Coach Class

In this episode of Coach Class, I sat down with Kevin Gratton, whose journey through some of the most intense kitchens in the world has shaped him into a reflective, generous leader and mentor in the hospitality industry. From working under Marco Pierre White to launching his own consultancy—Samphire and Sage—Kevin’s career is rich with insight, grit, and transformation. Key Themes: Learning in Hi...

In this episode of Coach Class , I caught up with Gail Paddy , a seasoned leader in the UK grocery industry with over 30 years' experience at Asda and Morrisons . Gail discusses product development, own-brand strategy, food education, and career transitions , along with her new role in coaching and consulting . Key Themes & Insights 1️⃣ Passion for Food & Early Career Aspirations Gail...

Jo Reeves is a highly experienced personal and business coach — armed with an impressive coaching resume, a knack for making big topics feel totally relatable, and the occasional well-placed “bab” (because you can take the girl out of Birmingham, but you can’t take Birmingham out of the girl). With a passion for helping people build confidence and self-belief, Jo has led multiple transformational...

In this episode I speak with Sarah Ramsey (Trustee) and Gareth Pierce (CEO) of Forget Me Not Hospice . While the conversation is centred on children’s hospice care , it also offers leadership insights into motivation, culture, and values —core themes that resonate across business, charity, and personal growth. 1. Purpose-Driven Leadership & Motivation Both Sarah and Gareth transitioned from co...

Owen Eastwood is a world-renowned performance coach, author of the bestselling book Belonging , and a passionate advocate for the power of connection and shared purpose. His work draws on the Māori concept of Whakapapa, emphasising the importance of understanding our place within a lineage and creating environments where individuals feel they truly belong. Owen has worked with some of the world’s...

In this episode of Coach Class, I sit down with Leah Spears, Head of Brand at Paddy Power, to discuss her career journey and the lessons she’s gathered along the way.  With over 20 years of experience, Leah shares how her childhood dream of working in television transformed into a passion for marketing, eventually leading her to roles at Brazen PR, a long tenure at Asda, where she embraced an entr...

In this episode of Coach Class I'm thrilled to be joined by James Sills, a freelance choir leader, vocal coach, and author of the inspiring book Do Sing . In his work, James advocates for the transformative power of singing, not only as a form of creative expression but as a remedy to the stresses of modern life.  His book encourages readers to overcome their inhibitions, find their voice, an...

In this episode of the Coach Class I chat with Dr. Bob Gomersall, a prominent entrepreneur, founder of Surpass Assessment, and chairman of Advanced Digital Innovations. Bob takes us through his fascinating journey, starting from his early days as a physics teacher to becoming a successful business leader, and now an author. His reflections provide valuable lessons on innovation, entrepreneurship,...

In a double-header, I sit down with Nathan Atkinson and Kevin Mackay from Rethink Food, a transformative initiative dedicated to removing hunger as a barrier to learning in schools. With a focus on innovative educational approaches and community-driven solutions, Nathan and Kevin share their journey from classroom teachers to founders of a movement that addresses food insecurity and poor nutrition...

In this episode of Coach Class, I catch up with Simon Eyles, Managing Director of Betty's. We discuss Simon’s professional journey, leadership insights, and his transition from various food industries to his current role. Simon reflects on the overwhelming scale and energy when he joined Asda compared to his previous roles, emphasising how each position, from beer and dairy to chips and choco...

Boasting over two decades of executive leadership across various sectors, Chris is now at the helm of Corkcicle, a brand known for its innovative and eco-friendly lifestyle products. Under his stewardship, Corkcicle has seen a remarkable 50% growth over the last three years,  while maintaining a sharp focus on sustainability. Previously, as a senior leader at LLBean, Chris spearheaded a team of ov...

Joy Cosgrove is a UK and Ireland based Retail Learning Consultant & Personal Coach. She has years of hands on experience in the training room and on the shop floor, and I had the pleasure of training with her at Barefoot.  She is also the proud mum of three lovely kids, one of whom is a talented and powerful young woman. Who, as it happens has Down Syndrome. I was struck by a post Joy shared o...

