bentinck began her career at the consulting firm McKinsey and chose founding EF over a job at Google. She also set up Code First: Girls, a charity that has taught 5,000 girls to computer code for free while at university. Beccy Speight became chief executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds earlier this year. The RSPB is the largest conservation organisation in Europe, with more than 1.2m members, over 2,000 employees and around 12,000 volunteers. It maintains over 200 nature reserves which are home to 80pc of the UK’s rarest or most threatened bird species. Speight joined the 130-year old charity from the Woodland Trust where she had been chief executive since 2014. Prior to that she spent 14 years at the National Trust, rising to become director for the Midlands region. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

John Vincent and Craig Hassall join James Ashton to discuss putting on a show, screwing up, finding the right mentor and how to tackle US expansion. John Vincent is co-founder and chief executive of Leon, the healthy fast food chain whose hot chicken boxes and plant-based burgers have reinvented lunchtime for city workers since it opened its doors 15 years ago. Leon has more than 50 outlets in the UK and employs 1600 staff. With annual sales of close to £100m, now Vincent is eyeing expansion in the United States. His first taste of entrepreneurship was running an entertainment production company at university, before working at groceries giant Procter & Gamble and spending seven years as a consultant at Bain. Craig Hassall is chief executive of the Royal Albert Hall, one of London’s iconic venues that is nearing its 150th birthday in 2021. Every year it hosts 400 performances in its main auditorium including the Proms season, Cirque du Soleil and the Teenage Cancer Trust’s concert week. The hall turned over £32m last year and welcomed 1.7m visitors. Hassall ran the English National Ballet from 2005 and after that, Opera Australia. He was in charge of special events and festivals for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Dame Alison Nimmo and Amanda Wakeley join James Ashton to discuss juggling responsibilities, the power of coaching, trusting your team and putting your name over the door. Dame Alison Nimmo is chief executive the Crown Estate, a diverse £14bn property portfolio that plays landlord to high-end retailers along London’s Regent Street as well as offshore wind farms along the coastline. The estate is owned by the Queen but independently managed and a portion of its profits fund the Royal Family. Dame Alison’s career is rooted in regeneration, leading the team that rebuilt Manchester city centre after the 1996 bombing. As design director for the Olympic Delivery Authority, she was responsible for radical structures such as the aquatics centre and the velodrome that played host to the 2012 London Olympics. Amanda Wakeley is the founder and creative director of the luxury clothing brand Amanda Wakeley which embraces ready-to-wear, handbags and accessories and a renowned wedding dress collection. Founded in 1990, the brand attracted early fans in the late Princess of Wales and Queen Rania of Jordan. Run from a flagship boutique in Mayfair, today its designs are worn by Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and Michelle Obama. Wakeley is a spokesperson on fashion and wellbeing matters, as well as a breast cancer fundraiser. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Jack Buckner and Peter Simpson join James Ashton to discuss learning from the approach of top athletes, developing a winning culture and the power of long service. Jack Buckner is chief executive of British Swimming, the elite aquatics governing body going for gold at the Olympics and other international competitions. Buckner works closely with the home nations’ swimming organisations to find and train the next Adam Peaty and Tom Daley, as well as encouraging mass participation in swimming and diving. Buckner has also experienced the Olympics as a competitor. He was a leading 5,000-metre runner and early campaigner against drug abuse in sport. Turning to administration, he held senior roles at Sport England and led the British Triathlon Federation. Peter Simpson is chief executive of Anglian Water, the biggest water provider in England and Wales by geography which serves more than six million customers between the Humber and Thames estuaries and employs 5,000 staff. Since taking day-to-day control of the business in 2004, Simpson must balance the demands of customers, shareholders and the environment. He joined Anglian in 1989 - before water industry privatisation - and ran overseas offshoots in the Czech Republic and USA. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Mark Evans and Stuart Murphy join James Ashton to discuss coping in a crisis, the myth of creativity, keeping connected and standing your round. Mark Evans is chief executive of O2, the mobile phone giant with 33m customer connections and 6,700 staff that range from contact centre workers to network engineers. His mission is to keep up with multiplying customer demand for internet access on the move. That means sinking £2m a day into O2’s network and introducing 5G technology to soup up speeds. After holding finance roles at cable group NTL and Vodafone, rugby fan Evans joined O2’s owner Telefónica in 2012 and was promoted to his current role in 2016. Stuart Murphy is chief executive of English National Opera, a fixture in London’s West End for more than 50 years that prides itself on making opera accessible to all. On his watch, audience attendance is up 11% year-on-year, there are free tickets for under-18s and enthusiastic fans have started booing the baddies. Starting out as a BBC teaboy, Murphy was a TV channel controller at 26, launching BBC Three in 2003 where he commissioned shows ranging from Gavin and Stacey to medical drama Bodies. Murphy joined Sky in 2009 to run entertainment channel Sky One and later Sky Atlantic, bringing Modern Family and Game of Thrones to UK TV screens. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Sir Jeremy Farrar and Nick Pearson join James Ashton to discuss taking risks, campaigning voices and making a difference in the world’s wellbeing. Sir Jeremy Farrar is director of the Wellcome Trust, the British medical charity that spends close to £1bn every year to improve global health through research and education funded by a £26bn endowment. Wellcome has spent 25 years unravelling the human genome and has also been involved in breakthroughs that track the inner workings of the brain, diagnose prostate cancer and tackle ebola outbreaks. Before joining Wellcome six years ago, Farrar was the director of Oxford University’s Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam where his research interests were infectious diseases and tropical health. Nick Pearson is chief executive of Parkrun, a sporting movement that began life as a free five-kilometre time trial in south west London 15 years ago. It’s still free but now 300,000 runners of all abilities take part in events across 21 countries every weekend. Pearson was an elite runner and has 25 years’ experience in the sports industry. He used to run Sweatshop, an independent sports retailer set up by London Marathon co-founder Chris Brasher. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Polly Neate and Alice Black join James Ashton to discuss delighting visitors, the joy of campaigning, forever fundraising and the importance of self-knowledge. Polly Neate is the chief executive of housing charity Shelter which last year helped 4.7m people struggling with homelessness and bad housing.Shelter has successfully campaigned to improve tenants’ rights and is still pressing for greater provision of social housing.Originally a journalist, Neate joined the charity sector in 2005 at Action for Children, later leading Women’s Aid for four years and taking over at Shelter in 2017. Alice Black is co-director of the Design Museum, the West London institution dedicated to celebrating the impact of design on everyday life.The relocation to Kensington three years ago tripled space for exhibitions that have featured Stanley Kubrick and Ferrari and the Design Museum was named European Museum of the Year in 2018.Black began her career in banking but her experience in museums includes senior roles at the Imperial War Museum and the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms.She was appointed deputy director of the Design Museum in 2007 and co-director in 2016. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Peter Jackson and Michael Gidney join James Ashton to discuss digital transformation, personal development, empowering their people and switching from non-executive to CEO of the same organisation. Peter Jackson is the chief executive of Flutter Entertainment, the newly renamed FTSE 100 gaming company whose trading brands including Paddy Power, Betfair and Fanduel. The group employs 8,000 people in 16 offices around the world and last year handled 3bn punters’ transactions. As tougher regulation bites at home, Jackson is pursuing expansion overseas, namely trying to build a winning position in the US where sports betting is being legalised. Earlier in his career he worked in consumer banking at HBOS and Lloyds, led foreign exchange company Travelex and Worldpay UK, the payment processing firm. Michael Gidney is chief executive of the Fairtrade Foundation, the UK arm of a global movement that fights poverty by promoting better terms of trade for 1.7m farmers around the globe. Its blue and green logo is a familiar sight on supermarket shelves, certifying 4,500 product lines including bananas, coffee, flowers and tea. In recent years some partners such as Sainsburys and chocolate maker Mondelez have developed their own ethical certification schemes, forcing Fairtrade to rethink its approach. Gidney joined the staff as deputy chief executive in 2009 and was made chief executive in 2012. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Joe Gordon and Mark Skipper join James Ashton to discuss keeping up with customer expectation, battling budget cuts, riding your luck and the excitement of opening night. Joe Gordon is the head of First Direct, a trailblazing phone bank when it launched 30 years ago. Part of HSBC, today it has 1.5m customers largely transacting on the internet and smartphone and gearing up for the open banking revolution that could see it recommend insurance and energy deals alongside savings accounts and mortgages. Gordon was unloading carrots as a Sainsbury’s graduate trainee only 15 years ago. After several years at BT, he took over the running of HSBC’s call centres in 2015, moving to First Direct two years later. Mark Skipper is the chief executive of Northern Ballet, the Leeds-based touring company that popularises ballet through more than 200 performances every year in towns and cities across the UK. Dracula, Queen Victoria, Jane Eyre, the Little Mermaid and Casanova have all had the Northern Ballet treatment. Skipper has spent 32 years at the company, joining as deputy stage manager in 1987 and taking the top job in 1996. During his tenure he has carved out new income streams as state funding has fallen, experimented with beaming ballet into cinemas and become a leading voice for the arts outside London. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Julie Maxton and Robin Mortimer join James Ashton to discuss the art of problem solving, tracking public opinion, natural leadership insecurity and keeping maritime traditions alive. Julie Maxton is executive director of the Royal Society, which has existed since the 1660s to promote and support excellence in science. Past presidents include Sir Christopher Wren, Samuel Pepys and Sir Isaac Newton. Today among its 1500 fellows are 74 Nobel laureates. In support of the next generation the Society spends almost £100m a year on research grants. Maxton became the first woman in 350 years to hold her post when she was appointed in 2011. Prior to that, she was the registrar of Oxford University – and the first woman in that role too. Robin Mortimer is chief executive of the Port of London Authority, the 95-mile tidal stretch that runs from Teddington Lock to the North Sea. Trade through its 70 independently-owned and operated terminals that include Canvey Island, London Gateway and Tilbury hit a 10-year high last year. But Mortimer is not just interested in cargo. His Thames Vision also aims to double the number of commuters and tourists that travel by river as well as making room for sport and recreation. Twenty years spent in the civil service means he should know how to keep numerous stakeholders happy. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

