Pivot points powered by Brandpie

We live in a time of relentless evolution and limitless possibilities… So how do you harness the best of today, in order to prepare yourself for tomorrow?

Jacques Pommeraud is CEO of the digital services giant Inetum, with a 27,000-strong global workforce across 19 countries.

He’s leading through an era that tempts many CEOs to abandon their longstanding principles, and chase growth beyond their means.

Today’s conversation is an essential checkpoint for leaders who want to make the best of new technologies, because as Jacques reminds us:

No strategy goes anywhere without the followership of people to make it happen.

You will learn:

• Why AI transformation needs to change how work gets done, not just automate existing tasks
• How CEOs can lead AI adoption by getting personally involved
• Why trust, authenticity and thoughtful pacing matter when guiding people through change
• How to consider AI’s productivity gains alongside learning, work intensity and employee wellbeing
• Why leaders need to keep adapting their strategy as technology and the world around them change

🔑 Key Themes

• AI transformation as process redesign, not just task automation
• CEO involvement and role-modelling in making change
• Building trust and pacing change
• Balancing productivity with learning, wellbeing and long-term talent

Jacques Pommeraud

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquespommeraud/

Inetum

https://www.inetum.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/inetum/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

Rising through the ranks to become the Global CEO of a massive enterprise, Alan Brookes understands that leading at scale isn't about possessing every technical answer in the room. 

Instead, it’s the chemistry of human connection. It’s what you give to your connections as people, rather than merely collaborators.

The team at Arcadis is over 37,000 strong, and this week the former CEO shares the principles that made him such a revered leader among a team that challenged him - all by design...

What’s clear from today’s conversation is that all roads lead back to your people and your culture…. And there’s no better guide on how to centre yourself around open and honest leadership than Alan.

You will learn:

• How early hands-on experience can prepare you for challenges beyond
• Why strong client relationships are built through genuine human connection
• How to build a team around complementary skills and honest self-awareness
• Why succession planning works best when it starts early and includes a thoughtful handover

🔑 Key Themes

• Mentorship and learning through experience
• Building trust through genuine client relationships
• Creating complementary, challenging teams
• Sustainability and innovation in data-centre design
• Leadership development and succession planning

Alan Brookes

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-brookes-703a3114/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

If any one part of Gary Teper’s business goes wrong, on any given day, somebody could find themselves sleeping rough.

In the first two of Gary’s three careers, the consequences of failure were far less apparent… and far less immediate. 

As Managing Director of The Housing Network, he’s responsible for a team of 330, who house several thousand people every single night. For them, purpose is far more than words on a wall.

Pivoting from investment in the city is a huge leap from profit to purpose, and Gary’s all-in. 

What we cover in today’s episode brings together the best insights from three very different careers - and why your team, your purpose, and your longevity are among your most valuable assets…

You will learn:

• How Gary Teper pivoted from law and investment management in the City to leading a purpose-driven housing organisation.
• Why temporary accommodation is a “necessary evil” — and how reframing it around support and care can change lives.
• What it really means to balance purpose with commercial discipline in a fast-growing, impact-led business.
• How treating every role “as if it were your own business” can reshape your career and leadership opportunities.
• The risks and rewards of going into business with a close friend, and how complementary skills can help scale a mission-led company.

🔑 Key Themes

• Career pivots and the courage to leave a successful City career
• Building a purpose-driven, impact-led business in supported housing
• Balancing care, purpose and commercial sustainability in leadership
• Mindset, ownership and treating every role as if it were your own business
• The power and risk of business partnerships with people you deeply trust

Gary Teper

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-teper-a9747526/

The Housing Network

https://thehousingnetwork.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-housing-network-ltd/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

We talk often about the mentors that change your career. This week, we have the pleasure of speaking to one closely entwined with Dave’s journey - John Zweig.

Many of Dave’s tenets in leadership can be traced back to John, whose own journey is laden with huge roles, like those at Procter & Gamble, and WPP.

The perspective that this offers him is utterly unique - John’s path equips him with a powerful critique of ‘modern conglomerate synergy’... and the solution to it.

