The Full Circl Podcast

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 101 of The Full Circl Podcast! In this episode of the Full Circl Podcast, Gary Grant shares his inspiring journey from starting a small toy shop in Amersham to building a successful retail empire with over 170 stores. He discusses the importance of hard work, determination, and the entrepreneurial mindset, emphasising that the world owes you nothing and that one must a...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 100 of The Full Circl Podcast! In this episode of the Full Circl podcast, Vicky Williams, Chief Executive of Emerald Publishing, shares her journey from a working-class background to leading a scholarly publishing company. She discusses the challenges and rewards of her role, her experiences at Cambridge University, and offers valuable advice for young professionals na...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 99 of The Full Circl Podcast! In this episode of The Full Circl Podcast, Mohammad Koheeallee shares his inspiring journey as a Quality Environment Safety and Health Coordinator at Coca-Cola. He discusses the challenges he faced growing up with a disability, the importance of confidence and support in finding employment, and how he proactively demonstrated his capabilit...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 98 of The Full Circl Podcast! In this episode of the Full Circl Podcast, Dan Barber, Group Chief Communications Officer at OCS, shares his inspiring journey from a challenging childhood to a successful career in a large organisation. He discusses the importance of hard work, resilience, and the belief that anything is possible, especially for those from underrepresente...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 97 of The Full Circl Podcast! In this episode, Simon Ward, a serial entrepreneur, shares his journey and advice for young people starting their careers. He emphasises the importance of believing in oneself, being tenacious, and having a well-planned business proposition. He also encourages reaching out to successful entrepreneurs for advice and guidance. Simon highligh...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 96 of The Full Circl Podcast! In this episode of The Full Circl Podcast, we sit down with Tony Longden, Head of Insurance and Financial Planning for Santander UK and CEO of Santander Insurance Services UK Limited. Tony shares his journey, reflecting on his 14-year career with Santander and offering valuable insights into leadership, resilience, and career growth. He de...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 95 of The Full Circl Podcast! In this episode, Sarah Blake, Chief People Officer at TalkTalk, discusses her career journey and offers advice to young people. She studied theatre studies in university and initially had no intention of working in human resources. However, she followed her passion for theatre and gained valuable life skills that she still uses in her job...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 94 of The Full Circl Podcast! Simon Spyer, CEO, Data Driven & Performance Marketing at Iris, shares his career journey and offers advice for young professionals. He emphasises the importance of focusing on what you enjoy and developing transferable skills. Simon encourages young professionals to view job rejections as opportunities for learning and growth. Overall,...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 93 of The Full Circl Podcast! Tim Doggett, CEO of the Chemical Business Association, shares his journey from a small village in Cheshire to leading a global trade association. He emphasises the importance of ambition, creating opportunities, and being resilient in the face of challenges. Tim also discusses the need for young people to be aware of the career opportuniti...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 92 of The Full Circl Podcast! In this episode of the Full Circl Podcast, Craig Bell, CEO of Bell Group, discusses the challenges and rewards of leading a property services business with a strong social conscience. He shares his journey from being labelled a failure in school to becoming a successful leader, emphasising the importance of hard work, humility, and helping...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 91 of The Full Circl Podcast! In this episode, Fraser Longden, the Chief Operations Officer at Wickes, shares his journey in the retail industry and offers advice for young professionals. He emphasises the importance of finding and leveraging one's superpower, having a positive attitude, and being kind to others. Fraser also highlights the significance of building stro...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 90 of The Full Circl Podcast! Ian Earnshaw, Chief Commercial Officer at Mulberry, shares his journey from working in retail at a young age to his current role. He emphasises the importance of gaining experience and focusing on long-term growth rather than just salary. He also discusses the qualities he looks for in candidates, including attitude, teamwork, and the abil...