In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus is joined by Simon Mitchell, CEO of KERB, a business redefining what it means to grow with purpose in the hospitality industry.

Simon shares how KERB has evolved from a London street food collective into a dynamic ecosystem of food halls, incubators, and partnerships across the UK, US, and Europe. KERB has opened new locations this year in Canada Water, Berlin, and Spitalfields, while strengthening its social impact—donating over £1 million to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds start their own food businesses.

This conversation explores:
• How KERB balances commercial success with social enterprise roots.
• The lessons from international expansion and why no two KERB sites are the same.
• How community and customer feedback guide their next phase of growth.
• Why authenticity and partnership—not solely ‘landlordship’—define KERB’s model.
• New frontiers for impact, from food waste and supply chains to sector-wide advocacy.

Simon offers a candid, forward-looking perspective on how to scale without losing the flavour, community, and fun that make KERB unique.

Learn more about KERB’s story and locations here: https://www.kerbfood.com/

Menkus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Belden Menkus is the Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, a London-based advisory firm working with CEOs and senior teams to align strategy with purpose. Drawing on decades of experience in strategy consulting, leadership, and organisational transformation, he helps mid-sized firms—particularly law firms and membership bodies—tackle complex decisions and unlock long-term value.

Belden hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a podcast exploring how business leaders bring purpose into strategic action. His work is marked by intellectual clarity, a collaborative approach, and a commitment to practical results. A strategic thinker with wide intellectual range, blending business acumen with curiosity and cultural literacy. He brings a distinct mix of consultant, historian, and explorer of ideas.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Sarah Walton, Managing Partner of Weightmans LLP, one of the UK’s leading national law firms. With 1,700 colleagues across ten offices, Weightmans is on a journey from a UK Top 50 to a Top 30 firm—driven by its purpose to “see the possibility—for our clients and our colleagues.”

Sarah shares how she’s leading the firm through growth, innovation, and cultural change while keeping people and purpose at the heart of every decision. For example, they cover the launch of CyExcel, an innovative US-based cyber services business, and Weightmans’ embrace of AI and generative technologies. She discusses how Weightmans is evolving to meet client demand, expand internationally, and stay ahead in a rapidly changing legal landscape.

In their conversation, they explore:
• How “see the possibility” became the firm’s purpose and a guiding lens for strategy.
• Why culture and collaboration sit at the centre of Weightmans’ success.
• How they are using technology and AI to drive both internal efficiency and client innovation.
• The importance of strong leadership teams and long-term succession planning.
• What it means to lead with integrity, trust, and curiosity in today’s profession.

Weightmans’ website: https://www.weightmans.com/

Belden is the founder and Managing Director of MenKus & Associates, a consulting and CEO advisory firm that helps leaders fully activate their organisation’s potential to succeed. MenKus and Associates helps top teams develop purposeful strategies and then turn their intentions into action and results. Their approach is to be a strategic catalyst and thought partner, creating alignment, clarity and action.

Menkus & Associates website: https://www.menkus.com/

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus is joined by Richard Corderoy, CEO of The Oakland Group, a consultancy helping organisations achieve more with their data.

Since Richard’s last appearance in 2022, Oakland has achieved B Corp certification, joined the UK Government’s G-Cloud 13 framework, been named “Best Consultancy in the UK,” and been acquired by Softcat plc. Richard reflects on how the firm has navigated this transformation while keeping purpose and culture at the core.

This conversation explores:
• Why cultural alignment made the Softcat acquisition a natural fit.
• Why Oakland decided to move on from B Corp while still using its principles to shape Oakland’s decisions about clients, culture, and social issues.
• Why moments of challenge reveal more about leadership than smooth growth.
• The role of AI in consultancy and where human connection still creates value.
• What it takes to prepare the next generation of leaders.

Richard offers a candid, values-driven perspective on leading through change and staying true to purpose.

The Oakland Group: https://weareoakland.com/

Belden is the founder and Managing Director of MenKus & Associates, a consulting and CEO advisory firm that helps leaders fully activate their organisation’s potential to succeed. MenKus and Associates helps top teams develop purposeful strategies and then turn their intentions into action and results. Their approach is to be a strategic catalyst and thought partner, creating alignment, clarity and action.

