By Nottingham Trent University
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The podcast currently has 56 episodes available.
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 56
Bal Bansal – Global technology strategist and local community leader
SUMMARY
Bal Bansal – Global technology strategist and local community leader
Bal Bansal is Director of Global Technology Strategy at IHG Hotels & Resorts – a company with 6,000 hotels and 350,000 staff, around the world.
He is an innovator and digital transformer. But he is also a leader who recognises the importance of community.
In Episode 56 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ podcast, Bal talks to Honorary Visiting Professor Mike Sassi about Coke cans in Australia, hotels on Mars – and why he cooks meals for the homeless.
INTRODUCTION
• Bal Bansal has been director of global technology strategy at IHG Hotels & Resorts since July 2022. IHG has 6,000 hotels and 350,000 staff around the world. Bal digitises IHG’s hospitality and business processes.
• Bal has worked in tech for more than two decades – across Europe and North America, specialising in managing multi-million-pound digital transformation projects
• He started at photographic company Kodak, in Nottinghamshire, in 2002
• He subsequently spent 13 years in IT innovation and strategy at Coca-Cola
• Outside of work, Bal spent four years as a councillor on Rushcliffe Borough Council, in Nottinghamshire
• He is also a children’s football coach, where he encourages more Sikh youngsters to get involved in the game
LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS FROM BAL BANSAL
He tells Mike Sassi:
Within ten years, there could be hotels on Mars…
“It’s only a matter of time. Organisations have got to start thinking about that. People will be landing on Mars. And they’ll need a place to stay.”
The most innovative ideas can come from anywhere…
“You know about putting names on Coke cans? That idea [now used all over the world] came from an innovation team in Australia… from a supermarket out there.”
When you manage teams around the world, you should make time to meet people in person…
“When there is always a screen between you… you need have [at least one] in-person meetup. Some of my teams are in India. I struggled to get them to talk. Then I flew out there to meet them… now our relationship is great.”
Online leaders must be particularly good communicators…
“You have to make your goals very clear… so people are willing to take ownership and to collaborate.”
The best leaders have a passion for their work…
“Every morning I’m so excited to get out of bed! I love doing what I do.”
And Bal’s advice to would-be leaders?
“Make your mistakes while you’re young. You’re less likely to be forgiven when you’re older!”
RELATED LINKS
• Bal Bansal is on LinkedIn
• Bal’s Instagram
• Bal Bansal’s Tomorrow’s World blog is here
If you enjoyed this episode NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Bal Bansal, listen to previous shows with…
• The former CEO of ASOS Nick Beighton
• The Chief Marketing Officer of Boots Pete Markey
• The CEO of Capital One UK Lucy Hagues
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 55
Leadership roundtable: How small businesses can become more sustainable
SUMMARY
Small and medium businesses account for half of Britain’s turnover, 60 per cent of UK employment and 99 per cent of all our business enterprises. They also generate around half of Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions.
But according to research by Santander, businesses are struggling to become more sustainable – and hit the Government target of achieving Net Zero by 2050.
In Episode 55 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, Wendy Whewell - Head of ESG and Climate Change at Santander, and Polly Harold - Senior Public Affairs and Public Policy manager at Santander, explain why climate change is such a big issue for businesses – and what they can do to become more sustainable.
KEY LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS from the sustainability roundtable with Wendy Whewell and Polly Harold, from Santander
They tell Honorary Visiting Professor Mike Sassi…
WW: “Climate change is happening so quickly… Businesses need to build resilience and adapt, to ensure they can continue to sell their products and services.”
WW: “Sustainability means, how are businesses going to survive the challenges they face? [For example] None of us realised Ukraine produced 50% of all the sunflower seeds used in Western Europe. Suddenly, we’ve got to think, where are we getting our oil from?”
WW: “It’s all about collaboration. Businesses have to work together… with banks, with universities… to make a difference.”
PH: “There is also a role for Government here. There are things businesses feel Government could do to support them… What’s the plan for SMEs in the Government’s path to Net Zero?”
