The Business Leader Podcast Archiv

She spent just short of a decade honing her skills and rising through the ranks at Alipay, the Alibaba-backed fintech giant, before taking up the position as Chief Commercial Officer at the feisty fintech group Mode. This is our conversation with the inspirational Rita Liu, brought to you by Knightstone Capital.

Rita joined Alipay in 2010 and was initially responsible for driving partnerships with major Chinese banks. In 2011, she became one of the founding members of the Alipay International Business department and has since held senior roles in business development and partnerships in Asia, the U.S and Europe. From 2015 to 2017, Rita was based in London while serving as Head of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) for Alipay, overseeing the company’s overall business in the region, including business development, operations and marketing activities.

Rita made the switch to UK-based fintech group Mode in March 2020, a company with the goal of "transitioning the world to a truly digital financial system." With Bitcoin and cryptocurrency becoming a staple in the portfolios of investors across the globe, the company is well-positioned as the first-of-its-kind financial app in the UK. Although their services cover much more than crypto, Rita Liu is driving the company forward and is already regarded as one of the most influential female leaders in Fintech. Download the Mode app today.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

• Your personal journey has been a fascinating one. Before we get too much into your recent history in business, what was life like for you growing up and did you always have a drive to be in business? (1:09)

• Could tell us about your history rising through the ranks at AliPay and then moving over to your current position at Mode? (1:56)

• Both Mode and AliPay have disrupted the traditional way of working. On a personal level, would you say that you feel more drawn to disruptors over more established traditional companies? (4:19)

• You’ve played a key part in growing both AliPay and Mode. Do any figures in your business life particularly stand out that you’ve learnt important lessons from? (4:58)

• Do you think enough is being done to encourage women to grow and feature in leadership positions within tech? (6:06)

• You started your position at Mode in March, which one of the most turbulent times in history with COVID-19 really affecting everyday life. How have you found the last year personally? (7:48)

• Do you think you’ve changed your leadership style since moving to Mode and dealing with the pandemic? (9:00)

• One of Mode’s keen focuses is on Bitcoin. The mainstream chatter of Bitcoin was high in 2018, it then simmered down but is being thrown into the spotlight again recently. In your opinion, are people who haven’t invested in cryptocurrency missing out on a big opportunity? (10:21)

• BUSINESS LEADERS ANSWER THE INTERNET'S QUESTIONS - Why don't we just print more money? (12:01)

• I would be remiss if I didn’t ask about Jack Ma, of course, the founder of Alibaba. Have you met him? (13:51)

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In the first edition of Business Leader Conversations, brought to you by Knightstone Capital, we’re proud to be speaking with JobOppo founder, Kayam Iqbal.

Kayam started his military career in the Royal Air Force as a medic, before specialising in languages and working with various specialist units across a number of NATO countries. Kayam’s achievements to date are numerous and include setting up the OppO Foundation, a charity supporting military personnel and their families, through the challenges facing them once they leave the services.

Kayam joined the Royal Air Force in 1999 and spent 11 years in the British Military, completing tours of Iraq and Afghanistan. After 9/11 Kayam faced hostility from both sides of the community – for being Muslim and having a military background, to racism from certain sections of ‘civi street’. Kayam was medically discharged with PTSD officially in 2010 after which he struggled to find employment in a civilian role and at one point found himself selling scratch cards for £6 an hour with Camelot.

Kayam’s PTSD and related depression were not openly discussed because of the negative stigma surrounding mental health issues and the feeling that it showed weakness. But through hard work and the resilience and determination he had gained during his service, Kayam taught himself a whole new set of skills and went on to launch the award-winning JobOppO in 2013 before founding the OppO Foundation. Kayam has also appeared as a Hunter on the Channel 4 show ‘Hunted’.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE INTERVIEW:

• It would be good to start talking about your current business. Could you tell us about your company and what led you to set it up? (1:00)

• Not everyone has the drive and will to create their own business, no matter how well they knew their industry or ‘customer’. What do you think gave you that drive to create the business? (2:38)

• Some studies have found that as many as 20-30% of veterans returning from service have PTSD. What would be your message to veterans returning from duty and to the business leaders considering them as job candidates? (4:00)

• Should more be done to assist and encourage entrepreneurship among returning veterans? (5:54)

• Discrimination has played a big part in your life from an early age. How has the conversation and attitudes around diversity changed since you created your business? (7:03)

• Do you think enough is being done in your industry to encourage diversity? (9:21)

• What does your company turn over and what is your vision for it, for the next ten years? (10:26)

• What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced in business? (11:37)

• Who are the figures in business that inspire you the most? (12:55)

• Do you have any final words for our audience? (14:10)

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In this fascinating Business Leader Insight interview, we were joined by Ellen Windemuth, founder of the WaterBear Network; the first interactive streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet.

