The Amber Moment

Ed is the CEO at Simpson Travel. Here he talks about an early TV appearance and "getting the bug"; becoming a Eurocamp team manager at 19; running Premier Inn's most profitable London hotel; the lure of being able to define AND execute strategy; leading the private equity sale of Simpson; the power of optimism and diplomacy; and getting a serious taste for outdoor cooking.

The second part of my chat with the founder of property companies Socius and Populate. Here Barry talks about becoming a CEO and business owner; dealing with imposter syndrome; the power of intense curiosity; being unafraid to fail; "never settling'; his mission to bring fundamental change to the property industry; an extreme aversion to nay-sayers and politicians who don't take res...

Barry is the founder of the property companies Socius and Populate. In this first part of our chat, he talks about being uninspired by the town where he grew up until he discovered punk and alcohol; getting pinned against a factory wall by an unambitious foreman; inventing his own fantasy football game before the rest of the country caught on; having his eyes opened by an incredible Australian bos...

Mark talks about "magical happenstance"; his mystifying lack of anger; the abandoned principle of being entertaining; analogue skills for a post-apocalyptic world; encouraging people to dance on his grave; eating soup through a Mexican wrestling mask; and, of course, rug tufting.

Mark is an artist and all-round creative person. Here, he talks about discovering his "party trick"; carrying a pencil and paper; the great influence of telly and comics; how a playground phrase became a piece of work exhibited in the Royal Academy; a sneaky debut ad, immediately landing awards and winding up at BBH; Claire the Clairvoyant; working on Christmas Day; and rug tufting. Beli...

After a distinguished career in retail, Mark launched Bazaar Group in 2005 alongside his entrepreneur wife Jayne. Here he talks about running student discos at 15; the M&S management training scheme; a breakthrough in hypnotherapy; Jayne's first home-made beanbag; growing their business from a converted barn and working 17-hour days; how rapid expansion demanded a different structure; and...

Steve is the former CEO of YouGov and VP of Facebook/Meta, heading up their operations in Northern Europe. Here he talks about having parents who were entrepreneurial and intellectual; dyslexia; getting a call from "the Robin Williams" of the media planning world; the transition from strategist to leader (and getting it wrong initially); the debate about Facebook as an editor/censor; 29...

The second part of my chat with actor and Global Head of Facilities Andrew. Here, he talks about a tendency to focus on what's NOT working; being a team of one; "not confusing access with merit"; authenticity and unflinching curiosity; being comfortable with not knowing what's coming next...and Kurt Cobain.

Andrew is the Global Facilities Director at wealth management firm AlTi Tiedemann Global. He's also an actor (of course!). In this first part of our conversation, he talks about having to "show up to the dinner table"; trying to sabotage his own education; a life-changing moment on stage; wanting to make his parents proud "even when they're not watching"; and a tenden...

Annie is the founder of the County Cricket Matters magazine. She's also a writer, journalist and commentator. Here, she talks about how cricket "seeps into your bones"; being banned from playing because she was a girl; falling in love with Somerset County Cricket Club; "learning how to say yes"; a watershed moment in Barbados; launching a magazine over a common cause; sexi...

Sara is the founder of Pearl Metrics. She 's built econometric models for some of the world's most famous brands including VW, Coca-Cola, Sky, IKEA and Virgin. Here, she talks about having parents who were gregarious and mathematical; telling the story of data to audiences who don't always understand numbers; experiencing a somewhat toxic work culture; making a career decision that...

Aatif is a cricket commentator on the BBC's Test Match Special. He's also an award-winning actor, writer and stand-up. Here he talks about growing up in Wembley; discovering the Pakistan cricket team were "his guys"; an unexpected first gig at an Indian dance showcase; finding his voice as a performer; being "over the moon" at being locked in a stadium; achieving a bo...

The second half of my chat with author and radio advertising legend Paul. Here he talks about a lucrative career move that didn't quite work; the happiest time of his ad career as THE radio guy at the agency; the terror of a two-book deal; having a "memory like a stalker"; writing as a mechanical process; bad business language; and "full-time job syndrome".

Paul is a novelist and the greatest exponent of radio advertising the world has known. In this first part of our chat, he talks about trying to get his latest book away; being "born in black and white"; realising he was a genius at five (and “becoming thicker and thicker” thereafter); winning a national writing competition; getting into adland via a bit of chutzpah and the Yellow Pages;...

The second part of my conversation with Oban International CEO Sarah. Here she talks about setting up her own company with a working model ahead of its time; the importance of shared values; the transition from non-exec chair to CEO; and the part that cultural differences play in buying behaviours around the world.

Sarah is the CEO of Oban International. In this first part of two, she talks about her early years in Harlow; the joy of "Topic" at school; switching from teaching to media planning; learning "the Ogilvy way"; an influential mentor and colleague; and discovering that not all work cultures are alike.

Philippa is the co-founder of PLH Research and co-author of Inside Her Pretty Little Head and Brandsplaining. Here, she talks about "larky" school days; fulfilling the scripted role of "the good girl"; the lack of understanding of female audiences in advertising; work for the Conservative Party and Tesco; the magic of partnership and "the power of pairs"; celebrating...

The second part of my chat with football writer Jonathan Wilson. Here, Jonathan talks about reading as a superpower; alternative definitions of talent; the challenges facing journalism and newspapers; the thirst for long-form content; the "camaraderie of the pack"; and a man with an alarming facial tattoo.

Our latest Jonathan is a renowned football journalist and author. Here, he talks about his formative days in Sunderland and the inevitability of leaving; teaching in an Indian monastery; reading MOST of Dickens; catching the back end of the "old-school atmosphere" of sports journalism at the News of the World; subbing Richie Benaud (!); his early trips to the Africa Cup of Nations; writi...

Jonathan talks about the "loud and visceral" experience of launching an agency; winning a huge financial client (and later suing them); securing an incredible deal to sell his company; the relationship between capital and innovation; the joy of writing and music; and mentoring the next generation.

Jonathan is the founder of And Rising, a creative studio and investor in new consumer brands. In this first part of our conversation, he talks about the entrepreneurial influence of his mum's nail salon; his foray into the music industry as a teenager; getting the advertising bug and knowing from day one that he wanted his own agency; a carefully plotted career; and the creation of a new comp...

Jo is the co-founder of the people transformation consultancy BirdSoup. Hear her talk about quick maths in a bakery during childhood; male-dominated environments; the digital industry before it became sophisticated; assumptions that bosses make about working mums; "DEI roulette"; new ideas and intuition as a superpower; "the Golden Rule" and reciprocity; girls' and women&a...

Rebecca is the COO at Poppy's, a company that takes a fresh approach to funerals. Here, she talks about being an "organiser of everything"; working on the Labour Party account in the run-up to the 2001 election; the challenges facing working mums in advertising; the superpower of having a great radar ; finding joy as a "specialist generalist"; and maintaining the values of...

We rejoin Glen in South Africa with the "smell of jacaranda and ambition" in his nostrils. Hear about an early Unilever ultimatum; the best networking braai imaginable; the incredible fortitude of a business partner; hiring waiting staff to work in advertising; being "a good client person" and the gift of building teams globally; disdain for "corner office jockeys"; a...

Glen is Omnicom Advertising's CEO for Europe. Hear about his early life, from his grandfather's workshop to setting up a furniture company at the age of 17.  A life-changing game of Scrabble. A buttock-clenching interview involving small change. Formative years in advertising and influential bosses who actually had TIME. And the benefits of working on unpopular pieces of business.