Uspire Unlocked

What does it take to unlock potential in iconic brands and lead teams through uncertainty? In this energising episode of Uspire Unlocked, Amanda Downs sits down with Steve Challouma,senior commercial leader, former GM for Birds Eye UK & Ireland, and interim Marketing Director for Suntory Beverages (home of Lucozade and Ribena).

Across three decades shaping some of Europe's best-known food brands, Steve traces his path from Unilever graduate to leading major transformations across multiple ownerships. He shares why staying at one company doesn't mean standing still and why delighting consumers and stewarding brand history anchor his leadership. He also shares how the Japanese principle of "Gemba", spending time where value is created, deepens empathy, fuels innovation, and keeps leaders relevant.

Here are the highlights:

00:00 Intro: Meet Steve Challouma

01:30 Almost 30 years with one business: why Steve stayed

02:12 Three ownership phases: Unilever, Private Equity, Nomad Foods

04:08 The underrated power of frozen food and brand stewardship

07:07 Key career decisions, inflection points, and early sliding doors

15:21 Building high-performing teams and prioritising people over titles

16:00 Turning around declining brands at Birdseye

19:04 Execution over innovation in challenging times

19:48 Sales vs. Marketing: breaking down commercial silos

25:57 Staying externally connected, healthy marketing lifestyles

27:51 Evolving from knowledge-holder to orchestrator

31:01 Influential leaders: integrity, low ego, building belief in others

33:31 Steve's values: curiosity and kindness, and why clear is kind

36:47 The importance of culture, candour, and psychological safety

37:19 Guardian leadership and bringing Japanese principles to Suntory

​About The Uspire Partnership:

The Uspire Partnership: Building the future of business

The Uspire Partnership helps businesses evolve. From start-up, scale-up,

to corporate growth, we build ecosystems that empower your organisation,

elevate your leaders, and drive lasting transformation.

Their collective of specialist brands build confidence, capability, capacity,

and connection for companies across the full business lifecycle. Their

family includes;

• Uspire – Leadership and commercial development designed to build capable leaders and high-performing teams
• Be Human – Empathy training helping organisations embed human connection into business
• Energise Partners – A growth and transformation partner for scaling businesses
• Business Doctors – Trusted advisors helping small businesses achieve their vision

Together, The Uspire Partnership builds human-led solutions that unlock

confidence, inspire growth and deliver lasting transformation.

Connect with The Uspire Partnership:

Website: www.theuspirepartnership.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uspire-ltd/

About Steve Challouma

Steve Challouma is a senior commercial leader with nearly 30 years’ experience shaping and growing some of Europe’s most iconic food brands. As former CMO of Nomad Foods and General Manager of Birds Eye UK & Ireland, he led major brand, category and capability transformations across a €3bn business, steering household names like Birds Eye, Goodfella’s and Aunt Bessie’s through periods of significant change and sustained growth.

A Fellow of both The Marketing Academy and The Marketing Society, Steve has built a reputation for combining sharp strategic thinking with a deep passion for consumer behaviour, brand building and modern marketing leadership. He is currently the Interim Marketing Director at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, where he leads the marketing organisation behind Lucozade, Ribena and Celsius, some of the UK’s most culturally resonant and fast moving brands.

Across his career, Steve has been known for developing high performing teams, shaping strong marketing capability and driving long term commercial impact. His work continues to influence leaders and organisations across the industry.

What does real innovation look like, and how can leaders foster it across every part of their organisation? In this inspiring episode of Uspire Unlocked, Amanda Downs is joined by Tom Pullen: former Danone Innovation Director, CEO of Innovinco®, creator of the INNOVATOR Way®, and award-winning author.

With experience spanning over 30 major corporations, Tom Pullen shares the journey that led him from the Mars chocolate factory to global business transformation and why true innovation is more about enabling people than inventing products.

Learn how a simple home visit sparked a product breakthrough for Danone, how to build a culture where every team member feels empowered to innovate, and why asking better questions may be the most powerful leadership tool of all. Tom reveals practical steps from his ten-step Innovator Way, the toughest challenges of leading change, and how AI is reshaping the future of growth and human-centred leadership.

Essential listening for leaders who want to unlock growth, build confidence, and leave things better than they found them.

