Finding your North Star

In this podcast season, curated in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce, hgkc are exploring Somerset with prominent business leaders who have made their lives and their careers in the county. In this episode, Peter Quintana speaks to Becky Flower. Born and raised in Somerset, Becky went to London to study sociology and social policy but came back after graduating to train in social work. She did some placements and eventually ended up doing some cover teaching at Richard Huish College. This experience led her to decide to go into teaching, and she has now risen to be Vice Principal. She is rightly delighted that Richard Huish is currently considered the highest performing college in the Southwest in terms of student progress. She is a strong believer in creating an inclusive and safe environment for the students to be who they want to be, to respect that other people have different opinions, to have a really open mind, to have faith in the skills that they have learned and to understand that they are transferable. She also advises students to recognise that even in your dream job there may be bits that are boring, but you just have to get on with it! If you would like find out more about Richard Huish College, or find out more from Becky about how they develop young people to be curious, to turn up, to work hard and to be kind, you can contact her here. If you would like more information about hgkc help clients navigate their business towards their goals, please contact us here.

In this podcast season, curated in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce, hgkc are exploring Somerset with prominent business leaders who have built businesses and their careers in the county. In this episode, Sarah Chilcott speaks to Jonathan Lawson, who took over as CEO of Butcombe Group in 2019. Butcombe Group includes Butcombe Pubs and Inns based in North Somerset and the Channel Islands’ Liberation Brewing Co. It employs over 1900 people and has 120 pubs across the south of England, with its growth outpacing its competitors in a challenging market. Jonathan talks about Butcombe’s roots and evolution to where it is today. He also covers their approach to growth and innovation in their product range and pubs, the importance of bringing a new generation into their business, and why their sustainable approach makes sense for the business’ commercials, not just the environment. If you would like to find out more about Butcombe Pubs and Inns, you can do that here. If you would like more information about hgkc help clients prepare for their exit, pivot to a new market, grow through innovation, or develop their leadership teams, please contact us here.

In this podcast season, curated in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce, hgkc are exploring Somerset with prominent business leaders who have made their lives and their careers in the county. In this episode, Peter Quintana speaks to Karl Tucker. Karl joined Yeo Valley in 1996 as they were expanding and developing the organic and quirky brand that we see today, rising to become their Chair in 2021. In 2017 he joined the Heart of the South LEP, becoming their Chair in 2019, and then went on to become chair of the Great South West in 2023, one of the few public private partnerships in the UK, along with the Midland Engine and the Northern Powerhouse, receiving funding from the Government. He talks about his utopia - to see all 4000 jobs at Agratas filled by young people coming out of college now and doing apprenticeships. He is acutely aware of the challenges facing Somerset and the rest of the Great South West – to persuade inward investors that the education and skills sector will produce the workforce needed, and that workforce has the infrastructure – housing, transport, broadband – to live. He is not afraid to say that he thinks we underestimate the scale of the problem, but he also says that the willingness and desire to make it better for investors is there, and if we can get this right, there is nowhere better in the country to locate and live and work and operate from. If you would like find out more about the Great South West, visit their website here, or you can contact Karl here. If you would like more information about hgkc help clients navigate their business towards their goals, please contact us here.

In this podcast season, curated in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce, hgkc are exploring Somerset with prominent business leaders who have made their lives and their careers in the county. In this episode, Peter Quintana speaks to Mark Bolton. Born in the North-East, Mark started out as a freelance graphic designer supplementing his income with part-time lecturing. He must have good at it, because soon he was lecturing full-time, then moving into management. A serendipitous meeting with the then Dean of Yeovil College (Mark couldn’t have put a pin in the map to locate Yeovil at the time!), brought him to the college as Director of Employer Engagement, and then in 2019 he became CEO and Principal of the college himself. His tenure has seen the college double the size of the student population and increase the proportion of students who live outside Yeovil to almost 50%. Add to that over 400 apprenticeships in engineering, of which 150 are at the higher level, a close relationship with all the major employers in the area, particularly Leonardo, and his claim to be creating opportunities for young people to realise great career opportunities has considerable credibility. As he says, when you can access the level of support that Yeovil and the other colleges offer, have leading edge engineering companies on your doorstep, and enjoy all the benefits that come from living in Somerset, why would anybody want to be anywhere else? If you would like find out more about how Yeovil College work with the community of businesses in South Somerset, North and West Dorset, or find out more from Mark about the opportunities Yeovil College could help you realise, you can contact him here. If you would like more information about hgkc help clients navigate their business towards their goals, please contact us here.

In this podcast season, curated in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce, hgkc are exploring Somerset with prominent business leaders who have made their lives and their careers in the county. In this episode, Peter Quintana speaks to Harry Singer. Leading a company founded by his Grandfather that has just celebrated it’s 90th birthday, Harry talks with passion about the work he and his team are doing for biologists all around the world to accelerate science. Describing himself and his team as lucky enough to do some really nerdy, cool high-tech work, he recognises the privilege of living in an amazing part of the world. A stuffy old company Singer Instruments is certainly not, though, as one look at their website will tell you. He describes his Grandfather and Father as real characters, and is following in their footsteps to continue to build a company with real purpose that people want to be a part of. But he also recognises the challenges in there being not enough bright young sparks entering the STEM sector, and the problems that historically have caused so much friction in the planning process. If you would like find out more about the work Harry and his team at Singer Instruments does, you can contact him here. If you would like more information about hgkc help clients navigate their business towards their goals, please contact us here.