Ellen’s passion for nature and conservation led to the creation of the WaterBear Network. This unique, free streaming service provides access to award-winning and inspirational content that empowers members to dive deeper, learn more and take action. Prior to WaterBear, she was the owner and CEO of Off the Fence, having founded the company in 1994. Under her leadership Off the Fence has acquired, produced and co-produced over 6,000 hours of content.

Ellen is a seasoned Executive Producer and Distributor and has produced over 500 hours to date herself. She is the Chair of the Jackson Hole Film Festival Board, Honorary President of the Sunnyside Doc 2019 festival in La Rochelle, France and is active in conservation and land development. Her experience in factual entertainment programming is extensive in both production and distribution.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE INTERVIEW:

Before we talk about Waterbear and your current focus, I wanted to start talking about the early days of your production company Off the Fence. What led you to make the decision to start your own business? (0:50)

You described yourself as “unemployable” was that also because you had strong views on how a business should be and that kind of thing? (1:31)

Could you tell us about Off the Fence as far as growth and reach is concerned? (2:19)

As a business grows, an entrepreneur has to give up some of their control, in important decision making for example. How did you find this in your company, and would you have any tips for viewers going through this? (3:42)

Off the Fence was acquired after 25 years, and of course, you’re still a part of the business today but what led you to take that decision? (5:19)

Could you tell us about Waterbear and the vision for the company? (7:22)

You’ve described yourself in the past as someone who doesn’t like taking risks. This often flies in the face of the stereotypical entrepreneur. What clicked for you to decide that you wanted to launch Waterbear? (9:51)

Where do you see Waterbear in 10 years’ time? (11:01)

How have you found the last few months and how has the pandemic affected your business? (12:43)

What drives you on and gets you up in the morning? (14:34)

Final word (15:23)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures. 

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Starting his first business at the age of 22 as a sole trader Joseph is the former CEO of the UK’s largest independent Boiler Installation business Impra Gas, spanning across the nation with over 150 staff and a multi-million-pound turnover. This growth was achieved in just 7 short years and Joseph has now sold this organisation at the age of 30.

Joseph rose to fame at the age of 25 after winning the BBC’s The Apprentice the UK’s largest cash prize TV show and also gaining billionaire lord sugar as a business partner. His other achievements include being a number one best-selling author with his book ‘Expelled from The Classroom to Billionaire Boardroom’. He has now set his sights on the international stage and aims to build one of the worlds biggest training and development business's Power2Succeed University focused on working with Business owners and entrepreneurs to achieve success in sales.

Alongside this Joseph has launched the first-ever training in construction The Trade Mastermind & Coaching Academy which was set up to support one-man bands, sole traders and SME's in construction. Joseph believes so strongly in the Laws of attraction and champions the tag line - ‘Whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve’ his aim is to give back and make every one of the 8 billion people on this planet believe in themselves cause if they don’t, no one will.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE INTERVIEW:

You have written a book called ‘Expelled from the classroom to billionaire boardroom’ – can you tell us more about your life and experience in education? (1:05)

You were a plumber by trade - where did your interest in business come from? (2:23)

You won the Apprentice aged 25 – what was it like working with Lord Sugar and how did the experience as a whole impact your career? (4:34)

Many successful business leaders have ups and downs – and you have received some bad press regarding your business ImpraGas. How do you reflect on that period and do you look back with any regrets? (7:59)

Do you still feel that the way you exited ImpraGas was the correct way to handle that situation? (13:11)

There is a taboo about failure in the UK, do you feel like the mindset and narrative around that topic should change in the country? (15:35)

What is your long-term vision for The Trade Mastermind? (19:05)

After a difficult year, many businesspeople will be disheartened by their company going bust and having to start again. What would be your advice to people going through this? (22:13)

Questions from the public

Besides Lord Sugar, who has inspired you most in business? (23:36)

If you could go back to 22-year-old you, what one piece of advice would you give yourself? (24:38)

What is one fact about you that people won’t be able to find online? (24:59)

Click here to watch other Business Leader Insight interviews and be sure to check our Virtual Events page for upcoming interviews and events.