Here are the highlights:

00:00 Intro: Meet Tom Pullen, innovation leader, CEO, and author

01:29 From corporate career to innovation consultancy

02:51 The three criteria of real innovation: new, valuable, and real

05:10 Why innovation must be cross-functional

08:11 The bottled water breakthrough, listening to customers at home

10:36 The Innovator Way: why strategy must come first

13:17 Should innovation be everyone's job or just a dedicated team?

14:55 The toughest challenge: getting people to support change

16:41 Customer centricity and the power of sharing insights

19:50 Tom loves helping people and driving growth

22:20 The AI revolution in innovation and the human touch required

25:49 Tom Pullen's leadership values

30:30 The importance of real-world experience and mentorship

33:15 Top tip for leaders: ask better questions to unlock innovation.

​About The Uspire Partnership:

The Uspire Partnership: Building the future of business

The Uspire Partnership helps businesses evolve. From start-up, scale-up,

to corporate growth, we build ecosystems that empower your organisation,

elevate your leaders, and drive lasting transformation.

Their collective of specialist brands builds confidence, capability, capacity,

and connection for companies across the full business lifecycle. Their

family includes;

• Uspire – Leadership and commercial development designed to build capable leaders and high-performing teams
• Be Human – Empathy training helping organisations embed human connection into business
• Energise Partners – A growth and transformation partner for scaling businesses
• Business Doctors – Trusted advisors helping small businesses achieve their vision

Together, The Uspire Partnership builds human-led solutions that unlock

confidence, inspire growth and deliver lasting transformation.

Connect with The Uspire Partnership:

Website: www.theuspirepartnership.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uspire-ltd/

About Tom Pullen:

Tom Pullen is the founder and CEO of Innovinco®, a company that helps large corporations grow faster through innovation. Tom spent the first 18 years of his career driving business growth inside major companies, including Boots, Mars, and Danone, where he became Global Innovation Director.

Since founding Innovinco® in 2017, he has helped over 30 of the world’s leading companies to accelerate innovation performance. These include Danone, Essilor, Estée Lauder, Givaudan, Henkel, L’Oréal, La Poste, LVMH, McCain, Michelin, Pernod Ricard, Quiksilver, Reckitt, Rexel, Schlumberger, The Coca-Cola Company, Toyota, Unilever and Veolia.

Tom is the creator of the INNOVATOR Way®, a practical 10-step system trusted by business leaders in more than 40 countries, and the author of the award-winning book INNOVATOR. He is also an award-winning speaker, and has recently delivered his second TEDx talk on innovation.

What does it mean to compete at the highest level without losing your humanity? In this gripping episode of Uspire Unlocked, Amanda welcomes Greg Cackett, former pub chef, elite sprinter, three-time Olympian, and Team GB bobsleigh brakeman whose remarkable journey from the village pub to the Olympic ice is a masterclass in resilience, self-belief, and what he calls compassionate competition.

Scouted at 21 with no athletics background, Greg rapidly went from an 11.5-second 100m time to racing Usain Bolt at the Diamond League all while being coached by Margot Wells and Linford Christie. After injury redirected his path, he fell in love with bobsleigh and spent the next decade competing at the very top of the sport, reaching three Olympic Games and winning medals at European and World Championship level.

Greg shares the raw emotional reality of “near miss grief,” how imposter syndrome showed up even at the Olympic Games, and why compassion, not just kindness, is the bedrock of exceptional leadership and team performance. A must-listen for anyone navigating high-pressure environments.

Here are the highlights:

00:00 Intro: Meet Greg Cackett, pub chef turned three-time Olympian 01:30 Scouted at 21: from the village pub to the athletics track

02:20 Coached by Margot Wells and Linford Christie

03:50 Racing Usain Bolt at the Diamond League Anniversary Games

07:00 Injury, setbacks, and the decision to switch to bobsleigh

08:30 Why sprinters transfer so well to bobsleigh and what the sport really demands

15:00 Imposter syndrome at the Olympic start line and how Greg managed it

16:30 Three Olympics: Pyeongchang, Beijing, and Milan Cortina

23:00 The concept of “Near Miss Grief” and how it applies to business leaders

34:00 What is compassionate competition and why does it matter?

40:00 Paul Gilbert’s work on compassion and why Greg finds it life-changing

44:00 Advice for leaders: how to build real resilience in teams

49:00 Pride, values, and the importance of compassionate bedrock in leadership

​About The Uspire Partnership:

The Uspire Partnership: Building the future of business

The Uspire Partnership helps businesses evolve. From start-up, scale-up,

to corporate growth, we build ecosystems that empower your organisation,

elevate your leaders, and drive lasting transformation.

