The Leaders Council Podcast

Emma Armitage is the managing director at Excel Water, a specialist in providing pure water solutions within the water treatment market, encompassing design, manufacturing and installation of equipment. Emma’s career in the environment sector began in 1998, when she started out as a sales representative with WasteCare Ltd, a recycling and waste management services provider in Leeds

James Ferguson is a director at Rich Tone Music, a leading independent guitar retailer based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Founded as a family company in 2004, Rich Tone Music began as a home start up business selling 30 or 40 products. Now the business has grown to feature over 55,000 items in its product database and employs over 40 people.

Simeon Quarrie is a business educator, mentor, keynote speaker, and CEO and founder of VIVIDA Interactive. VIVIDA is a team of storytellers led by Simeon, combining storytelling with gamification, high production video and immersive content to create experiences with the power to change people’s minds and behaviours.

Paul Baldwin is the technical manager at Telford Stage Schools [TSS], an organisation formed in February 1999 with a vision to make qualify performing arts tuition and performance opportunities available to all. Paul first became involved in the music industry during the 1980s. He has worked on West End musicals and film sets in the UK and overseas, and today oversees all technical aspects of TSS’...

Susannah Cole is a property investor and heads up The Good Property Company Ltd, a Bristol-based real estate company which also boasts a successful YouTube channel. Susannah is one of the most successful self-made property investors in the UK.

Anita Longley is a prominent sustainability and corporate responsibility professional. She is a board trustee of the Scottish Power Foundation and incumbent chair of The Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. Anita has a demonstrated history of promoting ethical leadership to deliver sustainable business results and boasts more than 25 years of experience in developing responsib...

Ian R Douglas is a business executive who has spearheaded strategic development alliances and partnership opportunities for large-scale global hospitality and leisure projects for more than 20 years, on behalf of companies like Kerzner International. He has founded two of his own businesses: Phoenix Global Ltd and Port Hotels Ltd, co-founded Kingham Leigh Ltd, and is also a director of Salisbury D...

Dr Catherine Bishop is a freelance speaker, facilitator and consultant on leadership and performance, trading under the Cash Bishop Leadership Development brand. She is a former diplomat for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, former triple Olympic Rower and world champion, and authored her own book titled ‘The Long Win.’

Marina Robertson is a senior director at the Norse Consulting, an award winning and community focused multi-disciplinary property consultancy firm in London, operating under the Norse Group Ltd umbrella. Robertson first joined the company as NPS Group’s London based director of operations in 2016. She was appointed senior director in 2019.

Bob Clarke is the owner of Fenton Packaging, a wholesaler and distributor of packaging products buying globally and selling nationally. Bob has worked in the packaging industry since 1967 and been a canmaker for more than 50 years. In 2002, Bob formed a new company known as Corran Close to become the holding entity for the Fenton Packaging business, which he went on to acquire in 2003. Fenton Pack...

Jolyon Bennett is the CEO and founder of Juice Global Ltd, a manufacturer of mobile phone accessories supplying high quality, innovative, bold and colourful products to a tech-savvy mobile generation. Since establishing Juice in 2012, Jolyon has built a successful brand with a big personality and has been able to pursue his dream of ‘doing the right thing’ for the environment through his business.

Alex Parr is an established business leader and managing director of four businesses, which include Robertson Languages International, Wolfestone, City Lingual, and VoiceBox Multimedia Ltd. After five years spent in sales manager roles with Churchside Financial Planning and KGB Deals, Alex joined Wolfestone - one of the fastest growing LSP’s in the UK - as managing director in 2013.

Jon Mowat is the managing director and founder of Hurricane Media, an award-winning video marketing agency based in Bristol and London offering video strategy, production and activation. Jon was well-established in the world of production even before establishing Hurricane in 2005. Between 1990 and 2004, he worked as a director and producer for the BBC.

Scott Richardson is general manager of educational resources and software for Douglas Stewart EDU, Europe’s premium distributor for educational software and technology products. Globally, Douglas Stewart has more than 60 years of experience in the sales, marketing and distribution of software and technology products to resellers who sell to students, schools, further education, universities, and c...

Simon Howley is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Bell Howley Perrotton LLP. Howley oversees the firms tax team, is a member of the Association of Taxation Technicians, Chartered Institute of Taxation, Federation of Tax Advisers and others. Bell Howley Perrotton LLP are a firm of specialist tax and legal advisers. They have a very strong property practice, advising individual property investo...

Helen Jones is the general manager of Grove Court, a 61-bed not-for-profit care home run by Elizabeth Finn Homes. Helen has been the Registered Manager at Grove Court since 2015 and takes pride in the difference her team makes to the lives of Grove Court residents and families.

Alexander Fellows is a director at Oliver’s Barbers, a barbers based in Manchester. Alex is an established business leader and project manager with experience in credit control, order-to-cash, accounts payable, P2P, commercial, operations and supply chain, and a background in business transformation.

Ian Lewis is the managing director of Advanced Colours and Chemicals, a chemicals and dyes specialist based in Haslingden, Rossendale. Ian is an experienced business executive with a proven track record in the textile and chemicals industry. He joined the board at Advanced Colours and Chemicals in 2011, following over 15 years of working in the sector.

Campbell MacPherson is an Executive Fellow of Henley Business School. He runs ‘Leading Change’ and ‘Embracing Change’ workshops based on his books for HBS and client organisations worldwide. He has previously trained as an Officer Cadet and Pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force. To find out more about the workshopos on offer go to: https://www.changeandstrategy.com/

Thomas Hainsworth is the executive director of AW Hainsworth, a family-run business specialising in the design, innovation and manufacture of woven textiles. The company was founded as far back as 1783 and is now operated by the seventh generation of the Hainsworth family.

Sharon Birch is the owner and safeguarding lead of Footprints Learning for Life Nursery, based in Hartlepool that focuses on providing every child with an equal opportunity for a great start in life. Footprints have been awarded Gold Investors in People, (2010) won the prestigious Nursery World award for Team Development in 2011, and have won a number of local business awards..

Pauline Crowe OBE is the chief executive of Prisoners Abroad, a UK-registered human rights and welfare charity which supports British citizens who are imprisoned overseas. Pauline is currently responsible for the governance of Prisoners Abroad and helping the charity deliver on its aims. She has held her role as chief executive since 2003.

Jeremy Knight is the founder and CEO of Equinet Media, an inbound marketing and content marketing agency and Hubspot Gold Partner for growing business in the manufacturing, technology and professional services sectors.

Elaine Oddie OBE is the owner of NSO Associates LLP, a firm of Chartered Certified Accountants and Statutory Auditors based in Chelmsford, Essex. In her role, Elaine oversees a chartered accountancy firm which provides timely and proactive financial advice for a range of businesses and individual clients.

Hasina Zaman is the CEO of Compassionate Funerals, a female-led funeral service that sets out to better serve the diverse communities of the UK. Hasina set up Compassionate Funerals in 2012. Today, it provides a bespoke funeral service for clients which keeps beliefs, wishes and values at heart, and has received awards for its work.