The Purposeful Strategist

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus is joined by Andrew Wordsworth, co-founder and CEO of Sustainable Ventures, a firm dedicated to building the UK’s most impactful climate tech ecosystem.

Andrew shares how Sustainable Ventures has grown to support over 1,000 startups—expanding beyond London into Manchester, with plans for Glasgow—and how the firm continues to align deep purpose with commercial success.

This conversation explores:

·      Why Sustainable Venture took external investment, and how they’ve stayed mission-aligned.

·      The opportunity in regional climate tech ecosystems and how to support founders where they are.

·      How AI is being adopted internally and across the sector, from efficiency gains to accelerating impact.

·      Why climate change should be seen as an economic opportunity, not a cost.

·      The importance of holding onto a clear purpose as companies scale.

Andrew offers a grounded, forward-looking perspective on scaling solutions to the climate crisis.

Interested in Sustainable Venture’s workspaces? Check them out here: https://www.sustainableventures.co.uk/workspaces

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Matt Hotson, Group Chief Operating Officer at Mishcon de Reya, one of the UK’s most distinctive law firms. Known for its entrepreneurial spirit, top-tier disputes work, and sustained double-digit growth, Mishcon has built a reputation for marrying legal excellence with bold strategic thinking.

Matt shares how his role as COO touches every part of the firm that isn’t directly about practising law and is essential to helping lawyers do their best work with clients. From codifying values and vision to structuring operations and measuring success, he offers a candid look at how Mishcon makes strategy real.

In their conversation, they explore:

-              How the firm keeps culture alive and evolving across 1,000 lawyers and support staff.

-              Why writing down strategy, and debating it, has been central to Mishcon’s growth.

-              How operations teams protect assets, enable client work, and fuel growth across the firm.

-              Why executing a 70% decision well often beats waiting for 100% certainty.

-              How AI and cross-disciplinary skills are reshaping what it means to be a modern law firm.

-              The risks of doing nothing, and the hidden costs of inaction.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Devika Wood, CEO of Brain +, a certified health tech provider pioneering Ayla, a digital Cognitive Simulation Therapy (CST), the world-leading non-drug treatment for dementia.

 Together, they explore what it takes to scale a mission-led innovation in a high-regulation, emotionally charged sector – and how strategy, purpose, and commercial realities intersect.

In their conversation, they discuss:

·      Why CST’s inclusion in NICE guidelines opened the door to wide-scale adoption – and what challenges remain.

·      How Devika and the Brain+ team are deploying CST through care homes, upskilling staff, and laying the groundwork for NHS integration.

·      The struggles and rewards of staying mission-based as a publicly listed company.

·      The emotional and ethical responsibilities of working in dementia care.

·      The hard work of refining strategy, testing what language resonates, and building trust at every level.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus is joined by Asad Dhunna, founder and CEO of The Unmistakables, a consultancy on a mission to make organisations more inclusive from the inside out. Asad brings a clear-eyed view of how business, identity, and society are evolving.

Drawing on insights from The Grow Up report, a recent UK-wide survey of over 2,000 people, Asad explores what inclusion really means today and how businesses can stay relevant as they grow. This conversation covers:

-       Why diversity is too often reduced to race—and why that limits real progress.

-       The tension leaders face between familiar talent and the need for fresh perspectives.

-       The responsible use of AI in marketing starts with diverse inputs, not just outputs.

-       What really is behind the push to return to the office.

-       How the next generation is redefining wealth, work, and leadership.

-       Why reputation is becoming a critical, and often overlooked, growth metric.

Want to find out more about The Unmistakables?: https://www.theunmistakables.com/

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus sits down with Dean Proctor, CEO of 7IM – a UK-based investment management firm with nearly £30 billion in assets and a team of around 850 colleagues. Under Dean’s leadership, 7IM has grown significantly over the past six years through a blend of organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Throughout its  growth, the firm had remained grounded in its founding values and a deep commitment to client success.

Dean shares how 7IM is working to scale with integrity—keeping purpose, people, and performance aligned as the firm evolves:

·       How 7IM’s B2B2C and direct-to-consumer models inform and strengthen each other.

·       Why reinforcing values through storytelling helps sustain a client-first culture at scale.

·       The role of colleague-led initiatives in advancing sustainability and diversity.