Menkus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Simon Betty, Head of Europe at Northwest Healthcare REIT, and Paul Lambert, Founding Director of Living Work Consulting and author of Alive: Cultivating Living Organizations for Success in a Digital Age.

Together, they explore how healthcare real estate can move beyond bricks and mortar to become living systems that deliver better outcomes for patients, clinicians, and communities—while still meeting financial and stakeholder standards.

In their conversation, they discuss:
• How Northwest is shifting healthcare delivery from hospitals to community-based facilities that improve pathways and outcomes.
• Why gold-standard building design and a customer orientation are essential for value creation in real estate.
• Lessons Simon brings from retail real estate, where digital disruption reshaped what physical spaces must deliver.
• Paul’s perspective on culture, autonomy, and partnership as the real drivers of success in healthcare environments.
• The role of tenant partnerships, net promoter indicators, and system-wide collaboration in shaping a new paradigm for healthcare real estate.
• What future shifts in policy and funding could mean for how users experience healthcare across Europe.

Simon and Paul show how purpose, culture, and strategy can align to create healthcare spaces that truly heal—offering a glimpse into the next era of healthcare real estate.

Northwest Healthcare REIT: https://www.nwhreit.com/

Living Work Consulting: https://livingworkconsulting.com/

Belden is the founder and Managing Director of MenKus & Associates, a consulting and CEO advisory firm that helps leaders fully activate their organisation’s potential to succeed. MenKus and Associates helps top teams develop purposeful strategies and then turn their intentions into action and results. Their approach is to be a strategic catalyst and thought partner, creating alignment, clarity and action.

Menkus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Natasha Frangos, Managing Partner at HaysMac, one of London’s top 10 audit firms. Since becoming the first woman to lead the firm in its 100+ year history, Natasha has overseen more than 80% growth, opened a new office in Cape Town, and guided a bold rebrand that reflects the firm’s innovative and collaborative spirit.

Natasha shares how her journey from trainee to Managing Partner has shaped her leadership philosophy, and why nurturing talent, embedding inclusion, and setting a clear vision are central to HaysMac’s long-term success. From strategy resets to succession planning, she offers an inside look at how the firm is aligning its people behind ambitious growth while staying true to its culture.

In their conversation, they explore:

• How open feedback and authentic communication build trust and collaboration.
• Why a firm-wide strategy reset was critical to aligning partners and staff behind a shared vision.
• How rebranding elevated HaysMac’s market position and better reflects its people.
• The importance of nurturing home-grown talent and creating clear career pathways.
• Why promotions should be based on readiness, not time served.
• How diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded into day-to-day practice.
• How embracing “butterflies in your stomach” moments drives personal and professional growth.

HaysMac: https://haysmac.com/

MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus is joined by Sarah Turner, co-founder and CEO of Angel Academe, the UK’s most active network of female angel investors. Sarah has long been focused on getting more women investing and channeling capital into female-founded tech startups. Now, she’s taken a bold next step—launching the UK’s first EIS fund for female founders.

Reflecting on the realities of today’s economic climate and the barriers to inclusive investment, Sarah shares how Angel Academe is helping women overcome red tape, build confidence, and invest collectively in breakthrough innovation. She also explores what it will take to move beyond talk and achieve real behaviour change in the investment ecosystem.

This conversation covers:

·       Why launching an EIS fund could make early-stage investment more accessible for investors.

·       The challenges of a tougher economic environment—and the opportunities it still presents.

·       How a low-fee model and partnership with Syndicate Room lowers barriers for investors.

·       The importance of community and collective intelligence in due diligence.

·       Examples of innovation already backed, from fertility alternatives to motion capture tech.

·       Why building a pipeline of future women investors matters as much as funding founders.

·       The gap between data showing female founders’ impact and the action investors are taking.

Angel Academe: https://www.angelacademe.com/

MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus is joined by Mark Horsley, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Gas Networks, which serves 6.8 million people across Northern England and has become a leader in the UK’s net-zero transition. Since his last appearance in 2021, Mark has been driving bold change—investing £25 million in partnership with JCB, and leading major collaborations such as East Coast Hydrogen, a collaboration between National Gas, NGN, and Cadent to connect hydrogen production and storage with industrial users in the region.

