The Leaders Council Podcast

Jo Spolton is the co-founder and CEO of Rumage, a company which provides a fast and efficient aggregation of the second-hand sector. By putting all second-hand sites into one location, Rumage aims to enable people to find what they want faster, helping them make second-hand a viable first choice. The wider aim of Rumage is to change consumers’ consumption habits which will reduce landfill and the...

Mark Howitt is the chief technical officer and founder at Storelectric, a business which is developing widely applicable and cost-effective energy storage technologies to help enable renewable sources to power the globe. Aside from his business leadership role, Mark sits as an expert on the UN Economic Commission for Europe, and is an innovation, marketing, processes, and business change consultan...

Mike LeGassick is a director and behavioural investment coach at Manning & Company, a long-established financial advice practice based in Ivybridge, Devon. In April 2021, LeGassick released a book entitled ‘Your Money and Your Life’, which aims to teach readers vital life skills and money management know-how which are overlooked during school education.

Steve Hathaway is an entrepreneurial business leader with over 30 years of experience in media-tech and health-tech. He is the founder of broadcast technology and business consultancy Dijital Technologies Ltd, and Covid-19 and health management systems specialist FeverCheckerPro.

Alistair Kent is the co-founder and managing director of Trovant Capital Ltd, an off-market acquisition specialist with a focus on blue-chip commercial property. Alistair is an experienced financier and has experience raising capital for around £700 million of alternative assets, predominantly in the real estate and technology sectors.

Inga Neaves is a career coach, director, and owner at Scion Mastery, formerly known as Angloslav Education. The company is the leading provider of guardianship, educational advisory services, and career coaching for foreign students from Europe, Russia, Latin America, the United States and the Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS] living within the United Kingdom.

Katy Tuncer is an expert in the leadership that businesses need to scale-up, and to succeed in breaking new ground. She is the Founder of Horizon37, a leadership company dedicated to innovation scale-ups. A serial founder, Katy has “been there, done that” in a vast array of senior leadership roles in tech start-ups, McKinsey, the British Army and the Met Police.

Kat Thorne is a leadership coach, positive habits teacher and international speaker who founded and directs her own coaching business, The Morning Game Changer. Kat’s approach is based on working with clients to instil positive habits that create powerful change both at home and in the workplace. Her services are delivered through a range of interactive webinars and masterclasses, which help clien...

Sarah Palmer is the chief operating officer at the Institute of Accountants and Bookkeepers [IAB], a representative membership and awarding body for the accountancy and bookkeeping professions. The Institutee offers accredited training, support and continuing development from the beginning of a student’s journey and throughout their career.

Carri Walters is a Director for Blossom Home Care Ltd, a family business which delivers care to individuals in their own homes and within their own communities, within the North Yorkshire since 2015. During her time at Blossom Home Care, Walters has been recognised for her work by being named a Regional Finalist for Home Care Registered Manager in the Great British Care Awards for 2018 and 2019.

Richard Dorney is a director at Strongmind Resiliency Training, a specialist provider of training in mental health awareness, resilience, and trauma management. Dorney was made MBE in 2008 for services to Trauma Management in the British Army. He was admitted to the order of St John of Jerusalem as a member in 2012 and was awarded a Queens Commendation for Valuable Service (QCVS) in Northern Irela...

Dr Abide Zenenga is the headteacher and founder of Birmingham-based Riverside Education. After obtaining a PhD at the University of Northampton in Special Educational Needs, Dr Zenenga founded Riverside Education in 2015. Riverside Education is an independent school that provides SEN-specific learning opportunities for some 100 students, with more than 50 staff employed.

Martin Drake is the CEO and founder of Higher People, a boutique recruitment and staffing agency, specialising in the HR and marketing professions. The company is currently undergoing a rebrand and will soon be known as Higher With Us. Today, the company focuses more on service, standards and innovation compared to more traditional agencies. The business is also in the process of planning an expan...

Angus Ferguson is the co-founder of Demijohn, the world’s first liquid deli which he helped establish in Edinburgh in 2004. Based on a farm in South West Scotland, they now mail order our quirky British handmade food and drink products in refillable bottles around the World. Ferguson is also trustee of the Black Watch Museum housed in Balhousie Castle.

Mashhuda Kazi is an executive leader who has been working within the NHS for over 7 years. Mashhuda has worked at number of NHS organisations ranging from commissioning, acute, mental health and voluntary sectors. Mashhuda’s interest is mostly in changes and impact on the organisational culture due to aspects of leadership, corporate governance and subsequent decision making.

Rich Kenny is the managing director at Interact, and research and sustainability director at Techbuyer, where he leads the research, sustainability and compliance teams. Interact is the Techbuyer Group’s business for low carbon, energy efficient data centre hardware analysis. Rich has spoken at over 100 sustainability, innovation and industry events since 2019.

Elif Köse is an award-winning businesswoman and the proprietor of eponymous Brighton-based fashion house Elif Köse. Köse founded her own fashion line in 2013, during the covid restrictions she moved the label online bringing a whole host of new challenges. Köse is also a confidence coach, focusing on unlocking the potential of business leaders through a confident mindset.

Circle Steele is the CEO of the Wai Yin Society, who work towards championing everyone. The Society aims to challenge all forms of discrimination and social exclusion through the provision of diverse and reactive services, delivered by a team of qualified social workers, nurses and other professionals.

Fiona Bradley is the founder of Sage Qualifications, an accredited qualifications provider established in 2008. Since Bradley established Sage Qualifications, the company has worked in partnership with awarding bodies and professional bodies to create and build a unique accredited qualification programme that aligns skills and knowledge of computerised accounting software with accounting principle...

Philip Ainsworth is the Director of Ainsworth Jewellers, a 150 year old family business based in Blackburn. Ainsworth started working at the Darwen Street store in 1990 having completed three years jewellery training at Saloway’s Jewellers in Lichfield. He became a director of the company in 1995 upon the retirement of Michael Ainsworth.

Karen Bowring is the managing director of Professionals UK Ltd, a company which organises work experience and internship placements for international graduates and undergraduates looking to gain experience in their industry in an anglophone environment. Bowring established Professionals UK back in 2005, following 20 years of experience in the EFL field.

Matthew Moore is a senior partner at Gales Solicitors, a legal firm based in Bournemouth. Moore has over 18 years of experience in family law and has dealt with legal aid and privately funded cases. Moore has also been involved with various charitable initiatives and the local chamber of commerce throughout his career.

Roy Moëd is the Founder & Chief Executive of LifeBook, the world’s leading private autobiography service. Roy Moëd founded LifeBook in 2011, having previously founded a number of businesses across the aviation industry. Under Moëd’s stewardship, LifeBook, has expanded to operate around the world.

Astrid Wynne is the sustainability lead at Techbuyer, a global specialist in the provision of sustainable IT solutions, a chartered environmentalist, and full member of the IEMA. As a sustainability specialist, Astrid’s work centres around increasing sustainable business practices within the Techbuyer group and advocate for positive change within the sector.

Hilary Cairns is a well established financial supervisor, working across a range of financial instruments to oversee the business workings of Iforium LTD. In 2022, Cairns was awarded the ‘Bookkeeper of the Year Award’ from the International Association of Bookkeepers.