The Leader Insights Series Podcast

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 accelerate your job search in 2024. As a reminder, Sam is a high-impact career coach with a background in marketing and a no-nonsense approach to getting you the job you really want. Whether it’s helping young people overcome their inexperience to land their first job, or it’s working alongside senior leaders to build strategies for their career growth, Sam has worked with people in all stages of their career search (helping some land jobs in Nike, Redbull, Virgin, Facebook and the NHS to name a few!) Andrew has amassed around 25 years’ experience working in a variety of marketing roles across FMCG. He’s worked for organisations such as Kellogg’s, Premier Foods and brands such as Birdseye, Quorn and Stella Artois. As an omni-channel marketeer Andrew has worked across insight, innovation and brand strategy but above all, he’s an exceptionally nice guy with an infectiously positive disposition! In this episode, we focus on how to accelerate your job search 2024. Through the conversation my guests provide actionable tips of how to help you find your next role including how to get the most out of LinkedIn Premium, the importance of having ‘clarity’ in your job search and the benefits of networking and how to maximise this. We also discuss the realities of going through a job search and how you can keep yourself motivated and energised during the process. I hope you like this new format and, as ever, if you’d like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jonathan.ohagan@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy!

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, establishing Chase Distillery which later went on to be bought by Diageo. Currently leading the development of another business, Willy’s Probiotic Live Foods Will kindly took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with me… at the time of recording Will was on his Boat somewhere between Corsica and Sicily… and if you could, why wouldn’t you be! Will was great to speak with. Humble, grounded but with a sense of peace at where he is in life after some turbulent times in his 20’s which saw him face bankruptcy. In more recent times Will faced severe illness which you can tell has given him real perspective on the way he approaches both life and business. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did chatting with Will. Do check out Willy’s Probiotic Live Foods, I’m currently 10 days into a 60-day challenge you can sign up to here: https://www.willysacv.com/60-day-challenge/ Finally, be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com

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 restaurant-quality pizzas at home. We discuss a variety of topics including how crucial an early fundraising Kickstarter scheme was to give them proof of concept for what was not only a new product, but an invention of a whole new category. They cite optimism & belief as being fundamental in those early days and Darina talks about how she believes having a set of core company values and prioritising culture has been, and continues to be as important as having an amazing product. So listen in, I hope you enjoy the conversation and of course check out Ooni Pizza Ovens and the amazing range of products. As you’ll hear they have big plans for the future… Subscribe to the Podcast if you’ve not done so already and you’ll get notified of future guests! Finally, be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Enjoy!

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’ll hear, Martin is a down to earth, authentic and passionate leader. An entrepreneur at heart he always had a burning desire to start a company – it just so happened he came up with an idea that has created the fastest growing F&B business in Europe as voted for by the FT. They’ve experienced over 400% growth YOY since inception and the future looks even brighter… This is an all-encompassing conversation, including the early years of founding Waterdrop through to the priorities Martin’s focused on. We discuss the challenges they’ve faced scaling the business including entering new territories such as the US. Martin also shares some superb advice for aspiring entrupreneurs and how he goes about hiring and surrounding himself with the right people, it’s fascinating… Finally, be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy!

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 with the likes of Glanbia Foods, Milk Link, Medina Dairy and for the past 5 years as CEO of First Milk, who we’ll learn more about in the upcoming episode… Shelagh and I have a great discussion… we talk about: Her career journey, including the traits & attributes that have been most helpful in progressing her career so farThe great growth journey she’s taken First Milk on since joining as CEO back in 2017The changing landscape of Dairy and how Shelagh and First Milk are creating not just sustainable but regenerative farming practicesWhat Shelagh believes Farms of the future will look like Shelagh’s clearly very passionate about the Dairy industry and calls out the purpose-driven nature of Co-Operative Farming as one of her main motivators. Finally, be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy!

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 Foods. Louisa and I have a wide-ranging conversation covering a number of topics including what’s on her priority list right now, her thoughts on what makes a great leader, we delve into her career journey understanding what has helped along the way. We also discuss the things both Louisa and Noble Foods are focused on to ensure profitable growth for the future. Finally, be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy!

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 was a delight to talk with. You'll hear a very authentic and down-to-earth person, clearly motivated by people and helping the people around him to achieve. We delve into his leadership style, his advice for aspiring leaders of the future and he reflects on his own career journey where we can draw out some excellent advice. Finally, be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy!