In this podcast season, curated in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce, hgkc are exploring Somerset with prominent business leaders who have made their lives and their careers in the county. In this episode, Sarah Chilcott speaks to Sandy Luck, Managing Director at Aldwick Estate. Born and bred on Aldwick Estate, Sandy’s family has been farming the 300 acres of land now for five generations. When tragic circumstances propelled Sandy back into the business in 2011, she inherited a nascent events business and vineyard. The brainchild of her brother, she has grown both into a highly successful business which continues to innovate and move forward. In this episode, Sandy talks about what it means to be located here and the connections with other local producers. She also covers the Estate’s environmental approach, funded through the Sustainable Farming Incentive, and her desire to get young people engaged in all aspects of the business to drive innovation and growth. If you would like find out more about how Aldwick Estate, their events venue, vineyard tours and wines, you can contact them here. If you would like more information about hgkc help clients prepare for their exit, pivot to a new market, grow through innovation, or develop their leadership teams, please contact us here.

In this podcast season, curated in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce, hgkc are exploring Somerset with prominent business leaders who have made their lives and their careers in the county. In this episode, Peter Quintana speaks to Sam Harper. Born in Somerset, Sam describes himself as a proud Somerset person, ‘privileged to live and work in this wonderful place’. He travelled as far north as Bristol (!) to study for his geography degree and then overseas to see the world but has made his life in Somerset since returning to the UK in 2008. After working as a town planner in the public sector, he joined Stantec in 2019, where he is now Director of Planning and Growth. He has worked on many significant projects in Somerset – Hinkley Point, Gravity, Nexus – but is also proud of some of the smaller projects he has delivered, including improving pedestrian and cycle connections in Taunton town centre. In a wide-ranging conversation that includes the role of Somerset’s academic institutions as well as the need for investment in housing and new employment opportunities, Sam’s love for Somerset shows through. He ends with a plea to young people to take a look at what is on offer for them in the county – training and career options, as well as the quality of life living in Somerset offers. If you would like find out more about the work Stantec do, or find out more from Sam about opportunities he sees around the county, you can contact him here. If you would like more information about hgkc help clients navigate their business towards their goals, please contact us here.

In this podcast season, curated in partnership with Somerset Chamber of Commerce, hgkc are exploring Somerset with prominent business leaders who have made their lives and their careers in the county. In this episode, Peter Quintana speaks to Emma Warren. Wearing multiple hats - Chair of Somerset Chamber, Co-Chair of the Economic Growth Board, and now involved with the Skills Health partnership for Somerset – Emma is involved right at the heart of strategic visioning and planning for the county of Somerset. Born and bred here, she left for several years to expand her horizons, returning when she felt it was time to put down deeper roots and have her family. Growing up in a family of business owners, it felt right for her to follow, and she founded Elite Recruitment Solutions, which has built a reputation for helping their clients find the right people – in Jim Collins words, to get the right people on the bus. She talks about creating a world for young people where aspirations are achievable, where they have choices when they leave school, for education or for work, that encourage them to stay in Somerset, and encourage their families that this is the right place for them to develop their place in the world. If you would like find out more about how Emma and her team at Elite Recruitment Solutions help their clients find the right people, you can contact her here. If you would like more information about hgkc help clients prepare for their exit, pivot to a new market, grow through innovation, or develop their leadership teams, please contact us here.

I invited Roger Proctor, former Chairman of Proctor and Stevenson to join me on the live-talk stage at the Gloucester Business Show, where I asked him about how he felt when preparing to exit from P&S after 40 years, what he thought hgkc could offer, and how he was finding semi-retirement 18 months on. It's a fascinating insight into how a business owner who really cares about his business, and the people he has worked with for many years, comes to terms with leaving, and starts to allow the team taking over from him to run the business without him in it.

In this episode of the HGKC podcast, Finding your North Star, host Kim Jones of hgkc welcomes Stacey Mead, HR Department Bristol, to discuss significant proposed changes in UK employment legislation following the election of a Labour government. They explore key topics such as the transformation of unfair dismissal rights to a day one entitlement, the clarity sought for employment statuses, and potential regulations on 'fire and rehire' practices. Other subjects include the implications of zero-hours contracts and the fundamental 'right to switch off' for work-life balance. The discussion emphasizes the need for businesses, particularly smaller firms, to educate and adapt to these changes for fairer employee treatment and competitive advantage. If you would like more information about any of the upcoming changes to employment legislation, you can contact Stacey Mead here. If you would like more information about hgkc help clients navigate their business towards their goals, please contact us here.

In our series of interviews with business leaders about the strategies they have used to pivoted their companies, Kim Jones speaks to Andrew Bennion, Managing Director of Advanced Insulation Systems. Andrew leads a highly innovative, award-winning global engineering company with a collaborative and engaged workforce at its core. Advanced Insulation Systems tackles some of the most challenging problems in the oil and gas industries providing solutions for insulation and passive fire...

John Dray, founder of Cloud Genius shares his insights on running a remote business during the lockdown and the opportunity this created for developing new products and services. John has a uniquely empathic approach to solving problems and helping his customers focus on what matters most to them - the relationships with their customers rather than their IT. Our conversation is peppered with stories, practical tips, and a little laughter. John has kindly created a Tip Sheet too which can be found on Cloud-Genius website and on our hgkc blog.