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 89 of The Full Circl Podcast! In this episode of the Full Circl Podcast, we sit down with Mike Semens-Flanagan, the President of the Marine Sector for IMI PLC. Mike shares insights into his 34-year journey with IMI, starting as an electrical engineer and working his way up through various roles to his current position. He emphasises the importance of learning from ever...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 88 of The Full Circl Podcast! Russell Sloan, CEO at Kainos, shares his journey from growing up on the North Coast of Ireland to becoming a CEO. He emphasises the importance of building relationships and having conversations with people, which he learned through working in bars. Russell believes that senior leaders are just human beings and are often willing to help if...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 87 of The Full Circl Podcast! Ian Burgess, Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer at Utilita, shares his journey from aspiring vet to tech leader, emphasising the importance of curiosity, passion, and pushing boundaries. He provides insights on leadership, innovation, and the value of personal interests in the tech industry. Ian also discusses the value of pers...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 86 of The Full Circl Podcast! Gordon Samson shares his journey from a humble Scottish upbringing to becoming the President of Intellectual Property at Clarivate. He discusses the importance of building great teams and the impact of his early life experiences on his personal and professional development. He emphasises the value of intellectual curiosity, learning how to...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 85 of The Full Circl Podcast! Today we're joined by Oriele Frank, Co-Founder, Chief Project & Sustainability Officer at ELEMIS. Oriele shares her journey and experiences in the skincare industry. She discusses the growth of ELEMIS over the past 30 years and the strong bond between the co-founders. Oriele also highlights the importance of connecting passion with wor...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 84 of The Full Circl Podcast! Today we’re joined by Benjamin Hindson, Chief Commercial Officer, PCCM Digital Economy at Aon. Benjamin shares his career journey and offers advice for young people, emphasising the importance of being curious, pushing boundaries, and finding something that sparks passion. Benjamin also discusses his transition from studying French and Spa...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 83 of The Full Circl Podcast! Today we’re joined by Ilona Ludewig, Co-Founder (ex) of Octopus Energy Germany. She shares her journey of starting and selling a successful energy company and her passion for making a positive impact on society. She emphasises the importance of following your intuition and exploring ideas that can bring about change. Ilona also offers advi...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 82 of The Full Circl Podcast! Today we’re joined by Jambu Palaniappan, CEO of Checkatrade, who discusses the company's role as the UK's largest marketplace for finding quality tradespeople. He highlights the importance of trust and the opportunity for technology to digitise the industry. Jambu shares his career journey, emphasising the value of work experience and the...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 81 of The Full Circl Podcast! Raj Kaur, Chief People Officer at LRQA, shares her journey from a challenging upbringing to a successful career. She discusses her experiences with discrimination, early marriage, and balancing work and family. Raj emphasises the importance of speaking up against discrimination and the need for organisations to listen and take action. She...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 80 of The Full Circl Podcast! Kirsta Anderson, Advisor at K &. Leadership, discusses the common challenges companies face in creating a customer-centric culture. She also shares her experiences as a young adult and how her philosophy background has helped her in her career. Kirsta provides advice on finding the conditions in which you thrive and using that knowledg...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 79 of The Full Circl Podcast! Nicola Ray, Founder & CEO of Modern, shares her journey from her younger self to becoming the owner and leader of a marketing consultancy. She emphasises the value of taking a non-traditional path and the importance of building relationships and leveraging social connections. Her advice to young people is to embrace risk and step out o...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 78 of The Full Circl Podcast! Ellie Armour, Chief People Officer at Speedy Hire, shares her journey and insights, discussing her role at Speedy Hire, a national tool hire business. A pivotal experience in a hotel placement, where she enjoyed recruiting and training, led her to HR. Ellie emphasises the importance of keeping options open, finding positives in all experie...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 77 of The Full Circl Podcast! Ollie Whiting, CEO of La Fosse, shares his journey from a small village in Devon to becoming a successful business leader. He discusses the importance of hard work, determination, and finding a balance between work and personal life. Ollie emphasises the need to be authentic and not try to be someone you're not, and also encourages young p...