WW: “For a small business such as a fish and chip shop, the cost rises have been staggering. One, is the energy prices. Two is the cost of fish. But three is the cost of finding the fish…. Fishing quotas and the price of cod mean what was previously a cheap meal is now very expensive.”
PH: “I've done numerous pieces of public polling this year… overwhelmingly, you can see that that younger generations care more and more about the environment and are taking that into consideration when making all their decisions [as consumers].”
WW: “Every single business needs to think about every single aspect [of what they do] and how it’s impacted by sustainability, climate change, and where they can make a difference.”
PH: “When I think about leadership, I think about the skills that we need to transition to Net Zero and how you lead the workforce through that change. There’s a leadership role there – in the skilling.”
WW: “This is the biggest behavioural change project the world has ever seen because we all have to change our own habits if we want to make a difference.”
RELATED LINKS
• Santander research into Net Zero transition
• Santander’s own Net Zero aims
• Wendy Whewell spoke about sustainability at this event
If you enjoyed this episode of the NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Wendy Whewell and Polly Harold, listen to previous shows with…
• The former CEO of ASOS Nick Beighton
• The former Chairman and Chief Exec of Experian Sir John Peace
• The Chief Marketing Officer of Boots UK Pete Markey
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 54
Sean Bowles – Keeping calm and building resilience in a frontline construction business
SUMMARY
Sean Bowles – Keeping calm and building resilience in a frontline construction business
Sean Bowles is a Managing Director at construction company Morgan Sindall – an organisation that employs 3,000 staff and turns over one billion pounds every year.
His teams have built everything from city centre primary schools and university student blocks to salt barns for road gritters… and even a museum display case for a Spitfire.
In Episode 54 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, Sean tells Honorary Visiting Professor Mike Sassi about the importance of team building, networking, authenticity… and the need for leaders to stay calm.
INTRODUCTION
• Sean Bowles is MD at Morgan Sindall Construction – Central and West, which is one of nine companies in the Morgan Sindall Group
• Morgan Sindall Construction is a contractor that builds schools, universities, student accommodation, highways depots, hospitals and all aspects of the built environment
• Sean was born and brought up in Nottingham – and graduated from NTU in 1997, with a BSc in Quantity Surveying
• He has worked at Morgan Sindall since February 2016
KEY LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS FROM SEAN BOWLES
He tells Mike Sassi:
…how proud he is to be involved with new public buildings:
“We drive past somewhere, and I say: We built that! My wife always raises her eyebrows…”
…in his industry, communication is important:
“Construction is a real ‘people-business’. Your social skills can really come to the fore.”
…managing a sub-contracting business is an educational experience:
“You learn at an early age how to deal with conflict!”
…successful leaders are always making good contacts:
“Networking is important, but it has to be authentic. You can tell when it’s not – and that can be off-putting.”
…leaders need to put together high-performing teams:
“It’s important to surround yourself with talented people. Don’t be afraid of working with people who are better than you.”
…working environments are changing:
“Construction sites can still be a harsh environment. But the working environment is completely different [to when I started]. Now [it’s recognised] that the more diverse the workplace, the better the outcomes.”
…it’s important for leaders to have a plan:
“Have a career plan It helps you to recover from short term knocks.”
…successful leaders usually stay calm:
“I spend a lot of my time toning down my natural emotional responses to situations. A lot of leaders do the same. You must be calm. In the most difficult circumstances. The best leaders appear calm and clear-headed – despite what might be going on just under the surface!”
RELATED LINKS
• There’s more about Sean Bowles on his LinkedIn page
• The Morgan Sindall Construction website
• Morgan Sindall is a strategic partner of NTU
If you enjoyed this episode of the NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Sean Bowles, listen to previous shows with…
• The Chief Marketing Officer of Boots Pete Markey
• The CEO of transport technology Microlise, Nadeem Raza
• The CEO of Capital One Lucy-Marie Hagues MBE
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 53
Pete Markey – Why Marketing can be a force for good
SUMMARY
Pete Markey is Chief Marketing Officer of Boots UK. He has also been hailed as the finest marketer in Britain.