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures. 

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Chika Russell is an international entrepreneur, mentor and speaker. After 10 years working in finance and banking and qualifying as a management accountant, she went on to launch CHIKA’S. Born out of three simple principles: good food, good ethos and good causes – these are snacks with soul. The CHIKA’S range of African-inspired, boldly-flavoured snacks proved mainstream consumer demand for African foods that immediately struck a chord with retailers like Wholefoods, Waitrose, Holland & Barrett’s and Ocado, establishing CHIKA’S as the leader in this space.

In 2015, Chika Russell took part in BBC’s Dragons Den and gave what Deborah Meaden described as ‘one of the best pitches ever’. The battle between the 5 Dragons for a stake in the business was the most-watched episode of the whole series. In a short period, Chika Russell has grown her business, and is now listed in an impressive 3,000 retail stockists in the UK and internationally, also including airlines and hotels. In July 2015, she launched her snacks for change programme to help send more girls to school. A supporter of girls in education since 2000, in 2019 she formalised a partnership with World Vision empowering girls with the bold aim of supporting 38,000 girls through their education by 2025.

In 2019, we recognised Chika as one of the Top 30 Inspiring UK Entrepreneurs. She has also been recognised as a ‘Consumer Business Rising Star’ by the Black British Business Awards and a future leader by She Leads Africa. CHIKA’S was ranked in the top 50 start-ups in the U.K and she has also represented female-led SMEs at 10 Downing Street’s Women in Business events.

You can order these tasty CHIKA’S snacks online or in a variety of retailers including Waitrose, Ocado & Co-Op.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE INTERVIEW:

We’ll begin with talking about you and your journey before you took the step of creating your own brand. Can you tell us about your background in business before founding CHIKA’S Foods? (1:23)

Deciding to create your own business is a big step for any entrepreneur. Were you worried about taking that step and backing yourself? (4:15)

You then appear on Dragon’s Den and deliver a pitch that Deborah Meaden described as one of the best pitches ever. You get offers from all of the Dragons but decided back yourself and turn them down. Could you talk us through why you made that decision and the process of appearing on the show? (6:06)

2020 had been a difficult year for businesses of all sizes. Has your business been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and has it changed your outlook on the business? (12:34)

Many business leaders are talking about the lack of diversity in different sectors. Do you think more needs to be done to encourage the representation of females and minorities in the sector you operate? (16:27)

The CHIKA’S Foods brand is closely associated with World Vision. Why was that specific cause so important to you and can you tell us a little about the partnership? (20:04)

Putting 2020 behind of you and focusing on 2021, what are you looking forward to most in the next 12 months? (25:32)

What would be your advice to people watching who may be thinking of taking the same step you did and launching their own business? (26:50)

When are we going to see you on Dragon’s Den, in a chair as a Dragon? (28:59)

Click here to watch other Business Leader Insight interviews and be sure to check our Virtual Events page for upcoming interviews and events.

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

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There's a new President on the other side of the pond and there are constant reports of the vaccines that are going to help us shed the COVID nightmare for good. We're honoured to be joined by Alpesh Patel OBE who will impart his expertise and give hints into the companies you should be investing in.

