A Different Perspective

This week Nick talks to Chris McVey. Chris McVey is Deputy Head of Octopus Quoted Companies at Octopus Investments , where he has worked since 2016 and is lead manager of the Octopus UK Multi Cap Income Fund. He has more than 20 years of experience in the UK quoted smaller companies market. Prior to joining Octopus, Chris was a UK small- and mid-cap equity research analyst at Citigroup, and before...

This week Nick talks to Alk Brand Alk Brand is a global agribusiness leader and the Chief Executive Officer of Wynnstay Group PLC , one of the UK’s leading agricultural supplies businesses. With more than two decades of executive leadership experience, he has led major food, agriculture, and supply chain organisations across five continents, including serving as Global CEO of Westfalia Fruit and H...

This week Nick talks to Dr Zaid Al-fagih Zaid is Founder and CEO of Rhazes AI , an award-winning AI-powered virtual assistant designed to transform clinical workflows. Drawing on his experience as an NHS doctor and humanitarian first responder, he founded Rhazes AI to help clinicians improve productivity, reduce errors and burnout, and strengthen patient care. A graduate of Imperial College London...

This week Nick talks to Scott Lane Scott is the Founder and CEO of Speeki and serves as its Principal Auditor. He brings more than 25 years of experience in governance, compliance, and ESG risk, having built and scaled international businesses focused on helping organisations strengthen risk management and stakeholder trust.  After working for Sun Microsystems and Hitachi, Scott founded The Red Fl...

This week Nick talks to Alistair Smallwood Alistair Smallwood is the Head of Applied AI at Primer AI , where he focuses on building practical artificial intelligence tools for investment workflows. He began his career as a research analyst at Whitman Howard shortly after the Brexit vote, before moving into equity sales roles and later joining UBS as a pan-European small- and mid-cap specialist sal...

This week Nick talks to Sir Nigel Knowles Sir Nigel has been Chairman of Zeus Capital since 2014. As Managing Partner of DLA Piper from 1996 to 2016, he oversaw the firm's expansion from a UK regional practice into the world's largest global business law firm. He is currently CEO of DWF, the publicly listed international law firm. Sir Nigel has also served as High Sheriff of Greater London, chairs...

This week Nick talks to Dr Ewan Kirk Dr Ewan Kirk is a British technology entrepreneur, founder of Cantab Capital Partners, until recently was chair of the Issac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, and Non-Executive Director of BAE Systems. He is also Co-Chair of the Turner Kirk Trust , which supports STEM, education, and conservation causes in the UK and the developing world. Nick and Ewa...

This week Nick talks to Christen Gilchrist Christen is an organisational psychologist who applies psychological principles to the workplace, helping businesses improve how their people, teams and structures function. Drawing on behavioural science and systems thinking, she works across leadership, change, performance and culture, diagnosing what isn't working and designing more effective ways of w...

This week Nick talks to Richard Penny and Simon Like Richard Penny and Simon Like are experienced UK small-cap fund managers at Oberon Investments , with decades in the market between them. Simon began his career in banking with Midland Bank, later HSBC, before setting up his own investment vehicle and eventually joining Oberon over 25 years ago. He has focused primarily on small and micro-cap sto...

This week Nick talks to Paul McDade Paul has over 35 years of international experience in the oil and gas industry, with nearly two decades as COO and CEO of Tullow Oil. He helped transform the company into a FTSE 100 business, driving growth across Africa, including the development of Ghana’s Jubilee field and major M&A activity. He holds a Master’s in Petroleum Engineering from Imperial Coll...

This week Nick talks to Val Hamilton Val initially trained as a teacher, travelling and working abroad in Copenhagen and later in Boston, where she began working with challenging adolescents. On returning to the UK, Val settled in London and transitioned into the private sector. After studying at Sheffield Business School, she became a personal and organisational development consultant in the City...

This week Nick talks Ian Schenkel   Ian is an award-winning commercial leader with a proven record of delivering triple-digit global growth and successful turnarounds for SaaS businesses. Experienced in securing major contracts across government and multiple regulated sectors, and trusted as an advisor on business growth and international expansion.  Nick and Ian talk through Ian’s unconventional...

