The Leader Insights Series Podcast

In our third episode this series the focus is all about the future of the workplace. I was delighted to chat with  Julia Darvill , Regional Director at Puratos, and  Louisa Hogarty , Group HR Director at Noble Foods. Julia is an experienced leader who cares a lot about legacy and the impact this will have on those in the workplace. Having worked within the drinks industry at organisations such as...

In our second episode this series the focus is all about innovation. I was delighted to chat with Sarah Munday, European Head of Research and Development at Innocent Drinks and Rachel Chatterton, Head of Food and Beverage Development at Holland and Barrett. Sarah has over 25 years of experience working in the food and drink industry, specifically focusing on new product development and innovation....

For season two of The Leader Insights Series Podcast I’ve mixed up the format slightly and every episode will now feature multiple guests, discussing a particular challenge or issue. In this first episode I had the pleasure of welcoming back Sam Waterfall, London’s Global Career Coach, as well as speaking to Andrew Elder, an experienced FMCG marketeer, for the first time, to discuss how to acceler...

For the final episode in the series, I had the pleasure of speaking to William Chase , a serial entrepreneur from the Food & Beverage world.  So William Chase, or Willy to his friends is an entrepreneur from the Food & Drink industry. Having founded Tyrrells Potato Chips in 2002 he successfully developed and ultimately sold the business for an estimated £30m before moving into Gin, es...

My special guests for this penultimate episode of The Leader Insights Series Podcast are…… Husband and Wife duo Darina Garland and Kristian Tapaninaho, the Founders and Co-CEO of Ooni Pizza Ovens. Kristian and Darina were great to talk with. The Husband and Wife team share the impressive growth journey they’ve been on since launching Ooni in 2012, starting with the simple vision of replicating res...

For this episode, I was delighted to speak to the talented Martin Murray, the Co-Founder and CEO of Waterdrop. Now some of you may be familiar with Waterdrop, if not, don’t worry I have the pleasure of talking to their Founder and CEO about the business that is revolutionising the way we drink water. Not only that, it’s good for people, the planet and they are growing at a phenomenal rate! As you’...

For this episode I spoke with the wonderful Shelagh Hancock, the Chief Executive Officer for First Milk, the wholly British farmer-owned Dairy co-operative. Having graduated with a Degree in Agricultural Biochemistry & Nutrition, Shelagh went on to complete a Masters in Animal Nutrition before embarking on a career within the Dairy industry spanning over 25 years. Shelagh’s successfully worked...

In this episode I have the pleasure of talking with the wonderful Louisa Hogarty, Group HR Director, Noble Foods. This was a great conversation! Louisa is a proven and experienced HR leader and her track record since graduating from University in 2006 includes working with SSP, Rail Gourmet, GU Puds, G4S, Wyevale Garden Centres and for the past 6 years as Group HRD with the Family owned, Noble Foo...

For episode 45 we welcomed special guest Jonny Briscoe , the UK Managing Director for Perfetti van Melle. If you’re not familiar Perfetti van Melle well stay tuned, as Jonny and I talk all about the business, the challenges he faced joining mid-way through the Pandemic and also we talk about what’s on his priority list in order to continue driving the growth of the business here in the UK. Jonny w...

For episode 44 we have the wonderful Frank Höving, Managing Director for Symrise UK & Ireland. Originating from Germany, Frank and I have a great discussion ranging from his own personal career journey which includes working with Kraft Foods, Perfetti van Melle and for the past 9.5yrs with Symrise.  Symrise is one of the world's top suppliers in the Flavouring & Fragrance market. The...

This week it was a genuine pleasure to chat with Mark Golder, Managing Director of the Children’s Healthy Food Brand and Manufacturer, Organix Brands. Mark and I have a wide ranging conversation, firstly covering his own career journey, understanding his biggest influences and drawing out some invaluable advice you can hopefully apply in your own career. Mark shares with us the world of Organix Br...

In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking to the inspiring Alison Payne. Alison is the People Director at COOK Trading limited. For anyone not Familiar COOK Trading, founded in 1997, they are a privately owned ready meals producer with more than 90 shops around the UK, a thriving home delivery business and a network of concessions in like-minded retailers. Most crucially though, they remain t...