Having recently penned an insightful look into the companies that stand out in the US, Alpesh joins us for a deeper look into the trends that he is seeing and companies you should look to be investing in. Being an asset manager, but previously a columnist on investing for the Financial Times and presenter for Bloomberg TV, Alpesh has solidified his reputation as an authority on all things investing.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

It's been a strange year, to say the least, how have your found things in your world? (1:26)

To start off, when investing how do you decide which public stocks to invest in? (2:27)

Following the news about the Vaccine and Biden election, what impact did you see on the markets? (4:20)

The markets are driven by the news – Biden election, vaccine etc – but can it be dangerous to gamble around news? (6:26)

Can you give some insight and tips about what companies or sectors our viewers should be looking towards now? (8:13)

What investing errors do you think business leaders make when it comes to their own businesses? (12:27)

If somebody is watching this but isn’t experienced at investing – what are the key tips you can give them? (14:20)

On the topic of Brexit, you’ve written an article with the now Home Secretary, Priti Patel. What’s your view on the impact this will have on investment into the UK? (16:17)

Final word from Alpesh (18:20)

Alpesh Patel OBE, Private Equity Fund manager, Dealmaker for the Department for International Trade’s Global Entrepreneur Programme, former FT columnist and with his own show on Bloomberg on investing, is a global authority on investing having written 18 books translated into 5 languages and set up the hedge fund back in 2005. You can get a free copy of his book Investing Unplugged from www.alpeshpatel.com. His fintech shows people how to invest and how to trade.

If you’d like a free course on how to invest – www.investing-champions.com. He’s also a former Visiting Fellow in Business at Oxford University and trained Barrister. In 2020 he received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to the Economy. If you’re interested in learning more about markets and companies to invest in, please contact Alpesh’s team here.

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

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Many will recognise Merlin Griffiths as the friendly barman and the first port of call for the nervous diners in the Channel 4 show First Dates, but there is more to him than meets the eye.

Often referred to as the ‘King of Cocktails’, Merlin has been a mixologist travelling the world and whipping up delectable drinks for over 25 years. He also is the proud owner of a country inn in Northamptonshire, giving him firsthand experience of the difficulties in the hospitality sector.

Thanks to Smart Meter GB for helping us organise this edition of Business Leader Insight. Their guide Hospitality – Take Time, Take Control is available to download now. Contact your energy supplier to find out if your business is eligible for a smart meter.

HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE INTERVIEW:

Can you tell us about your background? (1:17)

Can you talk about the impact that the pandemic has had on restaurants and bars, including your own? (2:09)

How have you found the messaging from the Government? (3:44)

A report claimed that Eat Out to Help Out could be a major factor behind the second coronavirus spike. Do you think the hospitality industry is getting unfairly blamed for spreading the virus? (6:29)

How do you see the recovery – do you see a surge in people dining and investing in experiences when this is over, and do you have any tips for restaurant owners? (9:20)

Have you heard of any publicans closing their businesses? Has it got that bad for them yet? (15:13)

How did you end up working on the Channel 4 show First Dates? (17:12)

You’ve worked with Smart Energy GB on a guide to help small hospitality businesses can take back control in these difficult times, could you tell us about that? (18:38)

What’s your favourite cocktail? (19:31)

Final word from Merlin (20:11)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we were honoured to talk to Chris Ormrod, Managing Director at The Flavourworks. Originally trained as an actor, Chris joined Mars as a salesman straight from university and subsequently worked for Haagen-Dazs, Ginsters, Findus and Virgin in a variety of sales and marketing roles.

When Chris joined The Flavourworks was supplying several of the UK’s big supermarkets, but it needed to develop new sales initiatives to really grow. Fast forward to today and the changes he has made have increased sales substantially. It is forecasting more than +10% sales growth over the next 12 months, from new initiatives launched this year. This will have the effect of almost doubling its underlying operating profit. In 2020 it launched 50% more new lines than the previous year.

Chris currently chairs Somerset Larder, a start-up business providing all of the catering for Hinkley Point C, and is Chair of Governors at a Somerset academy school and a Director of the Richard Huish Education Group. One of Chris’s wider ambitions is to make the food industry more attractive to school leavers and graduates, with a properly developed and supported career path.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

Can you give us an overview of the business and what The Flavourworks does? (1:20)

Can you tell us about your career as a business leader and how it has evolved over the years? (2:24)

You were on the team that created Virgin Cola. What was it like working with Richard Branson? (5:04)

Can you talk more about the sale of your previous business Ministry of Cake in 2017? How did you find the process of selling and exiting the business? (6:00)

How is the pandemic impacting your business? (11:01)

Are you in a growth mindset, such as looking at how to expand and invest in the business? (15:34)

How are you seeing food habits evolve? (18:31)

How have you found the last few years with Brexit looming and are you fully prepared as a business for a potential no-deal scenario? (22:37)

Regarding skills – is there a challenge with attracting local talent to work in the food and drink manufacturing sector, as opposed to hiring workers from Europe? (25:58)

What advice would you give to entrepreneurs operating in the food and drink space as it’s highly competitive? (29:34)

Final word from Chris (32:02)

Check our Virtual Events page for upcoming Business Leader Insight interviews.