Their collective of specialist brands build confidence, capability, capacity,

and connection for companies across the full business lifecycle. Their

family includes;

• Uspire – Leadership and commercial development designed to build capable leaders and high-performing teams
• Be Human – Empathy training helping organisations embed human connection into business
• Energise Partners – A growth and transformation partner for scaling businesses
• Business Doctors – Trusted advisors helping small businesses achieve their vision

Together, The Uspire Partnership builds human-led solutions that unlock

confidence, inspire growth and deliver lasting transformation.

Connect with The Uspire Partnership:

Website: www.theuspirepartnership.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uspire-ltd/

About Greg Cackett:

A former pub chef, Greg was talent scouted at an athletics track and began sprinting at 21. After a meteoric rise: signing with Puma, racing Usain Bolt, an injury stalled his progress and he plotted an escape route to bobsleigh. Many medals, British Records and 3 Olympics later, he never looked back.

Greg speaks regularly in schools and corporate environments. His subjects range from “Compassionate Competition in leadership” and “high performance” to “resilience, perseverance and finding worth beyond performance.”

As his own retirement looms, Greg is looking for a new home in the creative space. As a lifelong writer, he hopes to pivot into Film and TV, books, comedy and beyond.

What does it mean to lead with authenticity, spark engagement through play, and truly unlock both individual and team potential? In this lively episode of Uspire Unlocked, Amanda welcomes Em Stroud, entrepreneur, bestselling author, global speaker, comedian, and coach whose mission is to help the world laugh more, think more, and play more.

From selling double glazing at 16 years old to studying theatre in Italy, to coaching high-level executives and performing in a banana suit at TEDx!. Em Stroud shares her vibrant journey. She reveals how reimagining leadership through empathy, joy, and creativity can transform organisations and why laughter and kindness are business-critical, not just “nice-to-haves.”

Discover how reframing meetings, embracing different “play styles,” and intentionally building your support system can help leaders foster resilience, happiness, and high performance in a fast-changing world.

Here are the highlights:

00:00 Intro: Meet Em Stroud, comedian, author, speaker, and fearless advocate for laughter and play in leadership

02:17 Fusing performance with executive coaching

07:26 Balancing business, team, and clients for mutual success

10:08 Why leaders should change seats and challenge meeting norms

12:01 Walking meetings and unlocking new thinking

13:53 Lighting up the room and reawakening humanity in dark times

15:05 Proving the real ROI of play, kindness, and fun at work

18:45 Why creativity is the future superpower

19:47 How a playful team exercise saved days of meetings and better results

23:28 Why every leader needs a support network for growth and resilience

27:43 Em Stroud’s core values freedom, fun, curiosity, and kindness

30:51 Top tip for leaders: Practice “just being” 2 minutes a day

32:42 The pizza of life: Inside Em Stroud’s next book

Whether you’re a seasoned executive or an aspiring leader, this conversation will inspire you to bring more authenticity, creativity, and joy into your leadership journey one slice (and one laugh) at a time.

​About The Uspire Partnership:

The Uspire Partnership: Building the future of business

The Uspire Partnership helps businesses evolve. From start-up, scale-up,

to corporate growth, we build ecosystems that empower your organisation,

elevate your leaders, and drive lasting transformation.

Their collective of specialist brands build confidence, capability, capacity,

and connection for companies across the full business lifecycle. Their

family includes;

1. Uspire – Leadership and commercial development designed to build capable leaders and high-performing teams
2. Be Human – Empathy training helping organisations embed human connection into business
3. Energise Partners – A growth and transformation partner for scaling businesses
4. Business Doctors – Trusted advisors helping small businesses achieve their vision

Together, The Uspire Partnership builds human-led solutions that unlock

confidence, inspire growth and deliver lasting transformation.

Connect with The Uspire Partnership:

Website: www.theuspirepartnership.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uspire-ltd/

About Em Stroud:

Em Stroud is The Comic Coach — a speaker, MC, performer, and bestselling author who helps leaders and teams unlock creativity, resilience, and better performance through play. With over 20 years’ experience across impro, theatre, and leadership development, Em works globally with organisations to build cultures of trust and innovation and a more joyful work place. A two-time TEDx speaker (one as a banana), Em is currently on tour with her new one-woman show, The Em Show. Her podcast ‘Clowning Around Again’ will launch in April this year.