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 company has developed over 34,000 products and their customers include manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics, the pharmaceutical industry, nutritional supplements manufacturers and of course the Food Industry. Under Frank’s leadership, Symrise is the fastest growing company of it’s type in the UK so I was delighted for him to join us on the podcast so I could pick his brains. Frank shares the challenges he faced stepping into the Managing Director role in the summer of 2019, some 7 months before the pandemic hit. We talk about current priorities and what he’s focused on the ensure future success for the business. He also shares his principles for leadership success, advice for aspiring leaders of tomorrow and much much more. Finally, be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy!

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 Brands, their 30-year journey to this point and what Mark and the team are focused on to deliver the next 30 years of growth. As always, I probe Mark for his thoughts on Leadership and draw out his keys that have held him in good stead when leading teams to success. Finally and above all, what you’ll hopefully takeaway is a sense that Mark is an incredibly humble, positive and curious leader who is driven by making a difference. The insight and clarity of thinking Mark provides, I believe, will be valuable to many. Be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy!

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 the same values centric, purpose-driven business that the co-founders Ed & Dale set out with. They are certified by the Living Wage Foundation AND in 2013 became a founding B-Corp member. Alison herself is an accomplished HR and People professional and as you’ll hear Alison embodies the values and principles that COOK is built on, she gives us real insight into what makes COOK COOK… We talk about her own personal approach to creating harmony and finding that all important work/ life balance including role modelling the right behaviours. We uncover some of the initiatives of how COOK became the No1. Best Food & Drink company to work for in the Sunday Times Best Companies list. Alison also lets us in on what they are focused on right now, including financial wellbeing initiatives and much much more… Finally, be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy!

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 chain. Union Hand Roast Coffee are a shining example of how business done properly is not only the right thing to do, but is also a more resilient way to reach profitability. As an avid learner, Violetta talks about how curiosity, routine and investing in self learning has helped her in her own career journey. Violetta highlights the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and finally, she shares her own secrets to great leadership and what skills aspiring leaders will need to develop for the future. Finally, be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy!

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 Founder of Enthuse Coaching and Training, on the 29th April Tim will be publishing his first highly anticipated book called “Break the Mould” which we talk about in the episode. With over 20 years of Leadership experience in various sectors, Tim’s coaching work includes clients such as the NHS, global digital brands, Housing Associations, Premier League Football Clubs and entrepreneurial start-ups. Tim is himself a very authentic, ‘people first’ leader who brilliantly communicates what I think, are crucial behaviours and skills that all leaders need to develop to become successful in today’s world. It was an absolute pleasure chatting with Tim and we wish him every success with his book launch. Please visit www.enthusecoaching.com for more information and to purchase your copy of the book. Finally, be sure to check out The Mentors Club - launched earlier 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com

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 fashion. Roger is a natural storyteller and straight away, he takes us on an incredible journey from early origins of Mulberry, the growth, the adversity, the highs and also sets backs along the way. Listen in and you’ll hear how, as an early 20 something in the 70’s he pushed through his fears, developed great resilience all the while constantly innovating and ultimately learning the power of creating a true brand. During this episode we also talk about his new venture - Sharpham Park, which again in it’s own right has an incredible story and a bright future ahead which will shortly see the launch of a new, category changing Spelt drink! Be sure to check out The Mentors Club - new for 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Finally, our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy!

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 interesting chat – starting with his journey in food and drink and how his entrepreneurial spirit led him to Paddy & Scott’s. We discussed the traits and attributes that have helped him along the way and the importance of making teams feel like they’re part of a community. Jonathan is really open and honest with us, even giving us a little personal story about losing 11 stone in 12 months. We touch upon Paddy & Scott’s incredible social initiatives, how they do business differently and its impact on attracting and retaining the best talent. Join us as we discuss what good leadership looks like to Jonathan, his top book recommendations, his future ambitions and the importance of adding a personal touch – be it in recruitment or customer service. Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode: Be sure to check out The Mentors Club - new for 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Finally, our continued thanks to our sponsor Obvious Candidate. To take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com

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 ‘Knowledge Authority’- always behaving with authenticity and respect. In this episode, Giovanni and I discuss what attracted him back to FMCG after a successful period working for some of the largest blue-chips in the world. He tells us it was the combination of his love for tech with the emotional connection you get from food that led him back to this dynamic industry. You will really get a sense of Giovanni's passion for people and cultural diversity through this episode as we dive into his main motivations and the pivotal moments in his life (both positive and negative). Join us as we walk about food innovation, career advice, merger & acquisition advice, effective leadership traits and the importance of building trust and how he keeps people engaged and motivated. Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode: Be sure to check out The Mentors Club - new for 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Finally, to take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit our sponsor on: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com