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

A special thanks to Arbuthnot Latham for sponsoring this edition of Business Leader Insight.

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we were honoured to talk to Bestselling author, investor, business guru & creator of the 10X Movement, Grant Cardone. Grant Cardone owns and operates seven privately held companies, and a private equity real estate firm, Cardone Capital, with a multifamily portfolio of assets worth over $2 billion.

He is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 business books, including The 10X Rule, which led to Cardone establishing the 10X Global Movement and the 10X Growth Conference, now the largest business and entrepreneur conference in the world. He is the Top Crowdfunder in the world, raising over $500 million in equity via social media.

The online business and sales educational platforms he created serve over 330,000 individuals and Forbes 100 clients throughout the world. Voted the top Marketing Influencer to watch by Forbes, Cardone uses his massive 15 million-plus following to give back via his Grant Cardone Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring underprivileged and troubled youth in financial literacy.

Here's a breakdown of what we discussed in the interview:

You used to be addicted to drugs – using daily – and you were brutally beaten up, losing job after job. You had a tough start to life. What was the trigger that made you say enough was enough? (1:03)

If you’ve been at the bottom and risen up – why can’t everybody do this? What are the traits you need to turn your life around? (3:23)

Can you talk more about this and the price you need to pay to have success and wealth and financial freedom? Everybody sees the wealth and spending I guess – but what price do you need to pay? (5:21)

Some people may find the process of starting a business and building it from the ground up intimidating. What would you do and what advice would you give to others? (6:58)

You've said in the past that buying a home isn't a good investment. How do you see the current state of the housing market? (8:58)

How did you deal with criticism and negativity in your rise to where you are today? (10:49)

What would you say to people who would argue that creating wealth isn't a good thing and it should be dispersed instead? (13:06)

What does the future hold for you? Continuing to inspire people or maybe a political career? (14:53)

Trump vs. Biden; who do you think should win the election? (17:18)

Has there been a particular person or book that has inspired you in your life? (19:02)

Details of the 10X Boot Camp Interactive (20:58)

Final word from Grant (23:17)

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we spoke to Pete Lowe; former Head of Education and Performance Management at Manchester City, a leadership specialist and founder of First Team Ltd.

As a professional speaker and thought leader on the global circuit, Pete draws on his experience of the high-performance environment of Premier League football to help businesses to create and sustain a culture of success. He proves that there are startling similarities between the pitch and the boardroom.

Pete’s track record includes more than 13 years in a senior role at Manchester City Football Club, where he was responsible for helping to develop an unrivalled talent pipeline that created 39 first team footballers and 25 full international players over a ten year period.

The team’s trophy cabinet was a testament to this success, with 13 European tournament wins, an U15 Championship World Cup, six Divisional Premier League Championships and the FA Youth Cup. Understanding how people tick and how to help them realise their potential was instrumental to his career at MCFC. He claims that knowing each character in the training room lies at the heart of extraordinary team performance.

Pete is adamant that there are no shortcuts to sustained success. His powerful insights delivered in a ‘say it as it is’ manner captivates audiences and prove that ‘tales from the touchline’ translate to other arenas, with compelling results. He maintains that ‘excellence’ is a nebulous destination and continuous improvement is the Holy Grail of sustained high performance. A man who speaks from the heart using real-life insights, Pete believes that culture must support strategy and leaders create leaders, not followers.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

- Overview of Pete Lowe's career (1:02)

- You were at Man City when the new ownership took over. What impact have they had on the club and the city? (2:36)

- What impact did the takeover have off the field, in the city of Manchester? (4:43)

- There have been cries by some of the top clubs for funding from the government due to the impact of COVID-19. Do you think clubs should get this assistance despite the perceived wealth in top-flight football? (7:22)

- What lessons from working in sport can be translated over to business? (8:43)

- When coming into a business for the first time, what do you believe are early signs that there's a problem and how do you address those? (11:50)

- Do you think working from home will have an effect on the "winning culture" of the workspace? (13:52)

- What do you believe are the traits of a good modern leader? (15:35)

- What does your typical day entail and how do you keep yourself motivated? (18:35)

- Who do you think is going to win the Premier League and Champions League this year? (21:00)

- How can people get in touch with you? (21:57)

- A final word from Pete Lowe (22:33)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

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The Insight series is taking a break this week. Instead, we're bringing you a very special panel debate that we hosted on mergers and acquisitions.

