How do you lead a manufacturing business through rapid change while managing the pressure of workforce shortages, innovation and modernisation?
In this episode of MDs in Manufacturing, Kerry Hope, Managing Director at Castle Employment Group, sits down with Kerry Taylor, Managing Director at CB Solutions in Scarborough, for an honest conversation about the realities of leadership in today’s manufacturing sector.
Kerry opens up about the challenges facing leaders across the UK — from introducing automation and AI to tackling staff shortages and building more diverse, inclusive teams. Her insights reveal the balancing act of driving innovation while maintaining productivity and protecting the people who keep manufacturing moving.
You will learn:• How CB Solutions is using automation and AI to optimise production and improve efficiency.• Practical lessons from digital transformation and technology integration in traditional manufacturing.• Where manufacturing is heading with emerging technologies and how to prepare for change.• Why diversity and community building are essential for innovation and resilience.• How Kerry is leading efforts to attract and support women in manufacturing and engineering.• The reality of today’s staff crisis — from recruitment struggles to long-term retention challenges.• The personal side of leadership and how MDs manage stress, uncertainty and responsibility.
This conversation is a rare and candid look into what it truly means to run a manufacturing business today. Kerry’s experiences capture both the excitement and the strain of leading through transformation, offering advice that every senior leader, operations director or business owner can relate to.
For leaders in engineering, manufacturing or construction, this episode explores the shared pressures of modernisation, workforce management and the constant demand to do more with less. Kerry’s perspective provides practical strategies for balancing technology with humanity and building a business ready for the future.
MDs in Manufacturing, hosted by Kerry Hope of Castle Employment Group, features genuine conversations with the people shaping British industry. Each episode uncovers how manufacturing leaders are adapting to change, empowering their teams and leading with purpose in an evolving economy.
Follow MDs in Manufacturing on Spotify to hear more stories from the leaders transforming UK manufacturing through innovation, resilience and people-first thinking.