He has held leadership roles with a clutch of stellar brands, including TSB, AVIVA, The Post Office, RSA and More Than. He has also won five national Marketer of the Year titles.
In Episode 53 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ podcast, Pete tells Honorary Visiting Professor Mike Sassi about his love of knotty challenges, his determination to stay relevant and his passionate belief that marketing (and business) should be a force for good.
He also reveals how improvised comedy classes have helped him hone his leadership skills.
INTRODUCTION
• Pete Markey has been Chief Marketing Officer at Boots UK since February 2021
• During a 30-year career he has held senior leadership roles with several brands including Boots, TSB, Aviva, The Post Office and RSA
• He started his career as a sales team leader with British Gas
• In July 2024, he was made President of The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA), the voice of British advertisers
• Pete has a huge online following across most social media platforms and is lauded as one of the finest communicators in the marketing industry
• In 2023, he was named Marketing Week’s Marketer of the Year
• Pete graduated from Solent University in 1995, with a BA in Corporate Communication. In 2024, Solent awarded him an Honorary Doctorate
KEY LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS FROM PETE MARKEY
He tells Mike Sassi…
How classes in improvised comedy have helped his business career:
“In business, we’re often not spontaneous or creative enough… If we are more willing to break rigid structure, we see more momentum and growth in our business.
“I’ve found [improvised comedy] incredibly useful in helping me to be more spontaneous and present in the moment… to think of new and different ideas… to bring a lightness of touch when it is needed.
“Also, three quarters of the [improv comedy] scenes you do, you wish you could have done better. So, the biggest thing it does is [teach you] to pick yourself up from failure!”
About recently going back to ‘performing’, as he had done when studying at university in the 1990s:
“I rediscovered, thirty years on, that I’d become too corporate!”
About the importance, for him, of helping to create future leaders…
“When I look at my team I think, how can I be the person that inspires and moves them on? In the same way that other people have done that for me...”
That, looking back, he might have done things differently…
“If I started my career again, I’d definitely encourage myself to be more assertive… I was always too worried about offending people.
“I’m a very positive and upbeat person. But I’ve learned that I can be assertive and questioning in a very natural style. I don’t have to turn into an ogre!”
Why he is driven to deliver…
“I absolutely love what I do, and I love Boots as a brand. But I feel a weight of responsibility.
“The business is 175 years old. My job is to catapult it on for another 175 years. Eventually, I’ll just be a sepia-toned photograph in the archive!”
Why leadership legacies are important…
“When I’m dead, nobody will say; God, he made a cracking Christmas advert in 2022! Hopefully, they will say; he used the time he had to make a difference – and to make things better.”
That leaders are often evangelicals…
“I genuinely feel marketing can be a real force for good.
“I live with a huge sense of legacy hanging over me. We’re only on this earth for a short period of time. I’ve got to live my life to do good.
“We have to leave the companies we’re in, the people we interact with, in a better place than when we found them. That has to be our mission.”
About the importance of finding a business in which you can grow and learn as a person…
“I love knotty challenges. With almost every business I’ve joined, I’ve known nothing about their industry until I went in.
“Insurance, banking, retail, telecoms… I love the challenge of learning something I know nothing about.”
Why it’s important for leaders to stay relevant…
“[Having a] restlessness and hunger to keep learning more is important. The danger [for more experienced leaders] is that you get stuck and start treading water. I never want to be like that.
“I always want to be at the cutting edge of innovation, because that’s what keeps the brands I work for relevant.”
And Pete’s advice for future leaders?
“Be assertive, confident and believe in yourself, but not in an arrogant way. Particularly early in your career. Don’t be afraid to reach out, push boundaries, open doors… because you never know where they might lead.”
