Only an Idiot Would Do 25 M&As with guest Martin Flick

Welcome to the PJ Tips Podcast, where we dig into the real stories behind leading business change — the hits, the hurdles, and the hard-earned lessons that build better businesses.

In this episode, I’m joined by Martin Flick, an award-winning CEO who’s spent nearly three decades leading and growing tech and communications companies — from start-up to private equity–backed powerhouse. His track record? Staggering numbers: 60 staff became 600, revenues jumped from £90M to nearly £200M, and along the way, he’s led 25 mergers and acquisitions.

This conversation is full of raw genuine insight, real leadership lessons and practical stories from someone who’s been in the trenches, growing, merging and transforming businesses at scale. It’s not theory, it’s lived experience being shared.

We walk through Martin’s leadership journey from being employed in 1998 to starting his own business, and nearly 30 years later, leaving a company worth around £200 million. Was that the plan all along? What did it take to get there? And how did he grow not just the business, but himself as a leader along the way?

We get into the strategy behind scaling and transformation — what it takes to go from running a private company to leading a private equity–backed organisation, and the mindset shifts that come with it. Martin shares the differences, the expectations, and the lessons learned from both sides.

And of course, we talk about change, because growth, M&A and transformation all depend on it. From tripling Olive Communications from £10M to £30M, to later scaling Onecom from £90M to £200M under LDC’s backing, Martin’s experience shows just how relentless and rewarding change can be if and when you lead it right.

We talk about the challenges of leadership including the vulnerability, the moments of imposter syndrome and how to keep showing up when the stakes (and the numbers) get bigger.

But ultimately, this episode is about people. Because as Martin puts it, 'Businesses don’t grow — people do.' We unpick how he’s built and led high-performing teams, how he’s created environments where people can truly flourish and his personal formula for generating performance and delivering results.

It’s (surprisingly) not about ego, but it is about impact. It’s about leadership that drives trust, ownership, and momentum. Martin shares his perspective on what businesses need from leaders today — what’s changed, what’s missing, and how leaders can be better equipped to drive growth and transformation in today’s fast-moving, uncertain world.

If you’re a leader, founder, or director looking to sharpen your edge — or just curious about how to scale a business without losing your sanity — this episode is packed with the kind of insight you can actually use.

So listen and learn. Let’s build better businesses.

Thanks to Martin Flick for sharing his wisdom, and thanks to you for tuning in to this episode of the PJ Tips Podcast with real conversations for real leaders on what it takes to lead business change.

If you’ve got questions, comments, or stories of your own, get in touch..... I’d love to hear from you.