Many experts are predicting a surge of mergers and acquisitions activity in the coming months; as companies consolidation happens across various sectors and leaders take advantage of available capital to grow their operations.

We assembled a prestigious panel for this discussion:

• Richard Wilkey – Partner, Corporate at Harrison Clark Rickerbys

• Alan Barratt – Founder and CEO of Grenade

• Tim Spooner – Director at KPMG Corporate Finance

• Joanna Scott – Principal at Boost & Co

• Andrew Scott – CEO of Ascot Group

• Myles Hamilton – Director at Shaw & Co

A special thanks to Harrison Clark Rickerbys for sponsoring this very special panel debate.

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The Insight series is taking a break this week. Instead, we are bringing you a very special live event that we hosted with Funding London. The event featured three incredibly successful British business leaders. All three worked in multiple iconic start-ups and built companies generating tens of billions of dollars revenue. They created and led Unicorns before that term was invented. They started their career in Oracle when it was a start-up with a few dozen people.

After over a decade with Oracle, Steve Garnett went on to co-create two other amazing companies, Siebel System and Salesforce, with the founders Tom Siebel and Marc Benioff.

After leaving Oracle, Stephen Kelly led 3 successful turnarounds to growth as a ‘hands-on’ CEO – most recently at Sage. He is the only business leader in the UK, who ran two FTSE 100 companies. He was appointed Prime Minister’s Business Ambassador 2015-19 and is Chairperson of TechNation.

After a decade with Oracle, Sukhendu Pal went on to work for the biggest bank in the world, where he created an organisation which became a multi-billion dollar business serving the emerging markets spanning 72 countries. He then led another successful start-up and founded another.

The three are Funding London’s lead mentors and in this event they discuss how the coronavirus outbreak has forced entrepreneurs to think on their feet, rapidly pivoting business models as they adapt to the “new normal” and use technology to transform relationships with customers and staff.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

Steve Garnett introduction (1:30)

Stephen Kelly introduction (2:15)

Sukhendu Pal introduction (3:26)

How should we reshape and rebuild great companies for the “new normal”? (4:47)

What will be the required model of leadership for the “new normal”? (7:11)

How do you innovate in the depths of a recession? (9:13)

How can we rebuild public confidence in capitalism and its ability to function in a way that generates inclusive and sustainable prosperity? (14:47)

What is the biggest challenge companies face for business recovery at this most challenging of times? (19:14)

Can purpose and profit coexist? (23:06)

What will leaders do to keep their teams engaged, morale high, culture intact and maintain high performance in the “new normal”? (25:26)

In your experience, how much more successful are purpose-driven companies? (28:13)

Questions from the public

What will this pandemic be remembered for? (35:28)

Why should people keep companies around in the next “new normal” whose sole purpose is the enrichment of a select few? (41:59)

COVID-19 will have a massive impact on inequality – how do you suggest we eliminate inequality? (50:33)

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

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In the latest instalment of Business Leader Insight, we spoke to Ollie Phillips; former England Rugby Sevens Captain and World Player of the Year-turned world-record-holding adventurer, business leader and motivational speaker.

Across a distinguished 14-year professional career, Ollie reached a European Final, captained England at Twickenham and defeated the All Blacks in New Zealand, amongst many other honours. He has also worked as a pundit for Eurosport and Sky Sports, providing commentary and analysis of Rugby World Cups, European Cups and the HSBC World Sevens Series. He is now the Head Coach for the WRU Women’s Seven’s programme.