Join us for a riveting conversation in which John talks through the difference between good product and good identity, how to decode what truly motivates you, and whether the best pivots in your life are rational, or emotional…

You will learn:

• How shared mission outperforms shared metrics when it comes to collaboration and culture
• Why 80% of decision-making is emotional and unconscious – and what that means for leaders and brands
• The difference between good products and a true identity that emanates from the inside out
• How neuromarketing tools like Neuro Insight reveal what really sticks in long-term memory

🔑 Key Themes

• Shared Mission in Big Organisations
• Becoming an Inside-Out Driver of Brand and Leadership
• Unconscious Motivation and Neuromarketing
• How Leadership Styles Impact Culture
• Creativity & Neuroplasticity

John Zweig

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-zweig-9394b236/

Neuro-Insight

https://www.linkedin.com/company/neuro-insight/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

The Lost Gardens of Heligan are beloved by so many, from those who visit to the staff who uphold it.

So what happens when a new CEO swoops in to enact change on a place steeped in such history?

David Harland’s background includes stepping into the CEO role at Eden, working alongside the indomitable Sir Tim Smit.

He’s no stranger to the art of bringing together a sound financial background with ambitious, purpose-driven scaling.

So, if you’re looking to root your next growth phase in unshakeable principles, or balancing fiscal realities against a visionary mission, David’s story is proof that your most valuable metric might be one that you can’t measure on a P&L…

You will learn:

• How David pivoted from finance and “jobs for life” into leading place-based organisations like the Eden Project and The Lost Gardens of Heligan
• What it really takes to turn around a much-loved, but financially fragile institution without breaking the trust of staff and visitors
• Why reframing Eden as a replicable business plan unlocked global opportunities
• How mentoring, apprenticeships and programmes like A Band of Brothers shape David’s approach to leadership and social impact

🔑 Key Themes

• Purpose-Led Leadership and Authenticity
• Turnaround, Control and Rebuilding Trust
• Mentorship and Opportunity
• The Value of Social Impact
• The Power of Place

David Harland

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-harland-865a9a10/

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

https://www.heligan.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lost-gardens-of-heligan/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

It’s impossible to doubt Emma Dagnes’s commitment to Alexandra Palace.

As CEO of Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust, she oversees a multi-faceted organisation that sees over 5 million people interact with it each year.

‘Ally Pally’ is about more than just the building - with an ice rink, a pub, an events venue, and a huge park to manage, the survival of Alexandra Palace relies on a monumental, united effort from the entire organisation.

What follows in today’s episode is a powerful framework for galvanising vast teams around a radical vision, and building something that lasts centuries, not quarters…

You will learn:

• How Emma turned redundancy, rejection and dyslexia into pivotal drivers of her leadership career
• Why she chose to delay launching a bold new vision for Alexandra Palace – and the steps she took to get the organisation truly ready
• How to create a “golden thread” from purpose and vision through to team goals
• How to galvanise an organisation around shared values and exceptional experiences
• What modern, empathetic leadership looks like when you’re stewarding a cultural “forever asset”

🔑 Key Themes

• Turning Setbacks into Pivotal Moments
• Leadership Built from the Bottom Up
• Designing and Delaying Vision with Intent
• Galvanising a Complex, Lean Organisation
• Building a ‘Forever Asset’ in a Changing World

Emma Dagnes OBE

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-dagnes-obe-1243b823/

Alexandra Palace

https://www.alexandrapalace.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourallypally/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

Forbes has labelled Matt Strain as the ‘AI Whisperer’. 

But what connects him to the world is not the technology he uses, but the people he keeps closest.

Matt is a man of great ambition, always willing to leave comfort in search of something new - his departure from prestigious roles at Apple and Adobe should be proof-enough of that…

For leaders trying to find the balance between the safe play and the ambitious one… between embracing technology and prioritising humanity… Matt Strain gives us the roadmap.

You will learn:

• How Matt Strain navigated pivotal career moves from Apple and Adobe to becoming an “AI whisperer”
• Why culture and relationships often matter more than strategy
• What an ‘AI Readiness Audit’ looks like in practice, and the hidden gaps it tends to reveal
• How CEOs and executives can start using AI in their own lives and work to model healthy, responsible adoption
• Practical ways to use AI to become a more thoughtful, creative and effective human

🔑 Key Themes

• Career pivots and purposeful risk-taking
• Culture, integration and the power of people
• AI readiness, leadership and organisational culture
• Being more human in an AI-driven world

Matt Strain

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattstrain/

The Prompt

https://www.the-prompt.ai/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepromptai/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

Walking into something you don’t understand is not a punishment. It’s a gift.