RELATED LINKS
• There’s more about Pete Markey on his LinkedIn page
• Pete Markey's Instagram page
• There’s also more about Pete on the Boots website
If you enjoyed this episode NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Pete Markey, listen to previous shows with…
• The former CEO of ASOS Nick Beighton
• The former Chairman and Chief Exec of Experian Sir John Peace
• The CEO of Capital One UK Lucy Hagues
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 52
Alison Swan Parente MBE - Founding the School of Artisan Food, at the age of 60
Summary
Alison Swan Parente MBE is founder of the pioneering School of Artisan Food and the Welbeck Bakehouse.
She set them up as second career, sixteen years ago, when she was 60.
In Episode 52 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, Alison talks to Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi about the joys and challenges of her ‘new’ career.
She also enthuses about creating a new generation of butchers, bakers, brewers and cheese-makers.
Introduction
• Alison Swan Parente was born in Sussex, just after the Second World War.
• She enjoyed a 35-year career as a child psychotherapist, in Britain and America.
• When she retired in 2007, at the age of 60, she set up artisan bakery The Welbeck Bakehouse, on the Welbeck Estate in north Nottinghamshire.
• Soon after, she founded The School of Artisan Food.
• Sixteen years on, the school has won industry awards and built a national reputation for its hands-on courses and world class tutors.
• It teaches traditional skills including bread-baking, cheese-making, brewing and butchery. Its courses focus on healthy and sustainable food.
• In recent years, the school has teamed up with Nottingham Trent University to deliver degree courses in artisan food production.
• Alison was an expert judge on the BBC’s Top of the Shop show, with restaurateurs Tom Kerridge and Nisha Katona.
• In 2017 she was awarded an MBE, for services to education and charity
Key takeaways
Alison Swan Parente told Mike Sassi…
…she was interested in food and cooking from an early age:
“My biggest influence was living in a communal household, in America in the 1970s, where the men cooked. I’d never seen that before. They’d learned [cooking] for political reasons. The women were fed up with cooking.”
…one aim of the School of Artisan Food is to provide routes into employment for young people:
“If you are thinking about how to make young people resilient, one thing you can do is help them to be creative - another is to give them a job.”
…when artisan food producers enthuse about what they do, that’s good marketing:
"Marketing is essential for any business. But the best marketing is authentic marketing."
…it is important for leaders to be well-informed:
“Leadership involves hanging around discreetly in the shadows of your institution, hearing about the things that are going on.”
…it’s also important for leaders not to become micro-managers:
“You have to know what’s going on – but you also have to trust the people you employ.”
And Alison’s advice for leaders and would-be leaders?
“You have to listen to people all the time. Do more listening than talking!”
Related links
• More about Alison Swan Parente MBE
• Alison’s LinkedIn profile is here
• Alison is trustee and founder of the School of Artisan Food
• Alison Swan Parente presented the BBC’s Top of the Shop
If you enjoyed this episode NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Alison Swan Parente, listen to previous shows with…
• The Chair of the English Football Association Debbie Hewitt
• Paralympic gold medallist Charlotte Henshaw
• The CEO of Capital One UK Lucy Marie Hagues
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 51
Nadeem Raza - leading a management buyout, then floating on the stock exchange.
SUMMARY
Nadeem Raza is CEO of transport technology company Microlise.
He joined Microlise in the 1980s as a young software engineer and over the next three decades worked his way up through the company. In 2008 he led a management buyout – and in 2021 the company floated on the Stock Exchange, where it was valued at £156.5m.
In Episode 51 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, Nadeem tells Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi about his love of writing software, his fascination with managing people… and why a quarter of all the trucks on Britain’s roads are empty.
INTRODUCTION
• Nadeem Raza is CEO at the Nottinghamshire-based Microlise company which provides software solutions for the transport logistics industry.
• Microlise works with all four of Britain’s biggest supermarkets – Sainsbury’s, Tesco, ASDA and Morrison’s – and scores of others international brands from JCB to DFS and Eddie Stobart to Travis Perkins.
• The company’s technology helps fleets of trucks and other vehicles move goods from manufacturers to warehouses; warehouses to shops and supermarkets; and from shops to customers via home deliveries.
• Nadeem Raza led a management buy-out of Microlise in 1982, then floated it on the Stock Exchange in 2021, when the company was valued at £156m.