Rosie and Claire first met over a lunch where they shared their stories about belonging, culture, leadership and coaching. Their ambitions were to create cultures where people felt they didn’t have to be something they weren’t, they were confident to speak up and contribute and leaders brought out the best in their people. Toegther they founded Flying Iguana . In this podcast we cover various topi...

Professor Ralph Tench is the Director of Research for Leeds Business School and the elected President and Head of the Board of Directors for the European Public Relations Research and Education Association (EUPRERA).  He was one of my tutors at Leeds Met back in 1994, having left the field of journalism and advertising and ventured into academia. The girls loved him, the lads loved him, everyone l...

In a follow up to the podcast I recorded with my dad last October , in this episode I am pleased to introduce you to 'the mother, 'Josie Burch, my mum, whose life story is a testament to resilience, compassion, and the indomitable spirit of believing in yourself.  Our conversation is rich with personal anecdotes and pearls of wisdom, as we delve into the experiences from her upbringing i...

In this, my 50th podcast, I welcome back Steve Smith, who was my first guest on Coach class nearly three years ago. Steve shares valuable insights into leadership and life,  being your authentic self whether you're washing the car, buying a bagel or appearing on stage as the CEO of Maine's most famous brand L.L.Bean . With a break from the norm, we also take questions from Coach Class li...

Tony Page is a turnaround specialist and an expert in solving distress situations particularly for private equity-backed businesses. He is also a transformative leadership mentor and coach. He started his career as a fresh produce buyer at Sainsbury's. But really cut his teeth at  Asda in the mid 90s and early naughties.  In our podcast he reflects on those early days describing how Asda&apos...

Claire is the Chief People and Inclusion Officer at Co-op. Prior to the Co-op, she worked across Asda and Walmart for 23 years, setting up, establishing and leading the procurement team. As well as sharing learning and experiences with wider Walmart international markets to grow procurement support and influence, Claire also held a UK-based role leading the  US IT Sourcing team, working remotely w...

After trail blazing in flexible working within their organisations, Chloe Fletcher and Laura Walker came together as a jobsharing pair in 2021. After repeatedly being asked to share tips and advice, and realising the gap in knowledge of the benefits and practicalities of jobsharing, The Jobshare Revolution was born. They now offer inspiration, advice and consultancy support to help organisations t...

Where do you start, when you interview your own dad. An inspirational leader and coach in his own right, albeit a university lecturer and football team coach, rather than the type I normally interview. Lucky to survive his birth, his aunt Agnes nursed him for the first three weeks of his life, then fortunate to survive a heart attack when just 44, he is 80 tomorrow. His own father died when he was...

Neil Nugent is a professional chef and food innovation expert, having left school at 16 and worked his way up through professional kitchens in his home town, then London, then across the world. He then entered the retail sector, innovating new food ranges at Asda, then Waitrose, Morrisons and Iceland. He now develops his own range of food  - Panku - that is sold in many of the major grocery retail...

Dave Barber is an experienced internal comms professional and colleague engagement expert. He cut his teeth in retail, having studied supply chains and worked his way through various logistics roles at Asda. Seeking a change of scene, he took a maternity role cover in the colleague comms department and immediately found his passion for internal comms. After leaving Asda six years ago he set up his...

Stuart is the chief people officer at Zenith the UK's leading independent leasing, fleet management and vehicle outsourcing business. He's also a qualified business and executive coach. He joined Zenith from Virgin Health Care, where he was chief people officer before transitioning to chief operating officer. He has also held senior people roles at Costcutter, Morrisons and Asda. He join...

Martin Benefer has a passion for human development and loves to help people achieve their potential, both personally and within their career. He's a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), with a Postgraduate Certificate in Business & Personal Coaching and over 1,000 hours of coaching practice, supporting more than 300 clients.  He's also a Coaching Tutor at Barefoot where he trains new...

Ben Cooke is a highly accomplished coach and agile delivery professional with more than 15 years experience.  He helps businesses, teams and individuals to respond to an ever-changing  business environment through coaching, training, consultancy, mentoring and facilitation.  Outside of his client work, he is also a long-distance runner, and is interested in electronic music and contemporary art, h...