We spoke to Tom Ray, CEO of Cloud Technology Solutions. Tom explains why finding and following your passion is the best career advice, why he was proud to step into the role of CEO at CTS and his vision for the future, the importance of bringing diverse talent into a business, and his view on the vital role private equity plays in supporting high growth regional businesses.

We sat down with Andy Ball, Partner at NorthEdge. Andy outlines why he is so passionate about private equity, why he is proud that the people at NorthEdge live by the company’s values, and why it’s important to choose a private equity firm based on relationship and the value you will get from the partnership.

We spoke to Lights4fun Chair, David Stern. David explains why the people aspect of business has been the most rewarding for him, why a diverse business is vital for success, and how branding and digital transformation can be used as key drivers for growth.

We spoke to Hayley Roberts, CEO of Distology. Hayley talks about learning to make the best of everything, the importance of having a positive impact on the people around her, creating an open minded approach to D&I and culture within Distology and their industry, and her view on why taking private equity investment has been the best business decision she has made.

We sat down with Ray Stenton, Managing Partner of NorthEdge. Ray talks about learning the value of hard work from his parents, the importance of building a strong culture, differentiating ourselves through our people, his pride in the progress NorthEdge has made on diversity and inclusion, and why a healthy competitive streak combined with integrity has helped him to win business the right way throughout his career. He also shares his valuable advice on how businesses can get ready for private equity investment!

We spoke to Sophie Lawler, CEO of Total Fitness. Sophie talks about embracing vulnerability in her role as CEO, building a culture of trust and authenticity at Total Fitness, and why private equity should be seen as a partnership to ensure success for all stakeholders.

We sat down with Grant Berry, Managing Partner and co-founder of NorthEdge. Grant talks about his Dad’s early influence, the role that private equity plays in building better businesses, and why a sense of humour has helped him to succeed.

Our first episode is in recognition of World Mental Health Day this Sunday. We are joined by Sanctus, an organisation that helps to create safe spaces for talking about and normalising mental health in the workplace. During the podcast we discuss ways to pro-actively work on our own mental health and support those around us with Sanctus co-founder George Bettany.