The Leader Insights Series Podcast

For the final episode in the series, I had the pleasure of speaking to William Chase, a serial entrepreneur from the Food & Beverage world. 

So William Chase, or Willy to his friends is an entrepreneur from the Food & Drink industry. Having founded Tyrrells Potato Chips in 2002 he successfully developed and ultimately sold the business for an estimated £30m before moving into Gin, establishing Chase Distillery which later went on to be bought by Diageo. Currently leading the development of another business, Willy’s Probiotic Live Foods Will kindly took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with me… at the time of recording Will was on his Boat somewhere between Corsica and Sicily… and if you could, why wouldn’t you be!

Will was great to speak with. Humble, grounded but with a sense of peace at where he is in life after some turbulent times in his 20’s which saw him face bankruptcy. In more recent times Will faced severe illness which you can tell has given him real perspective on the way he approaches both life and business.

My special guests for this penultimate episode of The Leader Insights Series Podcast are…… Husband and Wife duo Darina Garland and Kristian Tapaninaho, the Founders and Co-CEO of Ooni Pizza Ovens.

Kristian and Darina were great to talk with. The Husband and Wife team share the impressive growth journey they’ve been on since launching Ooni in 2012, starting with the simple vision of replicating restaurant-quality pizzas at home.

We discuss a variety of topics including how crucial an early fundraising Kickstarter scheme was to give them proof of concept for what was not only a new product, but an invention of a whole new category.

They cite optimism & belief as being fundamental in those early days and Darina talks about how she believes having a set of core company values and prioritising culture has been, and continues to be as important as having an amazing product.

For this episode I spoke with the wonderful Shelagh Hancock, the Chief Executive Officer for First Milk, the wholly British farmer-owned Dairy co-operative.

Having graduated with a Degree in Agricultural Biochemistry & Nutrition, Shelagh went on to complete a Masters in Animal Nutrition before embarking on a career within the Dairy industry spanning over 25 years. Shelagh’s successfully worked with the likes of Glanbia Foods, Milk Link, Medina Dairy and for the past 5 years as CEO of First Milk, who we’ll learn more about in the upcoming episode…

Shelagh and I have a great discussion… we talk about:

• Her career journey, including the traits & attributes that have been most helpful in progressing her career so far
• The great growth journey she’s taken First Milk on since joining as CEO back in 2017
• The changing landscape of Dairy and how Shelagh and First Milk are creating not just sustainable but regenerative farming practices
• What Shelagh believes Farms of the future will look like

Shelagh’s clearly very passionate about the Dairy industry and calls out the purpose-driven nature of Co-Operative Farming as one of her main motivators.

For episode 45 we welcomed special guest Jonny Briscoe, the UK Managing Director for Perfetti van Melle.

If you’re not familiar Perfetti van Melle well stay tuned, as Jonny and I talk all about the business, the challenges he faced joining mid-way through the Pandemic and also we talk about what’s on his priority list in order to continue driving the growth of the business here in the UK.

Jonny was a delight to talk with. You'll hear a very authentic and down-to-earth person, clearly motivated by people and helping the people around him to achieve. We delve into his leadership style, his advice for aspiring leaders of the future and he reflects on his own career journey where we can draw out some excellent advice.

This week it was a genuine pleasure to chat with Mark Golder, Managing Director of the Children’s Healthy Food Brand and Manufacturer, Organix Brands.

Mark and I have a wide ranging conversation, firstly covering his own career journey, understanding his biggest influences and drawing out some invaluable advice you can hopefully apply in your own career.

Mark shares with us the world of Organix Brands, their 30-year journey to this point and what Mark and the team are focused on to deliver the next 30 years of growth. As always, I probe Mark for his thoughts on Leadership and draw out his keys that have held him in good stead when leading teams to success.

Finally and above all, what you’ll hopefully takeaway is a sense that Mark is an incredibly humble, positive and curious leader who is driven by making a difference. The insight and clarity of thinking Mark provides, I believe, will be valuable to many.

In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking to the inspiring Alison Payne. Alison is the People Director at COOK Trading limited.