We’re excited to introduce the next instalment of the Podcast featuring Violetta Stevens– the Managing Director for Union Hand-Roasted Coffee. So Violeta was a joy to talk with. As a leader, she’s very clear on her values and principles... In our discussion you will hear how her passions lye in building sustainable, purpose-driven business models that add value to every link in the supply cha...

For this episode, I was delighted to have had the opportunity to talk with the highly engaging Tim Roberts. After seeing Tim at a ‘Coaching Culture’ conference I was really impressed, and so I couldn't resist inviting him onto the Podcast. Tim is an Emotional Intelligence coach who delivers leadership coaching for Leaders who want to become the best version of themselves. As well as being the Foun...

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Roger Saul.  If you’re not familiar with Roger Saul, he is the founder of the iconic UK fashion brand Mulberry and in more times he’s transitioned into the wonderful world of Food founding Sharpham Park, the home of British Spelt! A truly fascinating conversation with someone who can only be described as a ‘bit of a legend’ from the world of fash...

We're excited to share this week's featured guest  Jonathan Reed  – the Managing Director for UK-based privately-owned coffee company Paddy & Scott’s. An authentic, honest and down-to-earth leader, Jonathan along with Paddy & Scott are on a mission to revolutionise how coffee is traded around the world, and using coffee as a vehicle for change. Jonathan and I had a really interes...

Excited to share this week's guest Giovanni Ghisetti – the Managing Director for snack manufacturer, Eat Natural who are now owned by Ferrero. An experienced and charismatic business leader, Giovanni has very clear and people-focused principles of leadership. His style is a blend of ‘Economics and Psychology’ which has allowed him to understand how people think. He leads with what he calls ‘Knowle...

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Craig Davis – the Head of Grocery & E-Commerce at Muller Dairy UK & Ireland. Having known Craig for over 10 years I've watched him progress his career at an impressive rate and so, I was keen to invite him to the show and pick his brains on his career, his leadership principles and much much more!  In this discussion, Craig offers up some...

Back by popular demand, this New Year's episode is with the incredibly engaging Sam Waterfall , AKA London's Global Career Coach.  As one of the most popular and downloaded episodes from 2021, I was keen to invite Sam back to kick off 2022 by sharing more brilliant tips and insights on how YOU can accelerate your job search and put some real strategy behind developing your career to the next...

In this, the final episode of 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with Heather Angus – the HR & Sustainability Director for Bidfood. This episode is a particularly insightful one, as we discuss all things sustainability! Since joining Bidfood, Heather has brought sustainability to the forefront, driving their sustainability programme, which is now a key part of the overall strategy and one th...

For this weeks episode, I had the joy of speaking with the Founder of Little Dish - Hillary Graves. Hillary founded Little Dish in 2006 and the business has grown from strength to strength ever since, feeding over 200,000 children in the UK every week and is available nationally in all major retailers. In 2016, she was awarded the ‘Aphrodite Award’ by the NatWest Everywoman Awards, recognising an...

On this week's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Global HR Director for Jacobs Douwe Egberts - Toni Cairns. With a Degree in Psychology and a Masters in Organisational Psychology, Toni has developed an impressive career within the industry spanning the past 18 years. She is also extremely passionate about the development of talent, leadership and culture – and has led numerous business...

On this week's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Duncan Everett - the Group CEO of Noble Foods. As group CEO, Duncan is working hard to keep Noble Foods thriving for another century, focussing on how to grow and develop the business while also simultaneously creating an environment where its people can truly thrive. In this week's episode Duncan and I delve into his truly inspiring care...

For this week's episode, I had the delight of speaking with Sam Simister, the Future Development Director and Board Member at Innocent Drinks and Co-Founder of GenM. Sam is a highly experienced FMCG professional with a 25-year international track record in multi-national corporations and entrepreneurial companies - including M&S , Safeway and more recently, Innocent Drinks . She is also the co...

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Anne Smith, the Talent & Development Lead across EMEA for the Kerry Group. As a qualified leadership and executive coach, Anne has an impressive career of her own within the industry spanning the past 15 years with a breadth of experience in senior generalist HR management and leadership roles. She currently leads the talent & succession agend...