·       Trends driving wealth management consolidation, and why the UK needs younger, more diverse financial advisers.

·       How AI and technology can lower barriers to financial advice to expand access.

Listen in to hear how Dean and his team are building a culture of ‘succeeding together’—and what it takes to lead a growing business with purpose.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Fiona Dunsire, the Government Actuary and the first woman to head the Government Actuary’s Department since its establishment in 1917. Together, they discuss how leaders can learn and grow together in teams, all while ensuring an organisation maintains its core purpose. With her team at GAD, Fiona unlocks value in her behind-the-scenes work advising the current government on big and long-term financial risk decisions.

In their conversation, they discuss:

-       Adjusting to the public sector and gaining the trust of colleagues, as well as the core differences in measuring success between public and private organisations.

-       Continuing to learn and grow in a leadership position. How do leaders work well together in a team setting to move an organisation forward?

-       Becoming comfortable with change as a leader.

-       The voluntary inclusion of team members in determining future strategy plans and the crucial role of team culture in achieving an organisation’s core purpose.

-       Embracing AI opportunities to streamline workflow and limit risk without eliminating human review.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Gavin Slark, CEO of SIG – a leading European supplier of specialist insulation and sustainable building products. With operations across six countries, connecting over 75,000 customers with expert solutions, SIG is on a mission to become the best provider of specialist construction and insulation products in Europe. Gavin joined SIG in 2023, bringing decades of industry leadership experience and a clear ambition to guide SIG through its next phase of growth. Gavin shares his approach to strategy over a multinational business – guided by a philosophy to keep it simple. The discussion explores:

·      Why keeping strategy simple is key to having a higher chance of delivery – and ensuring everyone understands it

·      The challenges around financial viability when decarbonising a large distribution organisation

·      Why confidence and trust in the authenticity of your people are essential qualities of leaders

How SIG balances local insight with shared purpose and strategic goals as a multinational organisation

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus sits down with Florence Brocklesby, founder of Bellevue Law – a boutique firm specialising in employment law, dispute resolution, and private client services. Founded in 2014, Bellevue has grown into a 30-person team. It is B Corp certified, Good Business Charter accredited, and recognised as a Legal 500 Leading Firm. Florence launched the firm to create a flexible and values-driven workplace – one that could deliver exceptional results for clients while supporting a better quality of life for its lawyers.

Florence shares how Bellevue’s people-first model has translated into long-term success for both the business and its clients:

-       Why flexibility and high-quality client delivery can – and should – go hand in hand.

-       The process of achieving B Corp and Good Business Charter certifications.

-       How prioritising employee wellbeing leads to greater loyalty and performance.

-       What law firms can do to contribute meaningfully to social and environmental impact.

-       The importance of purpose-led hiring and staying true to your founding values.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Gavin Slark, CEO of SIG – a leading European supplier of specialist insulation and sustainable building products. With operations across six countries, connecting over 75,000 customers with expert solutions, SIG is on a mission to become the best provider of specialist construction and insulation products in Europe. Gavin joined SIG in 2023, bringing decades of industry leadership experience and a clear ambition to guide SIG through its next phase of growth. Gavin shares his approach to strategy over a multinational business – guided by a philosophy to keep it simple. The discussion explores:

·      Why keeping strategy simple is key to having a higher chance of delivery – and ensuring everyone understands it

·      The challenges around financial viability when decarbonising a large distribution organisation

·      Why confidence and trust in the authenticity of your people are essential qualities of leaders

How SIG balances local insight with shared purpose and strategic goals as a multinational organisation

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Karl Jansen, Managing Partner of Freeths. Freeths is a full-service law firm which operates across 13 offices and is the largest law firm with B-Corp status in the UK. Karl has been with the firm almost 35 years and has been central to the firm’s development – not just in financial performance, but in culture and reputation. In this episode, Karl shares how culture, purpose, and the philosophy of ‘doing things with people, not to them’ has shaped Freeth’s successful strategic decisions. The discussion explores:

·      Freeths’ approach to sustainable growth and why culture has remained central throughout

·      How the firm is shaping its next five-year strategy in response to a changing world

·      The role of innovation and AI in Freeths’ future plans – and how they’re engaging clients in the process

·      Why Freeths prioritises alignment over scale when it comes to growth opportunities

·      The firm’s involvement in the Post Office scandal and what it reveals about their values in action