Nicholas Smith - "How communication skills define careers"

Nicholas is a highly experienced Chief Operating Officer and Technology Strategy and Transformation Executive, with over 20 years of experience in solving enterprise-wide business and technology problems for large organisations in Financial Services and Central Government. He has a proven track record in driving Operational Excellence, enhancing the Colleague Experience, defining and driving execution of Technology and Organisation Strategy.

In this episode, Nicholas shares his secrets to communication and how to build an ethos within your organisation of open, simple and authentic communication that returns amazing results.

We learn about how a strategy lives or dies on how well you can articulate it, and how simplicity of message is key to success.

Nicholas shares with us his ingredients (and how to implement them) for building an organisation that is underpinned by great communication.

These are:

1) Be ruthless in your hiring strategy

2) Be interested in what you do / your business

3) Work hard (at the right things)

4) Great communications throughout the team

5) People are more than assets—look after them

6) Be the custodian of careers (develop your people)

Sarah is a leader in customer experience, consulting, strategy and operations. Identifying opportunities & driving value in large business transformation within operating models, processes, technologies, data, & insights. 

In this episode Sarah shares a little about her journey and how she developed a passion for Customer Experience. We uncover what “great Customer Experience” really means in 2026 and how to assess an organisation’s maturity. We explore why CX should be considered a business-critical strategy rather than just a marketing or service function.

We discover what are the essential components to a successful CX strategy and where should businesses start and how important is cross-functional alignment (sales, ops, tech, finance) in delivering a successful CX strategy.

We also debunk the myth that CX is “intangible” and Sarah shares how you demonstrate its ROI in a way that resonates with executives and shareholders, including what financial metrics should businesses track when evaluating CX performance.

In addition, we discuss the importance of customer retention and how CX affects the P&L.

Andrew Craig is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and founder of a personal finance business - Plain English Finance. His stated mission with the company is "to improve the financial affairs of as many people as possible".

In this insightful interview we wanted to know more about what inspired Andrew to write Live Less, Invest & Rest, (plus other two books) and what is the core message he hopes that readers will take away.

Andrew distils personal finance down to just three key rules, and we explore the most common mistakes people are making with their money.

Andrew had some great guiding principals for his business (Plain English Finance), including that investing isn’t just for the wealthy, but for everyone. And he shares some amazing advice for someone who’s never invested before, giving us the first three steps they should take.

We uncover How AI is changing the way both professionals and individuals invest, including what potential risks investors should be aware of when it comes to AI-driven strategies.

We also cover Biotech and why he sees it as an exciting, high-potential sector for forward-looking investors.

We finally discuss Andrew’s personal take on crypto as part of an investment portfolio.

Greg Ward is a proven international business leader with more than 25 years’ experience driving transformational growth, operational excellence and organisational performance across a wide range of industries – including aviation, security, facilities management, construction, manufacturing and engineering.

As CEO of PTSG, Greg leads one of the UK’s most innovative and ambitious providers of specialist services to the construction and FM sectors. He brings with him a powerful track record of delivering large-impact change, scaling operations and building world-class teams that deliver brilliantly for customers.

Prior to joining PTSG, Greg held a series of senior leadership roles in complex, high-growth businesses. These include serving as Chairman and CEO of Revive Group, where he led successful turnarounds across multiple sectors; and Managing Director of Transguard Group in the UAE, where he oversaw the company’s expansion, growing the business to become the largest and number one facility management company in the region.

Earlier in his career, Greg was Global Managing Director of Manufacturing at Laing O’Rourke, responsible for international factory operations; Operations Director at BAA Heathrow, where he managed multi-billion-pound programmes and thousands of personnel; and Operations Director at Ford Motor Company, where he began his journey as a mechanical electrical apprentice and rose through the ranks.

Greg is a strategic, people-focused CEO with a deep understanding of operational performance and commercial growth. His leadership at PTSG is focused on shaping and protecting the Group’s strong culture, delivering long-term value for customers and unlocking new opportunities for innovation and expansion – both in the UK and internationally.

In this insightful interview, Greg tells us about “the apprentice mindset” taking us back to where it all began for him as a young apprentice at Ford.

We talk about work ethic & going beyond the brief, together with the importance of having a thirst for knowledge and an attitude of Lifelong learning: “always an apprentice”

In addition Greg shares his thoughts on resilience, and why the ability to bounce-back is so important to success.

In his current role as CEO of PTSG, Greg is passionate about staying connected to the shop floor and creates a culture of treating everyone with equal respect.

Andrew Gaule has over 25 years’ experience leading technology and business transformation, from dotcom and electric vehicles to today’s AI-driven change. He works with corporates and innovative ventures on strategy, investment, implementation, and takes on fractional senior executive roles to help leadership teams trial and embed AI into core processes and business models. Andrew is the author of Purpose to Performance – Innovative New Value Chains, a founding member of Henley Business Angels, and an active investor in early-stage tech ventures.

In this fascinating conversation, we explored Andrew’s background in corporate venturing and innovation delving into the motivations behind his shift toward investing in AI-driven technology business.

We discussed how AI is reshaping the investment world.

Andrew shared some of the keys to his success, including his concepts of the 'four layers of AI in investment' and 'The 5 P’s' which are central to his investment approach.

In addition we looked into what responsibility investors have in ensuring ethical, equitable development of AI technologies.