For anyone not Familiar COOK Trading, founded in 1997, they are a privately owned ready meals producer with more than 90 shops around the UK, a thriving home delivery business and a network of concessions in like-minded retailers. Most crucially though, they remain the same values centric, purpose-driven business that the co-founders Ed & Dale set out with. They are certified by the Living Wage Foundation AND in 2013 became a founding B-Corp member.

Alison herself is an accomplished HR and People professional and as you’ll hear Alison embodies the values and principles that COOK is built on, she gives us real insight into what makes COOK COOK…

We talk about her own personal approach to creating harmony and finding that all important work/ life balance including role modelling the right behaviours.

We uncover some of the initiatives of how COOK became the No1. Best Food & Drink company to work for in the Sunday Times Best Companies list. Alison also lets us in on what they are focused on right now, including financial wellbeing initiatives and much much more…

We’re excited to introduce the next instalment of the Podcast featuring Violetta Stevens– the Managing Director for Union Hand-Roasted Coffee. So Violeta was a joy to talk with. As a leader, she’s very clear on her values and principles...

In our discussion you will hear how her passions lye in building sustainable, purpose-driven business models that add value to every link in the supply chain. Union Hand Roast Coffee are a shining example of how business done properly is not only the right thing to do, but is also a more resilient way to reach profitability.

As an avid learner, Violetta talks about how curiosity, routine and investing in self learning has helped her in her own career journey. Violetta highlights the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and finally, she shares her own secrets to great leadership and what skills aspiring leaders will need to develop for the future.

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Roger Saul. 

If you’re not familiar with Roger Saul, he is the founder of the iconic UK fashion brand Mulberry and in more times he’s transitioned into the wonderful world of Food founding Sharpham Park, the home of British Spelt!

A truly fascinating conversation with someone who can only be described as a ‘bit of a legend’ from the world of fashion.

Roger is a natural storyteller and straight away, he takes us on an incredible journey from early origins of Mulberry, the growth, the adversity, the highs and also sets backs along the way. Listen in and you’ll hear how, as an early 20 something in the 70’s he pushed through his fears, developed great resilience all the while constantly innovating and ultimately learning the power of creating a true brand.

During this episode we also talk about his new venture - Sharpham Park, which again in it’s own right has an incredible story and a bright future ahead which will shortly see the launch of a new, category changing Spelt drink!

We're excited to share this week's featured guest Jonathan Reed – the Managing Director for UK-based privately-owned coffee company Paddy & Scott’s.

An authentic, honest and down-to-earth leader, Jonathan along with Paddy & Scott are on a mission to revolutionise how coffee is traded around the world, and using coffee as a vehicle for change.

Jonathan and I had a really interesting chat – starting with his journey in food and drink and how his entrepreneurial spirit led him to Paddy & Scott’s. We discussed the traits and attributes that have helped him along the way and the importance of making teams feel like they’re part of a community. 

Jonathan is really open and honest with us, even giving us a little personal story about losing 11 stone in 12 months. We touch upon Paddy & Scott’s incredible social initiatives, how they do business differently and its impact on attracting and retaining the best talent.

Join us as we discuss what good leadership looks like to Jonathan, his top book recommendations, his future ambitions and the importance of adding a personal touch – be it in recruitment or customer service.

Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode:

• 02:15 Jonathan’s journey in Food and Drink
• 09:57 Traits and attributes that helped him succeed
• 15:18 History and background of Paddy & Scott’s
• 29:05 What does good leadership look like
• 36:05 Skills and attributes that aspiring leaders should develop

Excited to share this week's guest Giovanni Ghisetti – the Managing Director for snack manufacturer, Eat Natural who are now owned by Ferrero.

An experienced and charismatic business leader, Giovanni has very clear and people-focused principles of leadership. His style is a blend of ‘Economics and Psychology’ which has allowed him to understand how people think. He leads with what he calls ‘Knowledge Authority’- always behaving with authenticity and respect.

