The Leaders Council Podcast

Neil Palmer is the owner of Vintage Roots Ltd, a specialist merchant of organic and biodynamic wine. Neil Palmer is a company owner who is passionate about ethical and sustainable business and is on a mission to build Vintage Roots into the UK’s leading specialist in organic and biodynamic wine. The company is already recognised as the leading merchant of organic wine in the UK.

Adrian Hall is the managing director at Stoneleigh Timber Engineering, a roof truss manufacturer based in Wiltshire. Adrian is an observer member of the board of the Wood Technology Society, and has a demonstrated history running his own businesses, which include Mirabilia Ltd [2005-2007] and Printed Panels Ltd [2007-2009].

Anna Olejnicki is the artistic director of Hype Dance Company in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Olejnicki is an active fellow of the International Dance Teachers Association, a Registered teacher with Royal Academy of Dance, Member Equity UK and a CDET registered teacher.

James Thompson is the managing director at Spokes of Bagshot Ltd, a bicycle store in Bagshot, Surrey. A keen cyclist, Thompson has worked in the bike industry since leaving education school. Following 11 years working for an independent bike store, he went into business alongside a friend and established Spokes of Bagshot in 2014.

Janis Levy MTTS is the Creative Director at Hair Development UK, the longest-established human-hair extension and replacement experts in the country. Janis is a member of The Trichological Society and passionate about the hair industry, continually striving to create and establish new methods, allied goods and training in hair replacement and enhancement.

Charles Dark is the owner of The Wynnstay Hotel in Machynlleth, Wales. He also oversees sales and marketing for another of his own businesses, Draught Wines Ltd, specialising in importing draught wines for sales in wine shops, restaurants and bars. Other business interests include property development in the UK and Italy.

Nelson Nazareth is the Managing Director of BioGene, a company providing molecular biology products and services. Alongside his role at BioGene, Nazareth also funded BG Research in 2004.

Dr Yoge Patel is the CEO of Blue Bear Systems Research Ltd, an agile SME that delivers technical solutions and consultancy on Unmanned Air Systems. She also heads up CASSIMA, a Live Virtual Constructive Modelling and Simulation business operating for the defence sector.

Penny Williams is the CEO of Kenward Trust, a charity based in Kent helping those affected by addiction, homelessness, and crime, and CEO of marketing agency Big Plan Group. Since the charity opened its doors in 1968 it has helped over 10,000 people transform their lives and create a new future away from addictions.

Andrew Sinclair is director of Ridgeway Sculpture Design, following a successful tenure at Unit 5. Sinclair is also the director of the Sculpture School Limited, and has recently been commissioned to sculpt the Duke of Wellington’s Regimental Memorial.

Ina Sutton is the managing director at Sussex Elderly Care, a health and social care consultancy service. Before deciding to establish Sussex Elderly Care herself, Ina worked in the care sector for over 25 years predominantly in management roles. Her own company was set up in 2013 to support those with health & social care needs.

Heather Copley is the managing director at Farmer Copleys Farm Shop Ltd, an award-winning family run farm shop, café, function space and events centre located near Pontefract in West Yorkshire. Heather has occupied her position as managing director of the family business since 2003.

Amanda Lodge-Stewart is a director at The Link Training Academy, an SME private training provider registered on the RoATP, which delivers apprenticeships in West Yorkshire, mainly in Kirklees and Calderdale. Amanda is an experienced director with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry.

Brian Dow is the chief executive of major UK charity Mental Health UK and deputy CEO of fellow mental health charity, Rethink Mental Illness. Brian has been deputy CEO at Rethink Mental Illness since 2014, and has occupied his role at the helm of Mental Health UK since 2017. He has many years of experience in the voluntary sector, having also worked for The Children’s Food Trust, Shelter UK. Actio...

Paul Whitby is managing director and principal ecologist at The Ecology Co-Op, an independent ecological consultancy working within a network of sub-contractors offering a range of ecological surveys to assist developers from large companies to individuals. Paul is a principal ecologist with 15 years of experience working on projects of all sizes, for public and private sector clients as well as s...

Anne Beckett-Allen is a founding director of Rosedale Funeral Home, a funeral director with seven branches based in Norfolk and Suffolk, employing 60 members of staff. Anne became one of the founding directors of the Rosedale Funeral Home business in 2004, originally balancing her director responsibilities with a marketing consultant role at Colney Woodland Burial Park, which she held until 2010.

Anna Goodband is the principal of The Liverpool School of English [LSE], the largest and longest established language school in the city of Liverpool. Anna has been with LSE as principal since 2011 and is buoyed by years of experience as a teacher educator, academic co-ordinator, lecturer and studies director

Simon Hudson is the managing director at Oxley’s Furniture Ltd, a Cotswolds-based producer of fine quality cast and fabricated aluminium furniture. The business was founded in 1991 with Hudson a co-founder, but its roots go back four years earlier.

Rolf Apweiler is a director at the European Bioinformatics Instituteheadquartered in Cambridge. Rolf Apweiler has a vast academic and scientific background, having studied biology at Heidelberg University before becoming a Swiss-Prot Annotator at Heidelberg’s European Molecular Biology Laboratory in 1987. He held the role until 1994, and carried out research for Boehringer Mannheim between 1991 an...

Tim Bond is Head of Insight at the Data & Marketing Association, a trade organisation for marketers which is considered to be the driving force behind marketing, setting the standards for the UK’s data and marketing community to thrive. Tim is an experienced research and insight professional, with a background in social science and over 13 years of experience working in communications, data, marke...

Andrew Walker is the managing director of Training Qualifications UK, an award-winning Ofqual regulated awarding organisation based in Manchester, UK. As MD, Andrew oversees Training Qualifications UK’s provision of a wide range of vocational qualifications and apprenticeships to FE Colleges and private training providers.

Ben Adams is the founding director of Ben Adams Architects [BAA], an architectural practice in central London. Ben founded Ben Adams Architects in 2010, after having spent a period of time as a senior architect with another practice, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.

Simon Cannell is the managing director at Speciality Breads, a bread producer that specialises in providing frozen doughs to fully baked artisan breads to the food and catering industry. Simon joined the company in 2016 and began a campaign of modernising the business to ensure it continued growing but remaining true to its ethos of finishing its products by hand rather than automating the busines...

Steve Mulcahy is the CEO of Contact Originators, the largest Independent Studio & Platemaking facility in the UK & Ireland. Steve leads the Contact Group business which comprises of Contact Originators, Contact Print & Packaging, and Contact Solutions. He is an established business leader and has previously chaired the Northern Tissue Group, as well as continuing to run another business of his own...

Chris Page is the owner of Jelly London, an award-winning production company and artist management agency. He also owns and runs Three Blind Mice, a specialist in 2D and 3D pre-visualising services and animatics. After leaving education, he worked in several large advertising agencies and design studios before leaving to take a more entrepreneurial role.