One of Kevin O’Neill’s formative roles was an epiphany… That everything you know for certain, can actually be false.

With a long and remarkable career in Executive Search, Kevin’s dedication to unlocking the full potential of today's leading organisations is unparalleled.

This is despite - in his words - missing life’s instruction manual. But what he writes in his own manual is worth its weight in gold.

Join us in conversation with the Co-Founder of Acertitude, as we discover the shortest route to getting what you want, the 3 killer questions that everyone should ask themselves, and why you’re at your best when you get out of the way…

You will learn:

• Kevin O’Neill’s trajectory from salesman to Co‑Founder
• The three killer questions – and how to use them as a practical framework for your own leadership choices
• Why you often do your best work when you don’t know what you’re doing
• How values, generosity, and long-term relationships can quietly compound into a sustainable, values-led business
• How AI is reshaping executive search and why human ‘leadership alchemy’ remains a critical advantage

🔑 Key Themes

• Pivotal Career Reinventions
• Decision-Making Frameworks
• Relationships, Generosity, and Long-Term Trust
• Leadership in an Age of AI and Unfinished Business

🔗 Connect with us

Kevin O'Neill

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinroneill/

Acertitude

https://www.acertitude.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/acertitude/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

Sport runs deep in Ricky Paugh’s blood.

Beyond his time as a baseball player, he’s the Founder of 1440 Sports, and an entrepreneur whose values are driven by the psychology of team sports.

Selfless relationships, measured emotion, and the power of a great coach.

All of these qualities make a great athlete. 

They also forged Ricky’s incredible career, which now see him as an essential part of some of the world’s biggest sports, from Formula 1 and NASCAR, to the PGA Tour and the European Tour.

Ricky’s journey is proof that - with relentless ambition and a deep, genuine interest in human capital - you can fashion yourself a business that serves your dreams.

You will learn:

• How Ricky translated the discipline and pressure of minor league sport into resilience as a founder
• Why a small “inner sanctum” of long-term relationships can underpin an entire business
• The pivotal role that coaches and mentors play in accelerating careers
• What it really feels like to bet on yourself

🔑 Key Themes

• Relationships as a Core Business Asset
• The Cumulative Power of Coaches and Mentors
• Translating Athletic Mindset into Business Resilience
• Risk, Control and B2B Strategy
• Entrepreneurship and ‘Making Your Own Luck’

🔗 Connect with us

Ricky Paugh
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickypaugh/

1440 Sports
https://1440sports.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/1440-sports/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

On the surface, it took just two lengths of an Olympic swimming pool to change Duncan Goodhew’s life.

But as any elite athlete will tell you, success like Duncan’s isn’t about what you do on the day. 

What counts is the person that you - and those around you - shape yourself to become before you even compete.

The parallels between sport and business are easy to draw, and through the Swimathon Foundation - for which he is the President - he’s combined the best of both worlds to make a monumental impact. 

Join us as Duncan shares the architecture that makes a victorious leader, why your hardest work should come on your worst day, and the mental models that’ll transform the team around you.

You will learn:

• How Duncan used dyslexia, setbacks, and self-doubt as fuel to build a winning mindset
• Why the “permission” we receive from mentors, and leaders can be the difference that unlocks our full potential
• Practical ways to “work hardest on your worst days” and turn emotional lows into your strongest performances
• How swimming in multiple “lanes” of life can strengthen your confidence, resilience, and leadership
• What it really means to redefine success on your own terms

🔑 Key Themes

• The Psychology of Winning and Being Given “Permission”
• Defining Success on Your Own Terms
• Translating an Elite Athlete’s Mindset into Leadership and Business
• The Power of Multiple “Lanes” in Life
• Giving Back and Building Something Bigger Than Yourself

🔗 Connect with us

Swimathon Foundation

https://www.swimathonfoundation.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/swimathon-foundation/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/