In this episode of The Company You Keep, Jack sits down with Alex Comyn, Brand Experience Principal at AND Digital, to trace a career that has spanned music, media, and digital transformation.

Alex grew up in London’s cultural melting pot, started his working life on Fleet Street, and found himself holding the Stone Roses long-awaited second album before anyone else. From there, his journey moved into the first wave of digital agencies, where he helped brands like Barclays, Toyota, and Audi reinvent how they connect with customers.

This is a conversation about risk, resilience, and relationships - from learning to say no at the right time, to betting on the internet when others thought it was a fad, to building the kinds of teams that can pitch (and win) some of the biggest accounts in the world.

Above all, Alex’s story is proof of the power of the company you keep: the colleagues, clients, and friends who shape your trajectory.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Alex’s unconventional start in music and media – and how it shaped his view of trust and creativity

• Why growing up in a diverse community was the foundation for his career in strategy

• His leap from the music industry into digital, and the conviction that “this internet thing” would change the world

• The pivotal role mentors and colleagues played in his development

• Reinventing brands like Toyota and Barclays in the digital age

• Hard lessons from leadership, redundancy, and resilience

• Why culture and people always outweigh process and tech

Links & Mentions:

• The Company You Keep podcast: Follow on Spotify

• AND Digital: https://and.digital

• Alex Comyn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-comyn-369999/

Alex Comyn on career pivots, digital transformation, strategy, leadership, music industry stories, big brand reinvention, and why your inner circle defines your success.

Full episode drops Friday!

From Symantec's rocket-ship years to the dot-com boom, global consulting, and now advising corporates and startups worldwide - Mark Zawacki has lived through the major shifts in tech and strategy over the last 30 years.

In this conversation, Mark shares the mentors who shaped him, the lessons he picked up building Symantec's European operations, and what he learned riding the wave of business re-engineering at Index Consulting. We also dive into:

• Why he believes relationships are the real currency of getting things done

• The rules of consulting he still applies today

• The highs and lows of moving into venture investing during the dot-com bubble

• How reverse mentoring keeps him sharp

• And his personal framework for Total Wellbeing - nine pillars that make career success sustainable

It's a wide-ranging and energising conversation about careers, strategy, mentorship, and how to keep reinventing yourself across decades and continents.

Chapters

• Mark Zawacki's Background and Career Journey
• Education and Early Career Insights
• First Job at Symantec and Early Mentorship
• Foundational Skills and Growth at Symantec
• Transition to Consultancy and Further Career Development
• Navigating a Changing Career Landscape
• The Power of Mentorship in Consulting
• Learning from Experience: Rankin's Rules of Consulting
• Transitioning to Australia: A New Chapter
• The Internet Boom and Venture Capital
• Consulting in a Post-Bubble World
• Building a Diverse and Effective Team
• The Importance of Networking and Relationships
• The Essence of Networking
• Reverse Mentoring Dynamics
• Total Wellbeing Framework
• The Interconnectedness of Wellbeing
• Building Meaningful Relationships
• Creating Community through Fitness
• Exploring New Business Ventures

From Symantec’s rocket-ship years to global consulting and venture investing, Mark Zawacki shares the mentors, lessons, and frameworks that shaped his career. We talk about relationships as the real currency of business, the power of reverse mentoring, and his 9-pillar model for Total Wellbeing.

COMING FRIDAY!

From growing up in a working-class family to building businesses in coaching and wellness, Toni Phoenix-Coles has walked a career path shaped by resilience, friendships, and a relentless search for fulfilment.In this episode, Toni shares:How financial struggles at university built her resilienceThe friendships that became anchors throughout her journeyLessons from her early career in recruitment and HRWhy personal development changed the way she defines successHow she’s building a business around coaching and wellness retreatsToni’s story is a reminder that success isn’t just about the numbers — it’s about alignment, fulfilment, and the people who lift us up along the way.🎧 Tune in to hear Toni’s lessons on resilience, relationships, and redefining what a successful career really looks like.

From growing up in Ellesmere Port to senior leadership at Amazon and Deliveroo, Phil Green has built a career on spotting patterns, saying yes to the right risks, and building relationships that change everything.

In this episode, we cover:

• Early career lessons – and what happens when you coast instead of pushing yourself

• Unlocking $100m in cash at Amazon and the process that made it possible

• Leading category growth that topped the company globally for five straight quarters

• The leaders who catch you when you fall and celebrate when you fly

• How life changes when you step out from behind the “corporate shield”

• Why he’s giving back to the University of Salford – the same place he once admits he let down as a student

Phil’s story is a mix of honesty, humour, and hard-won lessons about leadership, career growth, and the people who make all the difference.

From Ellesmere Port to senior leadership at Amazon and Deliveroo, Phil Green has built a career by spotting patterns, saying yes to the right risks, and building relationships that change everything.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Early career lessons (and failures)

• Unlocking $100m in cash at Amazon

• Leading category growth that topped the company globally for five quarters

• What makes a leader worth following

• Why success without effort can be a curse

Phil also shares how life after big corporate roles has shifted his perspective - from investing and board work to giving back at the University of Salford.

It’s an honest, insightful conversation about leadership, career growth, and the people who make all the difference.

🔗 Learn more: https://thecompanyyoukeep.co.uk🎧 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episodeWhat separates a good career from a remarkable one? For Neville Roberts, CEO of fintech firm Planixs, the answer is simple: people.In this powerful and personal conversation, Neville shares the pivotal relationships that shaped his 35+ year career - from analyst at Accenture to global CIO to founder and CEO. You’ll hear how mentors, peers and one loyal co-founder helped him navigate the highs, lows, and defining moments.We cover:The mentor who told him he led like Attila the Hun - and why it matteredWhy choosing the right relationships is more important than chasing skillsThe early sports lessons that built his drive and resilienceStarting a business from scratch (with a whiteboard and a toolbelt)Why trust and integrity are the real cornerstones of successWhether you're just starting out or deep into your leadership journey, this is a masterclass in how relationships shape your trajectory - and how to choose them on purpose.

Here’s a sneak peek of my conversation with Neville Roberts, CEO of Planixs, whose journey has taken him from Cambridge graduate to leading one of the UK’s fastest-growing fintech companies.

In the full episode, we dive into:

• The meeting that changed everything for his career

• Lessons from building and scaling a high-growth business

• The relationships that shaped his leadership

• Why curiosity and challenge are vital at every stage

🎧 Full conversation available now on The Company You Keep.