• The company now has 750 staff, operating across six continents. Last year it turned over £71m, with a gross profit of £43m and an operating profit of £2.3m.
• Microlise has won two concurrent Queen’s Awards for Enterprise – for International Trade in 2018, and Innovation in 2019.
• The company was originally founded in 1982, developing warehouse management software.
• Nadeem joined it as a software engineer in the late 1980s and worked his way up to the position of managing director.
KEY LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS
Nadeem Raza told Mike Sassi about...
…why he became a software engineer:
“I joined Microlise to do something I really loved – writing software. I’ve been writing software since I was 14. It was a hobby. ZX Spectrum, Atari computers, Commodore computers… that’s where I started.”
…the importance of being curious:
“I started as a software engineer. But because I’m always thinking, how can I do something better? or, how can I improve a particular process? I ended up being seconded to every other area of the business.”
…leading a management buyout during a national financial crisis:
“2008 was difficult. We completed our MBO at the beginning of the financial crisis. We got into debt problems and went through two or three years of challenging times. But we managed to get through it. If you can get through the tough times, then the easier times are just a walk in the park.”
…how best to manage people:
“The business is made up of many different areas… they have many different people and characters, with many different ways of working. Understanding that, helps you organise, manage, motivate and lead.”
…why good staff are so important:
“There is a lot of knowledge and experience among staff. Without them the software is just a tool that you don’t really understand how to use.”
…looking after and retaining your staff:
“If you treat people well and look after them and give them opportunities, then they will hang around.”
…what motivates his leadership:
“I’m always wondering how I can create value and benefit [for staff and customers], rather than thinking ‘what’s in it for me?’ That happens as a consequence. If you create value elsewhere, ultimately, you’ll benefit yourself.”
…the company’s most recent international contract:
“Woolworths is a big brand in Australia. We help them deal with home deliveries (mainly groceries) from their supermarkets, in new electric vehicles.”
…the need for more collaboration between companies that use trucks:
“25 per cent of the time trucks run with nothing on board. They’re empty. They’re just carrying air! In any other industry this amount of ‘waste’ would be an enormous figure to deal with.”
RELATED LINKS
• There’s more about Nadeem Raza on his LinkedIn page
• Nadeem Raza also features strongly on the Microlise website
• Nadeem Raza is a trustee of Nottinghamshire Community Foundation
• Recent news stories about Microlise, from Insider Media
If you enjoyed this episode of the NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Nadeem Raza, listen to previous shows with…
• The former Chairman and Chief Exec of Experian Sir John Peace
• The CEO of Capital One UK Lucy Hagues
• International business executive Sir Ken Olisa OBE
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 50
Nick Beighton - The e-commerce pioneer who turned ASOS into an international success story
Summary
Nick Beighton transformed ASOS into a global e-commerce powerhouse. When he walked through the front door to take up the role of Chief Finance Officer in 2009, the company was a fledgling online fashion retailer, with 200 staff and £160m of revenues. When he stepped down as Chief Executive 12 years later, the company’s workforce was 3,500-strong… and its annual revenues were just shy of £4bn.
In a special Episode 50 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, Nick tells Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi about the importance of values, the need for planning, and why it’s always better to use influence rather than exert control.
Introduction
Nick Beighton is one of Britain’s most celebrated e-commerce fashion executives – best known for the 12 years he spent on the board of online retailer ASOS (2009 to 2021).
He was CEO of ASOS for six years, during which time he helped turn the company into a huge global success story.
Nick was born in Nottinghamshire and started his career as a chartered accountant with KPMG, in Nottingham.
He graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 1989 after studying accounting and finance.
Nick went on to become Head of Finance at High Street retailer Matalan. He was also Chief Finance Officer at Britain’s biggest operator of late-night venues Luminar.
For 14 months up to March 2024, Nick was CEO of luxury fashion retailer Matchesfashion. He is currently chairman of the Secret Sales online fashion retailer.
