Richard Glynn: founder of 87% & former Ladbrokes CEO

Mental health has been firmly thrust into the public discussion due
to the pandemic and for good reason. But Richard Glynn isn’t just
talking the talk, his company 87% is transforming the way
businesses treat mental wellbeing and the changes are improving
their balance sheets too. This is our conversation with the
inspirational Richard Glynn, brought to you by Knightstone
Capital.


Beginning life in the world of corporate law, Richard Glynn has
had a fascinating journey rising through the ranks. He was Chief
Executive of Sporting Index in the early 2000s, leading a £52.7m
management buyout before heading up Ladbrokes between 2010 and
2015. Richard also served as a Special Trustee of Great Ormond
Street Hospital Children’s Charity, a role that had a lasting
impact on him, an impact that ignited a passion for improving
mental wellbeing.



Richard saw the hospital’s consultants invest in the mental
wellbeing of the children, their parents, the junior doctors and
of the nursing staff. They knew that if the mental wellbeing of
the kids was looked after, as well as their physical needs, they
got better quicker. That meant more beds available and more kids
getting treatment.

This realisation sparked Richard’s belief that data insight is
fundamental to any effective investment in mental wellbeing in
the workplace and led to him creating his latest venture. 87% is
an innovative digital platform that empowers businesses and
individuals to understand, measure and improve their mental
wellbeing.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE
INTERVIEW:
• We’ll start right at the beginning. What was
life like for you growing up and did you always have a drive to
be in business? (1:40)
• What was your first rung on the business ladder and how did you
come across that opportunity? (3:09)
• The corporate world is very much seen as a dog-eat-dog world,
cut throat, all the clichés you want to use. Did you ever feel
like your mantra of giving back were opposed to the nature of the
corporate world? (4:15)
• How did you find the jump from the world of corporate law to
running your own company? (6:17)
• You held some high-level positions in Sporting Index and
Ladbrokes. The gambling industry will always struggle to shake a
fairly negative image, despite all of the “gambling responsibly”
campaigns. Did you have any difficulty with that when you entered
those companies, or did you see it as an opportunity to create
positive change? (7:55)
• Failure in business still has a negative connotation with many
people but is a common thread with successful people, do you
believe it’s important to talk about it more and have you found
attitudes have changed towards it over your career? (10:51)
• We now come on to 87%, many say we’re seeing a mental health
crisis in the UK due to the lockdowns. Do you think the pandemic
has booted business leaders into giving mental health the
attention it deserves? (14:21)
• Could you tell us about 87% and led you to create the business?
(16:02)
• If you could ask Government for one or two changes that you’d
like to see when it comes to mental health, what changes would
you like to see? (21:06)
• Do any figures in your business life particularly stand out
that you’ve learnt important lessons from? (24:00)
• BUSINESS LEADERS ANSWER THE INTERNET’S
QUESTIONS – What do CEOs do all day? (25:20)
• How do people find out more about 87%? (26:31

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