The Purposeful Strategist

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist , Belden Menkus speaks withJim Islam, Chief Executive Officer of OneFamily , one of the UK’s leading financial mutuals. With a 50-year history and 1.5 million customers, OneFamily exists to inspire better futures—helping individuals and families build long-term financial resilience through inclusive savings, investment, and protection products. Jim shar...

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist , Belden Menkus speaks with Joe Seddon, Founder and CEO of Zero Gravity — a mission-driven technology company helping talented students from low-income backgrounds reach elite universities and careers. What began with the last £200 of Joe’s student loan has become a fast-scaling organisation of 25 colleagues, more than 40 enterprise partners, and over 1...

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist , Belden Menkus speaks with Jay Shen , Founder and CEO of Transreport, the purpose-driven technology company reshaping accessibility in travel. What began as a single conversation about inequality has grown into the Passenger Assistance app—now used across the UK rail network, recognised as one of the most accessible apps on iOS, and forming the foundat...

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist , Belden Menkus speaks with Daniel Hayter , Managing Director and Vice President for Europe at Axiom Law , the global pioneer of flexible, on-demand legal talent. With more than 3,500 legal departments supported worldwide—and over 1,500+ legal professionals in Europe alone—Axiom is reshaping how in-house teams resource, scale, and adopt new technologies...

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist , Belden Menkus speaks with Jeremy Butler, Chief Executive Officer of King Edward VII’s Hospital—one of London’s most prestigious independent hospitals, known for its exceptional care and longstanding charitable mission supporting veterans. Since taking on the role in early 2025, Jeremy has led the hospital through a period of strategic renewal, balanci...

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist , Belden Menkus speaks with Anthony Osijo, CEO of Bboxx , a data-driven super platform that transforms access to essential services across Africa. From clean energy and cooking to e-mobility and smartphones, Bboxx connects millions of people to the infrastructure that powers opportunity and improves quality of life. Since joining in 2022 to lead the com...

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 yea...

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 throug...

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...

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...

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. Natash...

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...

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...

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, efficie...

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, peo...

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 g...

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Doug Bannister, CEO of the Port of Dover, Europe’s busiest ferry port and a critical gateway for trade, travel, and tourism. Handling one-third of EU-UK commerce and facilitating £144 billion of trade annually, Dover is known for its unparalleled efficiency with inbound dwell times averaging just five minutes. Doug shares how...

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist , Belden Menkus speaks with Kate Grussing CBE, Founder and Managing Director of Sapphire Partners, a pioneering executive search firm reshaping how organisations find and support exceptional leaders. Since launching in 2005, Kate has been challenging the “usual candidate” mindset — broadening searches to uncover hard-to-find individuals who inspire othe...

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus is joined by Eric Ressler, Founder and Creative Director of Cosmic, a U.S.-based creative studio helping mission-driven organisations design strategy, messaging, and digital experiences that spark meaningful change. Eric offers a sharp perspective on how social impact design is evolving—and what might come next. Reflecting on the challeng...

Show notes here

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 pu...

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 t...

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, purpos...

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 wha...

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 remaine...