In this episode, Giovanni and I discuss what attracted him back to FMCG after a successful period working for some of the largest blue-chips in the world. He tells us it was the combination of his love for tech with the emotional connection you get from food that led him back to this dynamic industry.

You will really get a sense of Giovanni's passion for people and cultural diversity through this episode as we dive into his main motivations and the pivotal moments in his life (both positive and negative).

Join us as we walk about food innovation, career advice, merger & acquisition advice, effective leadership traits and the importance of building trust and how he keeps people engaged and motivated.

Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode:

• 06:54 Traits and attributes that led to Giovanni’s success
• 10:34 Giovanni’s main motivations and his ‘WHY’
• 12:40 What does good leadership looks like?
• 23:18 What does good M&A look like
• 33:50 Economics and Psychology

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Craig Davis – the Head of Grocery & E-Commerce at Muller Dairy UK & Ireland.

Having known Craig for over 10 years I've watched him progress his career at an impressive rate and so, I was keen to invite him to the show and pick his brains on his career, his leadership principles and much much more! 

In this discussion, Craig offers up some genuine thought-provoking ideas and whatever stage in your career, I’m confident you’ll take something away. Craig talks passionately about comfort zones, how breadth in his career has been pivotal for his success. We delve into his early career, his views on leadership and the principles that guide him.

Finally, we also get his thoughts on some of the wider challenges the industry needs to tackle in order to attract and retain the best talent to our sector.

Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode:

• 07:09 Traits and attributes that led to Craig’s success
• 13:35 Craig’s motivations and his ‘WHY’
• 19:32 What does good leadership looks like?
• 22:08 Craig’s personal top 3 leadership principles
• 23:34 Leaders of the future
• 25:13 Current and future industry challenges

Back by popular demand, this New Year's episode is with the incredibly engaging Sam Waterfall, AKA London's Global Career Coach. 

As one of the most popular and downloaded episodes from 2021, I was keen to invite Sam back to kick off 2022 by sharing more brilliant tips and insights on how YOU can accelerate your job search and put some real strategy behind developing your career to the next level. 

As a reminder, Sam is a high-impact career coach with a background in marketing and a no-nonsense approach to getting you the job you really want. Whether it's helping young people overcome their inexperience to land their first job, or it's working alongside senior leaders to build strategies for their career growth, Sam has worked with people in all stages of their career search (helping some land jobs in Nike, Redbull, Virgin, Facebook and the NHS to name a few!) 

Now for this episode... If you’re in any way serious about your career – in ANY field - you need to know about how to market your expertise correctly. It’s not enough to do a great job and hope ‘they’ will notice, ‘they’ won’t. 

The good news is that even in our complex world of multiple digital touchpoints and platforms, you can stand out and win in the hyper-competitive world of job search if you can ACE just two personal marketing assets. 

Your CV and your LinkedIn profile. 

Master these, and you’re performing on paper and online. 

In this episode, we demystify and clarify the handful of simple differences that stand between blending in and standing out with these two critical assets. Apply these expert tips and you’ll transform your impact and your career transition results starting today. 

For this weeks episode, I had the joy of speaking with the Founder of Little Dish - Hillary Graves.

Hillary founded Little Dish in 2006 and the business has grown from strength to strength ever since, feeding over 200,000 children in the UK every week and is available nationally in all major retailers. In 2016, she was awarded the ‘Aphrodite Award’ by the NatWest Everywoman Awards, recognising an inspiring Mumpreneur who founded her business while raising young children.

In this episode, we’ll touch upon the elements behind Hillary’s career & business success. We kick things off by discussing the journey of Little Dish so far, starting off in a few shops before gradually becoming the well-known brand it is today. Hillary tells us about the highs and lows she experienced while building the business, which is extremely insightful especially to those just starting out in their journey. We also discuss how Hillary identified the real issue of nutrition amongst children and a gap in the market for healthy and convenient food.

Join us as we discuss what motivates and drives Hillary, her thoughts on good leadership, the importance of knowing your strengths and weaknesses and trusting your instincts. Whether you’re looking to start your own business or are well into your entrepreneurship journey, this episode is full of great advice you can apply to your own career and business aspirations.

Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode:

• 02:33 The How and Why that led to the creation of Little Dish
• 06:31 The highs and lows of building a business
• 09:17 Working through initial challenges by staying focussed
• 11:45 Hillary’s ‘WHY’ and what motivates her today
• 18:47 Traits, attributes and strengths that helped Hillary along the way
• 23:00 What’s next for Little Dish?
• 32:29 The best career advice Hillary has received

On this week's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Global HR Director for Jacobs Douwe Egberts - Toni Cairns.

With a Degree in Psychology and a Masters in Organisational Psychology, Toni has developed an impressive career within the industry spanning the past 18 years. She is also extremely passionate about the development of talent, leadership and culture – and has led numerous business transformations, M&As, cultural projects & capability programs.

This week, Toni joins me from Amsterdam where she is based. We kick off this episode by discussing her personal love and passion for food and drink, and how she first got into the industry. She tells us about the traits and attributes that she believes has contributed to her success – including positivity and energy, pragmatism and courage to make hard choices. We also talk about the pivotal moments in her life - moving to a new country for a new role, and the rewards that come from taking opportunities.

We also hear from Toni about her 'WHY' and the best career advice she has ever received. We discuss what great leadership looks like to Toni, which she lists as having a good level of self-awareness and the balance between head and heart in decision-making, along with a focus on people and the future.

Join us in conversation as we learn how empathy and flexibility are the makings of a good leader, why more companies need to prioritise well-being and Toni’s career advice to those just starting out in the industry.

Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode:

• 02:15 What the past 18 months have looked like for Toni
• 04.15 Key traits and attributes that have contributed to Toni’s success
• 06:17 Toni’s pivotal moments in her career
• 11:27 Toni’s ‘WHY’ and the best piece of career advice she received
• 22:48 Toni’s Wellbeing Framework and mentoring with The Female Factor
• 34:48 Career advice for those just starting out

On this week's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Duncan Everett - the Group CEO of Noble Foods.

As group CEO, Duncan is working hard to keep Noble Foods thriving for another century, focussing on how to grow and develop the business while also simultaneously creating an environment where its people can truly thrive.

In this week's episode Duncan and I delve into his truly inspiring career journey, from starting on the Kerry Foods graduate programme before ultimately becoming the CEO! We discuss how the past 18 months have been and the key challenges Duncan and the business have faced during these trying times.

We hear about the pivotal decision Duncan took to move from Kerry Foods after 25 years with the company and the reasons behind what ultimately made him make the move. 

Duncan kindly shares his thoughts on what good leadership looks like, and the importance of having clarity and vision as well as a plan to deliver on the business's ambition. As a self-confessed 'massive believer' in collective ownership, Duncan explains that magic happens when we link the feeling of togetherness with ownership.

Listen in as we discuss more about the 100-year-old family-owned Noble Foods, the competitive nature of this industry and the importance of trusting your instincts and loving what you do.

Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode:

07:00 Duncan’s illustrious career in the industry

08:24 Key traits and attributes that have contributed to Duncan’s success

12:39 Duncan’s decision to move from Kerry Foods

19:45 Duncan’s ‘WHY’ and his best piece of career advice

23:47 Current challenges and issues facing the industry

35:10 Keeping people motivated during a crisis

For this week's episode, I had the delight of speaking with Sam Simister, the Future Development Director and Board Member at Innocent Drinks and Co-Founder of GenM.

Sam is a highly experienced FMCG professional with a 25-year international track record in multi-national corporations and entrepreneurial companies - including M&S, Safeway and more recently, Innocent Drinks. She is also the co-founder of GenM - a powerful initiative leading the positive revolution on the topic of menopause.

On this week’s episode, we learn first-hand about Sam’s incredible journey through her 25-year career in this industry. We discuss the key traits and attributes that she believes have led her to where she is today, as well as the career-defining moments that proved to be pivotal to her journey. Sam tells us how she is a solution focussed person who likes to find the ‘yes’ when everyone around her says ‘no’. She tells us of the importance of being vulnerable and honest about your strengths but also your weaknesses, and to treat failure as a learning curve to further grow and develop yourself.