KEY LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS FROM NICK BEIGHTON
He tells Mike Sassi…
…a leader must be the coolest person in the room when something goes wrong:
“At ASOS, when something went wrong I would say – guys, it’s just another bump in the road. It’s not failure. It’s something new we’ve learned.”
...it’s important to listen to your mum:
“[When I left school] I wanted to join the Royal Marines. My mum wasn’t blown away! So, when the opportunity came to work in an accounting office, she pushed me into it.”
…successful leaders are always willing to experiment:
“One of our values at ASOS was, never be afraid to turn left when others turn right. If it doesn’t work, you can [stop and] go again.”
…as businesses get bigger, they become less entrepreneurial:
“I was always asking [myself], how do I put entrepreneurialism into the organisation? The best ideas don’t come from the boardroom – they come from your team, and your customers.”
…having a clear purpose helps leaders inspire their staff to follow them:
“I’m an unashamed admirer of capitalism. But purpose drives profit – not the other way round. When you do this, your team understands and follows you.”
…customers want to know about a company’s values and purpose:
“At ASOS, people were wearing our clothes because they wanted to express themselves in a particular way. Customers want to be part of a brand that has something they believe in.”
…a leader must be seen to embody the company’s values:
“When your organisation gets its values right… then you, as the leader, have to adopt them. Otherwise, the organisation calls you out as being full of sh’t!”
…it’s important for leaders to build their communication skills:
“You don’t have to be an extrovert to be a leader. You can be a quiet leader. But you must be a good communicator.”
And his advice to other leaders and would-be leaders?
“Leadership is not a right, it’s a privilege. So, make sure you do something with your leadership. Don’t just sit on it. Use your influence to make change. Don’t wait to be asked what you think!”
RELATED LINKS
• There’s more about Nick Beighton on his LinkedIn profile
• There’s also more about Nick Beighton on fashion news platform Drapers
• Nick Beighton’s exit from Matchesfashion was reported in Retail Gazette
If you enjoyed this episode NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Nick Beighton, listen to previous shows with…
• The former Chairman and Chief Exec of Experian Sir John Peace
• The CEO of Capital One UK Lucy Hagues
• International business executive Sir Ken Olisa OBE
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 49
Ajay Sethi: Mr Tweezerman UK – the public face of a global beauty brand
Summary
Tweezerman is one of the world’s best-known beauty accessory brands – and Ajay Sethi is MD of Tweezerman UK.
Ajay set up his business in the back bedroom of his family home, exactly twenty years ago. He became a joint venture partner with Tweezerman in 2018.
In Episode 49 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, Ajay tells Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi about the pressures and pleasures of leading such a high-profile brand.
He also explains why he installed a disco glitter ball in the staff toilets.
Introduction
• Ajay Sethi spent the first fourteen years of his career in sales, with Spillers, Sara Lee and Cork International.
• In 2004 he set up his own business, QVC Global, in the back bedroom of his Nottingham home, selling TRUYU branded beauty accessories to major department stores and retailers.
• German conglomerate the Zwilling Beauty Group bought QVS in 2013 and Ajay became a joint venture partner.
• QVS changed its name to Tweezerman UK in 2018, when Ajay bought the rights to the Tweezerman brand in Britain.
• Tweezerman UK now has 20 staff, based in offices in Edwalton, Nottingham. Last year its turnover was almost £8m.
• Tweezerman’s beauty tools – including tweezers, eyelash curlers, cosmetic brushes and pedicure accessories – are used by A-list actors and celebrities around the world, from Margot Robbie to Molly Mae Hague
• The brand sells in 67 countries. Tweezerman’s premium brand tools are on sale in Harrods and Sefridges. In London.
• British customers have affectionately dubbed Ajay, Mr Tweezerman!
Key leadership takeaways
Ajay told this episode of the NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast about:
…being offered the chance to sell beauty accessories after he was made redundant from a book wholesaler.
“At the time I would have said yes to anything. If you’d asked me to be a horse trader, I would have said yes!”
…the importance, for businesspeople, of finding a gap in the market.