Not one to rest on his laurels, since retiring from professional rugby Ollie has made a name for himself as an intrepid adventurer. His most recent endeavours include world record-breaking feats that have raised money for rugby charity Wooden Spoon; playing in the most northern game of rugby (at the Magnetic North Pole) and the highest ever game of rugby (at Advanced Base Camp on Mount Everest). Ollie has raised over £2.5 million for numerous charities and remains a dedicated ambassador for Wooden Spoon and the Alzheimer’s Society as well as being a strong supporter of Cancer Research UK.

Ollie brings this same energy and work ethic to the business world. He completed an MBA at Cambridge University (where he won a Blue for playing in the Varsity Match) and is a Director at PwC. Here he leads part of the company’s real estate group across UK & EMEA and is the lead partner for PwC’s relationship with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Responsible for driving and facilitating change for his clients, he helps them take a fresh approach to any challenges they face.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

Ollie Phillips background (1:02)

What have your difficult challenges, such as climbing Mt. Everest, teach you about yourself? (3:04)

What insight would you give for leaders who are managing diverse characters in their team? (5:14)

What is your advice for leading times in a period of crisis? (7:11)

Do you think leaders need to be more open about their mental health? (9:00)

What is your advice for dealing with negative team members? (10:47)

Who are the leaders that you’ve come across in life that you admire? (12:43)

What are the main challenges you are seeing at the moment in leadership? (15:53)

Do you still see a physical office space being a part of business in the future? (18:06)

Questions from the public

How do you keep yourself motivated in business? And did your experience in sport help with this today? (20:30)

Do you think there’s enough of a focus on getting young sports stars to think about their post-sport careers? (22:45)

How do you stay resilient and what advice would give to someone who is making the step into the business and entrepreneurial world? (24:17)

What is the best advice you’ve ever received? (26:15)

What is one fact about you that people can’t find online? (28:04)

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In this instalment of Business Leader Insight, we spoke to Dr Alex Young, the CEO and founder of Virti: a Bristol-based tech firm using XR and AI to set a new gold standard for immersive learning.

A trauma and orthopaedic surgeon by training, Alex built and sold his first company whilst still at medical school. He’s won multiple awards with Virti including the VR Healthcare Award at The VR Awards and ‘Best Startup’ at the Mayor of London’s Medtech Business Awards. Virti is also part of the NHS’ prestigious Innovation Accelerator Programme.

Virti‘s mission is to improve human performance by making experiential training affordable and accessible to everyone on the planet. To do this Virti uses virtual and augmented reality coupled with AI to transport employees into difficult to access environments and safely assesses them under pressure to improve their performance.

Virti operates in healthcare where the system is used for health professional training as well as patient education and Virti also provides soft-skills training to corporates including leaderships, anti-bullying and harassment training and training on infrequent but hazardous events.

Here's what we discussed during the interview:

Dr Alex Young background (1:02)

Having sold a company as a medical student and scaled a company in your spare time while working for the NHS, where would you say your work ethic comes from? (4:50)

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected Virti and how have you reacted to it? (6:45)

What role does technology have in the future of the healthcare sector? (10:54)

The company operates in both the UK and US, what would you say are the differences between the two countries when it comes to entrepreneurship and innovation? (14:21)

Funding seems to be funnelled into apps and social media platforms, rather than a broad array of businesses. Is that what you are seeing and is that a negative in some ways? (19:04)

Looking at the future, how can virtual reality and augmented reality play a bigger role for companies? (21:41)

Where are you based and how many employees do you have at Virti? (24:24)

Questions from the public

Based on your experience, what advice would you have for leaders considering looking for funding for the first time? (25:03)

Do you think there's space for more collaboration in the tech sector? (27:33)

What advice would you give to other business leaders who haven’t adopted emerging technologies into their business and way of working yet? (28:55)

What has been the most difficult challenge in your career and how have you overcome it? (30:52)

What is the best advice you've ever received? (32:22)

The Go:Tech Awards celebrate businesses and entrepreneurs leading the way in technology and innovation across the UK. To bring you this event, we’ve collaborated with some of the country’s leading university technology departments, business incubators, and independent tech associations.

Enter the 2020 Go:Tech Awards now.

Check our Virtual Events page for upcoming Business Leader Insight interviews.

Be sure to subscribe to the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the UK’s leading business figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.