We also hear from Sam about what great leadership looks like, the importance of being present and authentic and why it’s important to have the confidence to back yourself.

Sam shares her thoughts and vision on the incredible initiative GenM – a movement that works to normalise the conversation around menopause. GenM and its growing list of partners work together with brands and organisations to help them better understand the effects of menopause, break down the taboo and learn how to support a very large, crucial part of the workforce through this stage of life.

Join us as we discuss Sam’s thoughts on leadership and failure, top career advice, positive takeaways from the past 18 months as well as her big plans for GenM’s global future.

Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode:

3:24 Sam’s incredible 25-year career

07:01 Sam’s ‘WHY’

08.18 Career defining moments in Sam’s journey

11:28 Creating a culture where it’s okay to fail

12:47 What does great leadership look like

20:56 GenM: What it is and how you can support it

In this week’s episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sue Garfitt, the CEO of Alpro.

Having known Sue for over 10 years, I’ve experienced first-hand her incredible work ethic, her energy and her dogged determination to succeed. Sue’s incredible career in the industry spans over 25 years – having worked with the likes of Britvic Soft Drinks, Burton’s Foods and MapleLeaf Foods to name just a few. She joined Alpro as CEO in 2014 with a clear vision – to change the way the world eats for the better by creating delicious, naturally healthy plant-based foods, for the maximum wellbeing of everyone and with the utmost respect for the planet.

A big supporter of inclusive diversity: Sue champions bringing different people together in a team to collaborate and achieve a singular vision.

In this insightful episode Sue and I discuss her stellar career, including her remarkable 7 years at Alpro, leading a purposeful business to feed our future with plants. We discuss the impact that Covid had on Sue and her team, as well as on the wider business, and the changes implemented to ensure minimal disruption to the production while also prioritising the team’s safety and wellbeing.

Sue gives us some extremely valuable insight into what good leadership looks like. She tells us that while management is about making sure you do things right, leadership is about doing the right things – which takes both courage and determination. She expands on how good leaders must also find a way to prioritise workflow, using her own example of managing her time in a “fluid” way.

Join us as we discuss Sue’s “why”, the key traits that have helped her throughout her career journey and the importance of getting a diverse team on board, providing a clear roadmap and surrounding yourself with the right people that buy into the journey and vision.

Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode:

06:30 Key traits and attributes that have contributed to Sue’s success

11:00 Sue’s Journey with Alpro

18:22 The Impact of Covid on Business and People

23:20 Good Leadership and Setting Clear Vision

25:38 Active Listening and the Benefits of Increased Engagement

28:03 The Importance of Recruiting the Right People

30:45 Prioritising Workflow to Get The Best Return

25:46 Career Advice and The Importance of Being Happy

39:20 Tips and Career Advice

Enjoy!

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with qualified Executive Coach, Chair for "Women in Wholesale" and the Chief Commercial Officer for the DCS Group - Clare Bocking.

From running the foodservice and wholesale divisions for Britvic to being a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, Clare has had an extremely successful 25 years of commercial leadership experience in the Food & Drink industry.

Clare and I discuss her career journey to date, what motivates her daily and the traits she believes have helped along the way. Clare tells us about how her unique amount of energy and creativity coupled with her desire to always find solutions has consistently held her in good stead through the years. We also talk about the importance of mentoring and coaching which Clare believes can help tap into an individual's full potential and set them on the right trajectory.

We talk about "Women in Wholesale" - an important movement that addresses gender imbalance in the wholesale sector and gives businesses and individuals the tools they need to ‘Inspire, support and progress’ more women in wholesale and to achieve much-needed gender diversity.

Lastly, we gain Clare's insight into how the business has been affected through the pandemic, the measures they had to put in place and the obstacles they had to overcome. Join us as we discuss how Clare's priorities have shifted over the past 18 months, her thoughts on good leadership, tips and career advice for those just starting out and the importance of new thinking and diversity in the workplace.

Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode:

2:50 Discussing Clare’s 25 Successful Years in the Industry

3:36 Career Reflection and The Traits That Have Contributed to Clare’s Success

5:20 The Importance of Mentoring and Coaching

6:47 “Women in Wholesale” and rectifying Gender Imbalance

12:00 Business during Covid: The Impact, Obstacles and Creative Solutions

17:50 The Principles That Underpin Good Leadership

19:38 Tips on Organising and Prioritising Work Load

25:46 Career Advice and The Importance of Being Happy

Enjoy!

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Shaun Smith - Sales Director of Birds Eye UK & Ireland. 

Birds Eye is owned by Nomad Foods, the largest Frozen Food Company in Europe with a 14% market share and generates over £2Bn in revenue. Shaun, who also sits on the European leadership team, started his journey at Warburtons before progressing through Arla Foods, Northern Foods and Aunt Bessie's before joining Birds Eye in 2019. Now managing a team of over 65 people, we can gain a real insight into Shaun's incredible journey to leadership.

In this episode, Shaun and I cover a wide range of topics, including his hugely successful career in the Food Industry. We talk about what first drew him to the industry, what kept him in it and the key attributes he believes have helped him along the way. Shaun emphasises the importance of putting people at the heart of the business and embracing change by working collaboratively. We also touch upon how having a clear career development plan can be extremely beneficial to help visualise and be in control of your future.

We discuss the challenges Shaun and the business faced during the pandemic - Shaun mentions how being open to receiving support helped him and the team during this crisis. Lastly, we couldn't let Shaun go without talking through what he believes makes a great leader. He tells us that learning through periods of change has helped him become a better leader and he also gives some great advice and tips about being authentic and staying true to oneself. An insightful episode no matter where you are in your career, give it a listen today!

Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode:

7:20 Career Reflection and Key Attributes for Success

10:22 Tips for Creating a Career Development Plan

13:30 Business & People in the Time of Coronavirus

20:55 An Insight into Shaun’s Journey

27:34 Adopting a Learning Mindset

29:50 Shaun’s Take on Good Leadership and his ‘Why’

33:57 Career Advice

Enjoy!

My guest for this episode is an industry leader who's full of insightful knowledge and advice, Sue McVie. 

Sue is a purpose-led growth leader and entrepreneur who unlocks the potential in both people and ideas. Having worked with United Biscuits, her career progressed through the likes of Coca Cola, Pepsico and Vodafone before joining Kerry Foods in 2012 as Shopper Marketing Director and then as Managing Director for Oakhouse Foods in 2017. She is now a vital part of the Kerry Foods Leadership Team leading a portfolio of fast-growth DTC and Accelerator businesses.

In this episode, Sue and I discuss her stellar career in the food and drink arena. We discuss what it means to lead a business with real purpose - achieving business goals while doing good along the way. By assessing, testing and optimising along with the right leadership, Sue and her team were able to reinvent Oakhouse Foods and successfully double the business in a matter of 3 years! Sue explains the importance of continually referring to customer feedback, treating it as a gift and taking on board suggestions to better improve the products and service.

We also talk about what it was like to go through a pandemic while running a successful business. We discuss how leaders had to adapt and make big decisions extremely quickly, and how she used effective communication to combat uncertainty to support team members. Lastly, we talk about what Sue believes makes a great leader - which she says requires a level of authenticity and ability to unlock people's full potential every day.

Enjoy!

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing a young entrepreneur and the Founder of Wellbeans Coffee, Michael Ellis. 

Michael has a truly inspirational story, using his own personal struggles with anxiety and his love of Coffee to create a purpose-driven business that gives back to the community. 

Michael and Wellbeans spread awareness about mental health and simultaneously break down barriers and stigma that still surround the topic. 

The brand supports positive living and encourages the feeling of being part of a community of conscientious coffee lovers. Michael tells us "giving back" is central to Wellbeans, as they aim to use the profits to fund community projects, wellbeing initiatives and mental health charities.