Produced by Winter Audio

What does it take to lead with empathy, build high-performing teams, and

embrace both the challenges and magic of leadership? In our very first

episode of Uspire Unlocked, Amanda Downs sits down with Paul Barbour,

executive and team coach, certified business psychologist, author, and

lead tutor at Henley Business School to share his leadership journey and

philosophies.

From growing up during conflict in Northern Ireland, to a thriving career in

corporate leadership, to co-authoring one of the leading books on team

coaching, Paul shares deeply personal lessons in collaboration, the power

of systemic team development, and why real transformation starts with

connecting on a human level. Hear how he helps leaders tap into what’s

already within themselves and why “connection before the work” is his

mantra for impactful team change.

Here are the highlights:

00:00 Intro: Welcome to Uspire Unlocked and Paul’s inspiring story

04:38 Henley Business School and the inspiration behind his book

07:05 Leading “teams of teams” for collaboration across organisations

08:10 Coaching the spaces in between

12:02 How unmet needs and unspoken issues impact teams and

organisations

13:22 Paul’s early leadership moments

18:27 Why leaders’ confidence is crucial for development

21:07 Paul loves hearing real stories, working with diverse organisations,

and human collaboration

23:15 Navigating work-life balance, and being purposeful as a leader

26:41 Empathy in practice: How to care for others with personal boundaries

28:08 Honest conversations and feedback delivered with care

33:52 Top tip: Cultivating a “way of being” - transformational leadership

through connection, courage, humility, and self-awareness.

If you’re inspired by Paul Barbour’s honest reflections on leadership, don’t

forget to follow Uspire Unlocked so you never miss an episode.

If you’d like to unlock this for yourself, join us for our upcoming webinar:

The Leader as a Mentor, on Thursday 12 th February 2026 at 1pm, when

Uspire’s Mark Francis will explore why mentoring is a vital leadership skill.

You can register for your complimentary place here: https://26700668.hs-sites-eu1.com/leader-as-a-mentor

​

About The Uspire Partnership:

The Uspire Partnership: Building the future of business

The Uspire Partnership helps businesses evolve. From start-up, scale-up,

to corporate growth, we build ecosystems that empower your organisation,

elevate your leaders, and drive lasting transformation.

Their collective of specialist brands build confidence, capability, capacity,

and connection for companies across the full business lifecycle. Their

family includes;

1. Uspire – Leadership and commercial development designed to build capable leaders and high-performing teams
2. Be Human – Empathy training helping organisations embed human connection into business
3. Energize Partners – A growth and transformation partner for scaling businesses
4. Business Doctors – Trusted advisors helping small businesses achieve their vision

Together, The Uspire Partnership builds human-led solutions that unlock

confidence, inspire growth and deliver lasting transformation.

Connect with The Uspire Partnership:

Website: www.theuspirepartnership.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uspire-ltd/

About Paul J Barbour:

Paul is an executive and team coach, Certified Business Psychologist, and

author with over 20 years of experience leading businesses at Kerry Group

plc. A writer and speaker with strong interests in human collaboration and

conflict resolution, he is also a lead tutor on the Henley Professional

Certificate in Team and Systemic Coaching and part of the UK ICF Team

Coaching Working Party.

Paul is co-author with Lucy Widdowson of Building Top-Performing Teams:

A Practical Guide to Team Coaching to Improve Collaboration and Drive

Organizational Success (Kogan Page, 2021; 2nd edition, 2025), among

other publications including Becoming a Team Coach: The ICF Essential

Guide (2025), with Lucy Widdowson, Jonathan Passmore, and Katerina

Kanelidou.

Find Paul’s book, Building Top-Performing Teams: A practical guide to

team coaching for organizational success (2 nd Ed) here

Connect with Paul:

Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/pauljbarbour

Produced by Winter Audio

Ready to unlock your leadership potential? UNLOCKED, from The Uspire Partnership, is the podcast for leaders who want to think bigger, lead bolder, and make a real impact.

Each episode, we sit down with extraordinary leaders, founders, CEOs, and change-makers to hear the human moments and tough decisions that shaped their journey. No fluff, just real stories, fresh ideas, and insights that will empower your organisation, elevate your leadership, and drive lasting transformation.

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about unlocking the right ones.

Follow Uspire UNLOCKED now and get ready to let your inner leader out. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.