Reflecting on the challenges and opportunities in the energy sector, Mark shares how NGN is navigating the controversy around hydrogen for heat, the government’s growing focus on electrification, and the need to diversify energy sources for security and resilience. At the same time, he highlights the cultural shifts inside NGN.

This conversation covers:

·       Why hydrogen remains central to industrial energy, even as electrification dominates government priorities.

·       The importance of pragmatism in balancing net-zero ambitions with affordability for customers.

·       How industry collaboration and leadership are critical in times of adversity.

·       NGN’s approach to culture: accountability, citizenship, and listening to communities.

·       Building resilience through supply chain development, job protection, and sector-wide cooperation.

·       Why putting people first—customers, communities, and colleagues—is the foundation for lasting impact.

Northern Gas Networks: https://www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk/

MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Sue Percy, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), a professional body at the heart of shaping the UK’s transport networks. From setting national standards to advocating for equitable, sustainable infrastructure, CIHT plays a crucial role in how people and goods move—safely, efficiently, and inclusively.

Sue shares how her leadership blends long-term strategic vision with day-to-day pragmatism, ensuring that CIHT not only delivers on its purpose but also lives its values. She reflects on the sector’s progress since her last appearance, and how the Institution is helping members navigate complex shifts in skills, risk appetite, and public expectations.

In their conversation, they explore:
• Why transport is the “glue” of society—and why its value must be made more visible.
• How CIHT has embedded climate action, equity, and inclusion into its core decision-making frameworks.
• The evolving role of professional bodies in setting standards, shaping culture, and holding government accountable.
• Challenges around the green skills gap—and how to make the sector more attractive and future-ready.
• The opportunities and limits of AI as a tool for change in infrastructure planning and delivery.
• What it takes to lead cultural change through “soft influence” and qualitative success.
• How CIHT is expanding its international outlook and adapting to structural shifts like devolution.
• The importance of knowing what aligns with your purpose—and learning to say no to everything else.

CIHT: https://www.ciht.org.uk/
MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Rosie Djurovic, Head of AI at Brabners, a leading UK law firm. He met Rosie as part of our research on the ways law firms are deciding how to use AI. Since joining in 2024, Rosie has been shaping an ambitious AI strategy built on three core pillars: brand-led, client-centred, and AI-enabled.

Brabners is taking a measured, people-focused approach to AI — starting from first principles to identify the real problems lawyers and clients face, then finding solutions that align with the firm’s broader goals. Sometimes those solutions involve AI, sometimes they don’t — but when they do, Rosie ensures they are implemented at the right time, in the right way, and with the right safeguards.

In their conversation, they discuss:
• Why solving the right problem sometimes means not using AI at all
• Scaling up skills across the firm to use AI effectively and responsibly
• Enhancing evaluation frameworks for AI tools before adoption
• Exploring generative AI in client portals to improve transparency and service
• Balancing internal innovation with growing client expectations
• The risks of rushing untested AI products to market
• Why Rosie believes AI’s transformation of law will be profound but not instantaneous
• Keeping client benefit and team wellbeing equally at the heart of AI adoption

Brabners: https://www.brabners.com/

MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Ben Farrell MBE, Global Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), the world’s largest professional body for procurement and supply professionals, with over 70,000 members in 160 countries and 97 branches worldwide.

CIPS plays a pivotal role in shaping resilient, ethical, and sustainable global supply chains — a profession now at the forefront due to shifting trade relationships and the weaponisation of supply chains. Ben shares how CIPS is helping countries thrive, raising standards, and closing global skills gaps while inspiring the next generation of procurement leaders.

In their conversation, they discuss:

·       Why procurement and supply have never been more vital to sustainability, national economies, and society

·       Acting as a global voice for the profession and a thought leader in the field

·       Moving industry debates toward long-term thinking and away from short-term fixes

·       Building a “shared consciousness” across a diverse, international membership

·       Helping countries and organisations understand skills gaps and set global standards

·       Navigating the world’s deep dependence on China and its tightly wound supply networks

·       How CIPS is evolving to meet future challenges and encourage more innovative thinking

·       Showcasing meaningful career paths in procurement and supply to attract new talent

CIPS: https://www.cips.org/

MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/