John Holland-Kaye and Kate Mavor join James Ashton to discuss investing in the past, building for the future, being yourself as the boss, changing staff culture and selling the best cake. John Holland-Kaye is the chief executive of Heathrow, the UK’s largest airport through which more than 80m passengers passed last year. It’s no slouch at cargo either, handling about £130bn of goods annually. If all goes according to plan, Heathrow should become significantly larger in 2026 when a third runway opens after years of political to-ing and fro-ing and significant opposition. Holland-Kaye is used to big building projects. He oversaw development of Heathrow’s new Terminal 2 which opened in 2014, the year he got the top job. Kate Mavor is the chief executive of English Heritage, the protector some of the country’s oldest historical sites and monuments including Stonehenge, Dover Castle and Hadrian’s Wall. She joined in 2015 when the organisation gained charitable status and began the countdown to 2023 when its government funding will disappear. On Mavor’s watch, English Heritage now has more than 1m members and recorded 6.5m visits to its main sites last year. She was formerly the chief executive of the National Trust for Scotland and earlier in her career led a management buyout of the interpreting service, Language Line. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Amanda Mackenzie and Matt Hyde join James Ashton to discuss promoting better business behaviour, mobilising a volunteer force, magpieing great ideas and showing some vulnerability. Amanda Mackenzie is the chief executive of Business in the Community - The Prince of Wales’ Responsible Business Network. Its 700 members seek to do business better - whether that is helping the environment, their own staff, or society at large. If they get it right, they might even boost levels of public trust in large enterprise. Mackenzie has over 25 years of commercial experience, including director roles at British Airways Airmiles, BT and British Gas. She joined Aviva as chief marketing officer to change its name from Norwich Union. Matt Hyde is chief executive of the Scouts, the fast-growing youth movement with 640,000 members in the UK. While for some adventurer Bear Grylls is the organisation’s public face as the Chief Scout, Hyde has spent the last six years working on strategies that have developed the Scouts far beyond their campfire heritage. A Million Hands has reasserted the Scouts’ strength in volunteering while Skills for Life has taught youngster about teamwork and leadership. Hyde was formerly chief executive of the National Union of Students. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

Paul Farmer and Paul Geddes join James Ashton to discuss staying in touch with the frontline, respecting the past, picking the right mentor and the importance of leaders’ own wellbeing. Paul Geddes is the outgoing chief executive of Direct Line, the £5bn insurance group whose brands include Churchill, Privilege and Green Flag. In a decade at the wheel, Geddes has demerged the business from its former parent company Royal Bank of Scotland, overseen a successful stock market flotation and grown the firm so that today it insures one in six cars on the road and 2.6m homes. His background is in marketing, starting with Procter & Gamble then as marketing chief for retailers Comet and Argos. As the chief executive of Mind, the leading mental health charity, Paul Farmer has seen how we feel and the permission to talk about it become a mainstay of the national conversation. Contributions by Mind’s president Stephen Fry to Ruby Wax and the Royal Family mean that mental health has never had a higher profile. For Farmer, who has run the organisation since 2006, it has led to record income of £48m last year – meaning he can help many more of the one in four people that experience a mental health problem annually. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