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 genuine thought-provoking ideas and whatever stage in your career, I’m confident you’ll take something away. Craig talks passionately about comfort zones, how breadth in his career has been pivotal for his success. We delve into his early career, his views on leadership and the principles that guide him. Finally, we also get his thoughts on some of the wider challenges the industry needs to tackle in order to attract and retain the best talent to our sector. Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode: Be sure to check out The Mentors Club - new for 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Finally, to take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit our sponsor on: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com

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 level. As a reminder, Sam is a high-impact career coach with a background in marketing and a no-nonsense approach to getting you the job you really want. Whether it's helping young people overcome their inexperience to land their first job, or it's working alongside senior leaders to build strategies for their career growth, Sam has worked with people in all stages of their career search (helping some land jobs in Nike, Redbull, Virgin, Facebook and the NHS to name a few!) Now for this episode... If you’re in any way serious about your career – in ANY field - you need to know about how to market your expertise correctly. It’s not enough to do a great job and hope ‘they’ will notice, ‘they’ won’t. The good news is that even in our complex world of multiple digital touchpoints and platforms, you can stand out and win in the hyper-competitive world of job search if you can ACE just two personal marketing assets. Your CV and your LinkedIn profile. Master these, and you’re performing on paper and online. In this episode, we demystify and clarify the handful of simple differences that stand between blending in and standing out with these two critical assets. Apply these expert tips and you’ll transform your impact and your career transition results starting today. Be sure to check out The Mentors Club - new for 2022! The mentoring initiative where you can connect with the industry's most inspirational leaders all in the name of charity. To find out more, support the initiative and book your session just visit: www.leaderexecutive.com/thementorsclub Finally, to take advantage and get your free Obvious Candidate Insider Guides and Career Scorecard just visit: www.obviouscandidate.com Thank you for listening and as ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com

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 that focuses on 3 core elements: Environment, Social and Governance. Heather tells us that it’s absolutely critical for an organisation’s leadership team to be involved in sustainability so that it becomes part of everyone’s role and not just sitting with one individual. We discuss the key commercial benefits of this – including customer interest, higher employee engagement and talent acquisition. Plus, Heather offers up some great advice on those just starting out on the sustainability journey. Finally, Heather has developed an impressive career both in and out of the Food & Drink Industry spanning the past 20 years and so I couldn't resist the opportunity to talk about Heather’s traits and attributes – such as personal drive and a passion for treating people with respect, that have contributed to her career success. In addition, I get Heather's insight into what good leadership looks like and some excellent advice for younger generations. Here are the key topics with timestamps for the episode: As ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jon@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy Listening!

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 inspiring Mumpreneur who founded her business while raising young children. In this episode, we’ll touch upon the elements behind Hillary’s career & business success. We kick things off by discussing the journey of Little Dish so far, starting off in a few shops before gradually becoming the well-known brand it is today. Hillary tells us about the highs and lows she experienced while building the business, which is extremely insightful especially to those just starting out in their journey. We also discuss how Hillary identified the real issue of nutrition amongst children and a gap in the market for healthy and convenient food. Join us as we discuss what motivates and drives Hillary, her thoughts on good leadership, the importance of knowing your strengths and weaknesses and trusting your instincts. Whether you’re looking to start your own business or are well into your entrepreneurship journey, this episode is full of great advice you can apply to your own career and business aspirations. Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode: As ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jonathan.ohagan@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy Listening!

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 transformations, M&As, cultural projects & capability programs. This week, Toni joins me from Amsterdam where she is based. We kick off this episode by discussing her personal love and passion for food and drink, and how she first got into the industry. She tells us about the traits and attributes that she believes has contributed to her success – including positivity and energy, pragmatism and courage to make hard choices. We also talk about the pivotal moments in her life - moving to a new country for a new role, and the rewards that come from taking opportunities. We also hear from Toni about her 'WHY' and the best career advice she has ever received. We discuss what great leadership looks like to Toni, which she lists as having a good level of self-awareness and the balance between head and heart in decision-making, along with a focus on people and the future. Join us in conversation as we learn how empathy and flexibility are the makings of a good leader, why more companies need to prioritise well-being and Toni’s career advice to those just starting out in the industry. Here are some key topics we discussed through the episode: As ever, if you'd like to get in touch for any reason you can reach me at Jonathan.ohagan@leaderexecutivesearch.com Enjoy Listening!