We were very excited to interview Dennis Akkerman, the founder and managing director of Orbis Business School. He has over two decades of experience in leading major transformations in more than 25 countries. He has worked with multinational companies including; Citibank, HSBC, Shell, and Coca-Cola, as well as entrepreneurs and SMEs.

In his first book, The Naked Leader, Dennis shares a unique, structured and practical transformation approach which every (aspiring) leader and entrepreneur can follow. He believes that leadership is a work in progress. Being is always becoming, and that insight will make all the difference.

In this episode we explore Dennis’ book, “The Naked Leader” and his challenge to conventional leadership wisdom. We uncover what inspired him to write this book, and what key message that he hopes readers will take away. We take a few moments to focus on Dennis’ personal journey, where he experienced a life awakening time; his business ran out of money, he went through a divorce, was miles from home, and we uncover how did these experiences make him a better leader?

We discuss the emphasis in the book about self awareness as a key leadership trait, why do so many leaders struggle with this, and how can they overcome it. We also discussed the importance of asking the right questions (sometimes the uncomfortable questions) and how can leaders apply the principles from The Naked Leader (eg be truly present) in fast-paced, high-pressure environments?

Dennis shares with us his one simple yet powerful leadership “hack” that any aspiring leader can start implementing today, together with the one lesson from The Naked Leader that he wishes every leader in the world would internalise.

Ian Pears is the former VP of Information Security at Carnival Cruises (P&O, Cunard..etc).

During 30 years in the Royal Navy, Ian worked extensively in the design, management, and delivery of Information Warfare capability. With two commands served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as supporting Naval operations he also stood up the Royal Navy’s nascent Cyber Defence capability; Ian had a number of Joint posts including; sponsor of the UK Strategic current/future space capability, and acted as Chair of the NATO MC3CaT reporting directly to the NATO Military Committee.

He left the Royal Navy in 2022 having spent the latter 15 months as Chief Digital and Information Officer.

In this episode, Ian shares with us how he prepared for his career development in holding the roles such as; Chief Digital and Information Officer of the Royal Navy, to CTO for the Joint Maritime Security Centre, and more recently as VP of Information Security and Compliance at Carnival Group. We discuss what it is really like transitioning from a military environment to the private sector and it’s unique challenges.

I asked Ian about the challenges in protecting maritime assets, and information in today’s complex threat landscape.  We also discussed his experience in both defence and commercial sectors, how do approaches to cybersecurity and risk management differ, and what can each sector learn from each other.

We explore the evolving cybersecurity threats facing the travel and hospitality industry, especially given the high-value customer data you handle.

I asked Ian about his tenure as Chief Digital and Information Officer for the Royal Navy, and what were the key drivers behind the transformation, along with what lessons were learned.

Finally, we look at how to inspire and lead teams to drive excellence and innovation, even when facing significant challenges. Ian offers some amazing advice for those aspiring to leadership roles in technology, digital transformation, and cybersecurity.

Up until very recently, Andy was the New Product Development Director at Dyson. He's a proven senior director with 25+ years of experience driving product development, business transformation, and operational excellence in global technology and innovation-driven organisations. Trusted by the C-suite to lead major transformation initiatives, blending strategic vision with tactical execution to drive process, organisational, and technological change. Experienced in scaling operations, supporting rapid growth, and leading turnaround efforts.

In this episode, we explore the "perfect product journey," and what does success look like at each stage whilst ensuring that the customer needs remain at the centre of the product journey.

Andy shares with us his approach to identifying market opportunities, uncovering un-met customer needs, and how do you validate an idea, during the discovery phase before committing significant resources to it.

In addition, Andy describes how to foster collaboration between cross-functional teams to bring a product to life. Along with how you ensure that quality and innovation aren’t compromised under tight deadlines or budget constraints, and how do you decide when to pivot, enhance, or sunset a product as part of its journey.

Finally, we look at what trends or shifts will influence product journeys in the next few years. Andy offer some advice to aspiring product leaders on building the perfect product journey.

Craig is currently serving as the Group Director of IT at Hotelplan Group, overseeing technology strategy and operations for some of the UK's most respected travel brands. His leadership has been pivotal in enhancing operational efficiency and delivering exceptional customer experiences. Recognised for his strategic vision and ability to lead Global cross-functional teams, Craig has been instrumental in implementing agile methodologies, enhancing cybersecurity measures, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. His expertise encompasses IT governance, project management and delivering technology solutions with evolving business needs.

In the episode, we asked Craig what are the biggest shifts you’re seeing right now in how travellers interact with technology across the entire journey (from mobile apps to in-destination experiences), also how is he seeing technology bridge the gap between the booking stage and the actual adventure.

We also spent some time looking ahead at what emerging technologies will have the biggest impact on the hospitality and adventure travel sectors, together with how to balance investing in cutting-edge innovation while ensuring it aligns with the core guest experience and commercial reality.

Craig also gave us an insight into what role will data and AI play in shaping the next wave of personalised, immersive travel experiences, and also how sustainability and digital innovation working hand-in-hand—particularly in the context of adventure travel and global exploration.

Craig shared with us an amazing idea of using virtual and augmented reality to create travel experiences for those who may not be able to physically go to places; whether due to cost of differability restrictions.

Finally, Craig shared some advice for other tech leaders in hospitality who are trying to push boundaries without losing sight of what makes travel magical.