“[When I started selling] I stood in front of the beauty fixture in a major store and had a bit of a moment… I realised they didn’t have any pedicure files – and I had six in my range. I rang the buyer and told her she had a gap… to cut a long story short, we’re still supplying them, 20 years later.”
…the skills required to build a business.
“People do business with people. I spend most of my time trying to get people to engage with me… The most important thing is authenticity.”
…not realising, in the early days of his business, that traders need a VAT number to release imported stock to customers.
“I was told it took up to four weeks to get a VAT number – and I needed the stock that day. I begged, I pleaded, I cried… within two hours I had the number. But I’d never known that kind of pressure. I went into survival mode.”
…the role of a business leader.
“What I do is set out the business culture… I’m a great believer that everything is driven by values. If your value relationships [with staff and customers] don’t work, your business won’t work.”
…Tweezerman’s “funky” offices, with their neon lights, graffiti art and disco glitters balls in the loo.
“I want it to be fun for staff to come to work… and it’s a focus of attention when buyers come to our office. Sometimes they don’t want to leave. We have such a lovely energy.”
…the great potential for growth in his business.
“We’ve grown revenues 300 per cent in the last six years. Revenues are now at £8m – they really should [soon] be £15m. New products, new categories, now customers… I just don’t want to stop!”
…the pressures of being an entrepreneur.
“I have one hundred business ideas a day. Some days I don’t sleep!”
Related links
There’s more about Ajay Sethi on his LinkedIn profile.
The Tweezerman UK website is here.
Ajay is also a trustee of Our Dementia Choir.
Journalist Lynette Pinchess wrote this piece about Tweezerman, for Nottinghamshire Live.
If you enjoyed this episode NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Ajay Sethi, listen to previous episodes with…
Two Michelin-starred chef Sat Bains
The CEO of Capital One UK Lucy Hagues
The MD of Xerox UK Darren Cassidy
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 48
Matt Wallace: Building your own business – and knowing the value of a good podcast
Summary
Fifteen years ago, entrepreneur Matt Wallace was an iMovie hobbyist in a university press office, trying to persuade his boss of the value of video.
Today he runs his own company, Janno Media – making videos, creating podcasts and live streaming for dozens of commercial clients across Britain.
In Episode 48 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, Matt tells Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi how he turned his hobby into a business – and how lockdown paved the way for his expansion into podcasts.
Introduction
• In 2012, Matt Wallace founded Janno Media – a company that provides podcasts, live streaming, video, graphics and photography for commercial clients.
• Matt is an alumnus of Nottingham Trent University and served as President of the NTU Student Union in 2004.
• He went on to work in the press office at NTU.
• Matt started Janno Media, aged 30, with a £3000 compensation windfall from being miss-sold a Payment Protection Insurance plan. He bought an iMac, DSLR camera, audio recorder and plug-in microphone.
• Having initially rented an office, Janno started remote working in 2016 (four years before lockdown).
• Janno now has eight staff members and 50 clients, including Santander.
• In collaboration with NTU’s Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism – Janno offers the annual Janno Media Award £5,000 bursary, to a student podcaster who shows promise.
Key leadership takeaways
Matt Wallace said:
On the importance of leading from the front...
“There can be no better way of understanding how your business is evolving than being on the ground, meeting the clients and seeing your staff in action – seeing what works, and what doesn’t.”
On building a business based around video…
“Video used to be something that you wheeled into a room, in a steel cabinet TV with a VHS machine underneath… Once the iPhone became the device, it was clear to me how big video was going to be.”
On the effects of lockdown…
“Everyone had their hand forced in some way by lockdown. As a business owner you had a choice of sitting and taking the furlough payments, waiting for it to blow over… or leaning into the situation and capitalising on an opportunity.”
On creating a podcast for a customer…
“You can’t just assume it will become viral, instantly likeable or highly shareable. You have to understand what the intention is for your customer.”
On the value of a well-crafted podcast…
“It’s not the number of people who listen to it, but rather what you’re able to convey. Even if you only have ten people listening… but they’re all stakeholders or clients… and they understand what you’re saying… and it reinforces why you have value to them… then people appreciate it.”