This week Nick talks to Brusk Korkmaz Brusk Korkmaz has over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry, building a broad and respected career across civil engineering and labour supply. In 2008, he founded Hercules PLC , reflecting his strong entrepreneurial drive. Prior to this, Brusk held senior roles at leading organisations including MJ Gleeson, Black & Veatch, and Hochtief UK.  Ni...

This week Nick talks to Hugh Hendry. In this special episode recorded in front of a live audience at November's MelloLondon investor event in London. Legendary hedge fund manager and self-styled “Asset Capitalist” Hugh Hendry speaks with Nick about today’s macroeconomic landscape, the psychology of bubbles, and why imagination—rather than pure data—is essential for understanding markets. Hendry re...

This week Nick talks Katie and Jeremy Prescott Katie Prescott is the Technology Business Editor at The Times and a weekly columnist for its award-winning business section. A regular contributor to Times Radio and The Times daily podcast, The Story , she is widely recognised following a decade at the BBC, where she reported on technology and business for Radio 4’s Today programme. She hosts The Tim...

This week Nick talks to Charles Skinner Charles Skinner is a leading authority on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA). As CEO, he transformed a £3m business into a £100m exit and grew another company’s value 30-fold to £300m, earning AIM Company of the Year in 2016. He is currently the CEO of Restore PLC, and the author of Buy, Run, Build: A Guide to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition . C...

In this week's episode Nick talks to Allan Lockhart Allan Lockhart is the CEO of NewRiver REIT plc and has over 35 years of experience in the UK retail real estate sector. He began his career with Strutt & Parker in 1988, advising leading property companies and institutions on retail leasing, investment, and development. In 2002, he joined Halladale Plc as Retail Director, where he focused on...

This week Nick talks to Jeff Chatfield Jeff Chatfield is the CEO of Avation, a publicly listed aircraft leasing company with a global portfolio of commercial and regional aircraft. He has over two decades of experience in the aviation finance industry, leading the company through multiple bond issues and strategic fleet expansions. Known for his pragmatic approach to capital management, Chatfield...

This week Nick talks to Julian Roberts Julian Roberts is an executive coach, author and podcast presenter known for his work in developing personal and organisational resilience. In this episode, Nick and Julian talk through Julian’s varied career path — from studying medical sciences and starting out in pharmaceutical sales, to spending twenty years in the food industry with brands such as Heinz,...

This week Nick talks to Oktay Kavrak. Oktay Kavrak is Head of Communications and Strategy at Leverage Shares, a European leader in exchange-traded products (ETPs). Oktay discusses the company’s mission to democratize access to investing, with over $1.5 billion in assets under management as of July 2024. He shares his professional journey from IBM and DeGiro to joining Leverage Shares in its early...

In this episode Nick talks to David Keene MBE David Keene MBE, Founder & CEO of Aurrigo , is a leading figure in the automotive and autonomous vehicle industries. With nearly four decades of experience, David has been recognised as a driving force in the development of autonomous and electric vehicles, earning an MBE in June 2025 for his pioneering work to decarbonise airports through innovati...

This week Nick talks to Peter York Peter York is an author, broadcaster, journalist, management consultant and cultural commentator. He was Style Editor of Harper’s & Queen for ten years and co-authored The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook in 1982. He co-founded the consultancy SRU Ltd, later chaired a UK government Foresight committee on the future of leisure, and has written for The Independe...

This week Nick talks to Mike England Mike holds a Master's Degree in Engineering and brings over 25 years of commercial and operational leadership experience in industrial product distribution and services. He spent eight years with FTSE100 RS Group plc, where he held key leadership roles including Group Chief Operating Officer, overseeing P&L across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. Prior to that...

In this weeks episode Nick talks to Benedict Evans Benedict Evans is an independent analyst with over 25 years’ experience in mobile, media, and technology. Evans recounts his career journey, from equity analysis of mobile operators, to strategic roles in media and telecoms, and later his work at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Nick and Benedict conversations explores the evolution of ar...

This week Nick talks to Lionel Barber. Lionel Barber is a distinguished British journalist best known for his tenure as Editor of the Financial Times from 2005 to 2020, during which he spearheaded its transformation into a globally respected, digital-first news organisation. A graduate of St Edmund Hall, Oxford, he began his career at The Scotsman before moving to The Sunday Times and then joining...