Join us in conversation as we discuss Michael's inspiring story and his own personal journey that has fuelled him to this point. Sharing his story with authenticity and honesty, he talks about his struggles with anxiety and feelings of isolation. This propelled him into creating Wellbeans Coffee, a profit with purpose coffee company that has community at the heart of everything they do. Michael also shares the challenges that come with being a young entrepreneur, their sustainability goals and his big plans for the future of Wellbeans!

I am thrilled to be joined by my guest for this episode, Bruce Alexander. 

Bruce is the Managing Director of Montezuma's Chocolates - one of the most innovative and fastest-growing SME's around. Described as "Britain's Greatest Little Chocolate Company", they work with the principles of "Business Done Properly", putting substance over style and sustainability over profit.

Bruce has had a successful career spanning 25 years, working within commercial FMCG roles across the UK and abroad including companies such as United Biscuits, Nestle and Kerry Foods.

In this episode, we discuss why Montezuma's Chocolates is one of the most talked-about SME's around, as well as Bruce's role in ensuring the vision and values laid by its founders is reflected in everything they do. We discuss Bruce's highly successful background and how his love for working within the FMCG sector drew him to his current role.

Bruce shares with us the key aspects that have helped him throughout his career - including his naturally competitive nature and a keen desire to keep learning and challenging himself. We discuss Bruce's thoughts on leadership, striving to become a B-corp, the Better Business Act and more!

For the past 9 years, John has been the CEO of Cafedirect - one of the founding businesses of the Fairtrade movement and the UK's first B-Corp accredited Coffee Company.

With a successful career spanning over 3 decades, John can be regarded as a pioneer in the purpose-driven business movement. Especially passionate about supporting people at the beginning of the supply chain, John & Cafedirect work in collaboration with the award-winning charity Producers Direct to deliver real change to Farmers livelihoods.

In this episode, we learn about John's background, how he came to work in this industry and his top tips for career success.

John talks us through what he believes has helped him get through the pandemic - listing determination and an unwavering optimism as two key attributes that kept him going. He talks about how it was crucial that, throughout the pandemic, the business became a bubble of certainty for its employees living in an uncertain world.

John generously shares his thoughts on businesses that have purpose tend to have a better work culture - as they possess a greater meaning than just making money. These organisations then also tend to be better places to work, with a culture based on trust and employees motivated by making a difference.

Finally, John talks us through the importance of the B-Corp movement, his advice on harnessing the true benefits of a purpose-driven culture and his thoughts on why being authentic as a leader is so crucial. We also shine light on the incredible work done by Producers Direct who work closely with farmers to develop their farms and improve their livelihoods.

For this episode, I was delighted to talk about culture fit and leading with the heart with my special guest Marc Cox, Founder of The Company Spirit and Author of the highly regarded book "The Business Case for Love".

Over the past decade, Marc has been hired by CEO's and leadership teams from across the globe who are looking for a different approach to creating an authentic company culture.

Through Marc's unique approach, he helps organisations understand what the company stands for and what makes it different. Marc is also the author of the highly acclaimed book "The Business Case For Love" in which he shares the secrets of how you can get your company bragged about in today's ever-competitive world!

We kick off this episode discussing Marc's incredibly successful career and swiftly move on to his predictions for UK retail trends and what the future holds for the high street. Marc, in his usual candour, tells me how there is a big shift in customer priorities, and it is imperative that, moving forward, organisations should shift their focus from "product and price" to understanding customer insight and employee & customer experience.

In the second half of this week's episode, we delve into Marc's book and his philosophy of "The Business Case for Love".  Marc explains how more and more employees are now looking for a cultural fit and an organisation with a clear purpose and vision. We discuss how employees refuse to put up with toxic leadership, instead looking up to leaders that truly believe in what they stand for and lead with the heart. We talk about how Marc's unique approach helps organisations create authentic company values and a set of beliefs that, in turn, result in truly memorable experiences for customers and high levels of employee engagement.

This week on The Leader Insights Series Podcast we have an exclusive extended episode with the incredibly engaging Sam Waterfall. 