On the challenges of managing an online, remote workforce…
“Our industry changes daily, with new means and methods of working. We have to keep teams excited about the industry they work in by constantly being responsive to those changes.”
On entrepreneurs seeking a Higher Purpose for their business…
“If your only motivation for running a business is pounds and pence then you’ll very quickly become unmotivated. Because cash ebbs and flows. You need a vision. [You have to ask] what is the wider contribution of what we do?”
On the importance of using your time well…
“Be generous with your time – to yourself, and to other people. Use your time to listen and learn, to develop and grow. Invest your time… and it will reap its own rewards.”
Related links
There’s more about Matt Wallace and Janno Media here…
Matt Wallace chronicles the first ten years of Janno Media here…
Chapter 1: From how to why
Chapter 2: Who you know
Chapter 3: Boring and conventional
Chapter 4: Where our ‘why’ lives
If you enjoyed this episode NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Matt Wallace, listen to previous shows with…
The former Chairman and Chief Exec of Experian Sir John Peace
The Vice Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University Professor Edward Peck
Broadcaster, entrepreneur and founder of Boom Radio David Lloyd
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 47
Darren Cassidy: Leading digital transformation in a global brand built on paper and print
Summary
Darren Cassidy has been with global print tech giant Xerox for 33 years – in 18 different roles.
He’s now the company’s MD in GB and Ireland – and President of its operations in Western Europe.
But in Episode 47 the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, Darren tells Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi that he is as excited now as he was on the first day he walked through the door at Xerox.
During 30 minutes of insightful leadership chat, he talks about learning to change mindsets, the importance of younger staff and becoming an evangelist for transcendental meditation.
He also reveals how, although he is now the MD, he was originally turned down by Xerox after he failed his first interview.
Key leadership takeaways
Darren said:
On managing change in a business…
“One of the biggest things your team needs during a period of change is clarity… clarity of where to place their attention, and where to focus.”
On having the right mindset to perform and do business…
“When you go into a situation you either see opportunities or problems – the difference is massive. Having the right mindset is a skill… [with the right training] we can all get better at it.”
On being able to change the mindset of the people around you…
“It’s one of the biggest skills leaders need today.”
On becoming an evangelist for Transcendental Meditation…
“During the one time in my career when things started to appear dark, my wife announced – You’re going to do this meditation course, I think it will be good for you! And it was. I now do 20 minutes meditation every day.”
On the importance of leaders creating a culture of learning…
“The pace of change means if we’re not learning we’re going backwards fast. Talk to people, be inquisitive. Spend time engaging with what you don’t know.”
On why leaders should always be looking to take on young staff…
“Xerox is a good company to work for… so one of our greatest strengths is the number of people who have been with us for 35 years or more – but at times it’s also our greatest weakness.”
On recognising what you want to do…
“I drifted through school because I wanted to be a professional sportsman… then I realised what I really wanted to do was selling – and everyone told me the best sales company in the world was Xerox.”
On why selling should be better recognised as a skill in business…
“Sales done well is tough to do – but it has high impact.”
On celebrating the success of your staff when they move on…
“I love it when people get bigger jobs and get promoted… it’s the biggest accolade.”
On leaders not surrounding themselves with ‘yes men and women’…
“I pick a team full of people who are brave enough and good enough to tell me to stop… slow down… to challenge me.”
And his advice to young, would-be leaders…
“Learning what you don’t like is just as important as learning what you do like – so go and try things. Don’t take the next, safe option. Take risks!”
Related links
• There’s more about Darren Cassidy’s leadership philosophy, on his LinkedIn pages here.
• The website of Xerox – where Darren is MD of GB&I – is here.
• Darren discusses the Red2Blue strategy of changing mindsets here.
If you enjoyed this episode NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Darren Cassidy, listen to previous shows with…
• The former Chairman and Chief Exec of Experian Sir John Peace
• The CEO of Capital One UK Lucy Hagues
• International business executive Sir Ken Olisa OBE
The podcast currently has 56 episodes available.
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