From turning a £5 million turnaround story into a £2.2 billion exit to steering a travel brand through the chaos of COVID, Mike Jones has built a career on turning complexity into clarity through technology, leadership and curiosity.

In this episode of Behind the SME, Mike shares 30 years of lessons in scaling fast-moving businesses, rebuilding teams under pressure and creating cultures where innovation thrives.

He talks about why growth doesn’t come from control but from empowering experts, how he rebuilt a company from the inside out during lockdown, and why “weaponising your weirdness” might just be the key to thriving in the age of AI.

🔎 You’ll learn:

• How a failing business became a multi-billion-pound success story
• What it takes to lead through crisis and change
• How to turn a traditional company into a technology-driven one
• Why autonomy and curiosity drive real growth
• How AI can become your thinking partner, not your replacement

Whether you’re leading a team, scaling a business, or exploring how AI can sharpen your edge, this episode is full of practical wisdom and candid stories from a technologist who’s built, rebuilt, and reimagined success more than once.

Like what you hear? We'd love to know!

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