Sam is a high-impact career coach with a background in marketing and a no-nonsense approach to getting you the job you really want. Whether it's helping young people overcome their inexperience to land their first job, or it's working alongside senior leaders to build strategies for their career growth, Sam has worked with people in all stages of their career search (helping some land jobs in Nike, Redbull, Virgin, Facebook and NHS to name a few!)

Through this extended episode, Sam and I go through some crucial pieces of advice relevant not only to those who are looking to accelerate their job search but also for those who are developing their career and looking to take the next step. 

We discuss Sam's marketing background and his not-so-traditional coaching method - combining career coaching with marketing consultancy. He expresses the importance of maintaining clarity throughout the job search and having a clear direction to achieve long-term success while focussing on the potential strategies to get there.

We chat about the immense power of networking. Starting with recognising that other people represent your biggest opportunity to advance within your career, Sam shares his top 6 rules for effective networking to help convert people from feeling like strangers to feelings of familiarity. We delve into the Law of Reciprocity and Sam explains his idea behind what he calls The Dream 30 - but you'll have to give this episode a listen to hear it from the man himself!

Take a moment to enjoy our latest episode - It may be a bit longer than the others but we promise it's packed with some incredible information, tips and advice that you can benefit from no matter where you are in your career.

As ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jonathan.ohagan@leaderexecutivesearch.com

I am thrilled to be joined by my guest for this episode, Alex Demetriou. 

Alex is the Managing Director for Regency Purchasing Group, a key player in supporting the UK Food & Drink supply chain servicing over 3000 customers. Join Alex and I as we talk about his introduction into this industry and the influence his family has had on his career. He also shares some extremely valuable tips and advice about leadership, management styles and the importance of holding the team together during tough times.

We discuss the attributes he believes makes a great leader and also what good leadership truly means in the time of Covid. Alex tells me Covid has removed our predictable future and emphasises the danger of 'decision paralysis', encouraging listeners to make decisions quickly and move forward.

Alex describes how important it is to invest in both your knowledge and your reputation, as well as the positive impact of surrounding yourself with good people, taking advice and building strong foundations. 

We conclude the episode by discussing Alex's hugely successful charitable trust - raising an impressive £1.6 million to fund local charities and individuals in need of medical support and corrective surgery.

Join me in conversation with John Weaver. 

Quite simply, John is a first-class CEO with a proven track record of success and in recent times he's developed a very successful non-exec portfolio career. 

John was Chief Operating Officer for Petty Wood & Co, which he successfully sold in 2015 as part of an MBO after doubling revenue. Subsequently, he had similar success as CEO with the Tree of Life, the UK’s largest distributor of natural & healthy products – here John was attributed with tripling revenue before becoming a non-executive for them in 2019.

In this episode, we talk about his incredible career history and the attributes that make a great leader. John emphasises that leadership is situational, and that a good leader must be in tune with their team and the end goal. 

Finally, John is a certified Executive Coach via the International Coach Federation, ICF (the gold standard in Exec Coaching).  You'll hear how he is a strong advocate for professional executive coaching - we delve into the benefits of having a coach to aid with unlocking ideas, and help discard repetitive work patterns to gain traction within your career.

Enjoy! 

In this episode, I'm in conversation with the hugely successful Gavin Bown, Vice President for Global R&D at the world's leading chocolate and cocoa manufacturer, Barry Callebaut. 

Join us as we discuss Gavin's career in the FMCG industry, how to successfully manage a large international team whilst remote working and what great leadership looks like within high-performing organisations.

We talk through Gavin's success within the FMCG industry and the traits and behaviours that helped him along the way. While talking about the importance of a continuous learning mindset, Gavin explains he is 'allergic to his comfort zone' and constantly pushes to further develop himself. He also provides some valuable knowledge on successfully managing an international team whilst remote working.

He stresses how vital it is to provide team members with clarity and purpose but also the freedom to make decisions (and mistakes), which he believes is crucial for their development.

In this insightful episode, we also navigate through conversations about the future challenges facing the industry, the importance of establishing a culture of trust and destigmatizing failure.

Enjoy!