In this new series of the Better Angels podcast, Sarah Brown is exploring how different personality types call for change. In this episode of the series, Sarah speaks to a range of guests about the new styles of campaigning, ones that look different to what we usually see and don’t always start with big budgets. These campaigns are often down to one person, affected in a personal way, which can launch some of the most innovative ideas. First we hear from James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand, co-founders of Oscar’s Book Prize, an annual prize for the best books written for under-fives, awarded each year in memory of Oscar Ashton. Sarah talks to James and Viveka about their young son Oscar, who passed away 2012 when he was three and a half years old and how Oscar’s Book Prize has grown over its six years of operation. Next, Sarah speaks with Ivan Rosales, a campaigner whose own immigration status gave him insight into the experiences of those living in limbo right now in the United States, as undocumented young people. Using his experience, he founded the New York State Leadership Council, an organisation that empowers immigrant youth to drop the fear and challenge the American immigration system.  Sarah then speaks with Carys Afoko, co-founder of Level Up, a new feminist organisation launched at the start of 2018, with a mission to build a community of feminists who can work together to end sexism in the UK. Paul Divakar, a renowned Dalit activist and former General Secretary of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, based in Delhi, speaks with Sarah about a personal trauma that inspired him to act. Finally we hear from Kirsty Mcneill, Executive Director of Policy, Advocacy and Change at Save the Children, who is leading teams to galvanise the public and influence policy makers on humanitarian action, global development and help for children here in the UK.

David Sproul and Kate Collins join James Ashton to discuss humanising tough decisions, being elected as leader, retaining a maverick spirit and making staff talk in the lift. David Sproul is senior partner and chief executive of Deloitte, one of the Big Four accounting firms that offers a multitude of services to companies including audit, tax, deals advice and consulting. Coming to the end of his time in charge, Sproul has increased sales eight years running, but is among leaders who have failed to dispel concerns over audit quality and conflicts of interest in the profession. Sproul joined Arthur Andersen’s tax division in 1984 and negotiated the sale of the UK practice to Deloitte when the American firm was heading for collapse because of its involvement with scandal-hit energy trader Enron. Kate Collins is chief executive of Teenage Cancer Trust, a trailblazing charity which has funded 28 specialist units in hospitals across the UK to care for young people diagnosed with cancer. It raised £16m last year, helped as usual by a string of sell out gigs staged at the Royal Albert Hall. Collins joined the charity a decade ago to develop a regional fundraising programme and became chief executive in 2018. Earlier in her career she worked at Children in Need and Cancer Research UK. Find out more @leadingpod or www.leadingpod.com

In this Better Angels interview special, host Sarah Brown speaks with James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand, co-founders of Oscar’s Book Prize, an annual prize for the best books written for under-fives, awarded each year in memory of Oscar Ashton. Oscar’s Book Prize champions the vital importance of reading to young minds and as Chair of Theirworld, who recently mobilised a global campaign for investment in early learning and pre-primary education, Sarah understands the importance of advocacy such as this. Invited this year to be a judge of Oscar’s Book Prize 2019, Sarah talks to James and Viveka about their young son Oscar, who passed away in 2012 when he was three and a half years old and how Oscar’s Book Prize has grown over its six years of operation.

How do leaders learn to lead? In this podcast, journalist James Ashton brings together people from the top of very different organisations in the worlds of business, charity, the arts and beyond to discuss their take on leading vital causes, famous brand names and multi-million-pound enterprises. His two guests swap stories of success and failure, the skills they have picked up, the challenges they face every day and the advice they offer to others. Find out more @leadingpod on Twitter

An “author pays” publishing model is the only fair way to make biomedical research findings accessible to all, say David Sanders, professor of gastroenterology at Sheffield University, but James Ashton and worries that it can lead to bias in the evidence base towards commercially driven results - as those are the researchers who can pay for open access fees. Dave deBronkart just wants patients to have access to key research. Read the full head to head: https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l1544

James Ashton PM17Jun2018 Sermon series: Guest Speaker Romans 10:1-15 read by Lis Woolley. James Ashton talks on The Mission of God's People Playing time: 32 minutes.

Welcome to episode 8 of Radio Omnicor – our podcast about the science of business! At Omnicor, we’re driven to understand as much as possible in the current organisational and people development space. Each episode will feature fascinating guests who will share tools and the latest thinking to help grow your own career or improve your team or business. In this episode, James Ashton takes us on an epic journey, so beautifully narrated that it will have you transported to faraway places and spaces. He shares his very personal story of starting Omnicor with his wife Cathy Farlam, and how they built a business with passion and purpose at a time in South Africa’s history that demanded sensitivity and vision. The final leg of the journey sees James and Cathy sail off into the sunset to Malta, a lifelong dream of theirs. These stories are neatly interwoven into James’s new perspective of executive coaching and how gestalt therapy has renewed his connection in all relationships. You are going to want to keep listening to this episode! SHOW INFORMATION: Hosts: Colleen McLintock – Head of People Development (LinkedIn –https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenmclintock) Length: 1:02:32 Format: mp3 BOOKMARKS: Introduction with Colleen: 00:00 – 01:14 Interview with James Ashton: 01:14 – 01:01:38 Outro: 01:01:38 – 1:02:32 LINKS: James Ashton: LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-r-ashton-823431)