INTERVIEWS
The company with four chief execs
For many, the CEO role is the cherished culmination of years of hard graft. So what happens when you have to share the top job with not one, but three co-leaders?
Kate Ryder: “Scaling a technology company is a fun problem to solve”
How one woman’s own plans to start a family inspired a global clinic with women at its very heart.
Caxton founder: ‘Raising money is the start of your problems’
Keeping control of your business is everything, argues Caxton Payments founder Rupert Lee-Browne.
The CEO who turned down the job...twice
Vicky Bullen has held the title of CEO at Coley Porter Bell for 15 years. But it took a couple of false starts for her to get there.
‘Just pick something low risk’: advice from an AI start-up
Martin Kon, president and chief operating officer at Cohere, gives his take on the new AI frontier and provides unsure leaders with advice on getting started.
Experimental mindsets, parallelism and magpies - the secret innovation rules
PA Consulting's innovation chief takes MT inside the race to build 30,000 ventilators in just 8 weeks and other 'impossible' challenges.
NetSuite founder: “I wouldn't recommend shutting a business to my worst enemy”
The enigmatic co-founder speaks to MT about his vision for NetSuite, the scepticism around AI and how he takes advantage of a crisis.
‘We were scalpel sharp in our vision from day one’
Wingstop UK co-founders tell MT about putting their own stamp on a chicken concept that is the fodder and muse of US rap icons.
Lessons in growing, then selling a business from a former spin doctor
Hanover Communications founder and executive chair Charles Lewington on the parallels between business and politics and why hard work isn’t the answer to everything.
Benenden Health CEO: “If you try to mislead, you will always get found out”
As record numbers turn to private healthcare, the sector is facing increased criticism and risks becoming 'the enemy'. Benenden Health’s CEO explains why it’s crucial for leaders to engage with critics.
Beauty Pie CEO: “You have a better chance of succeeding with complementary skill sets”
While it can be lonely at the top, Kevin Cornils, chief executive of Beauty Pie, is embracing his working relationship with founder, Marcia Kilgore.
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Why Penny Hughes swapped the executive path for a portfolio career and hasn’t looked back
Penny Hughes, once described as “one of Britain’s most experienced boardroom figures”, on why non-exec directorships are “real work”.
Sir Cary Cooper: The UK needs managers with higher EQs
There is an epidemic of workplace stress. Sir Cary Cooper gives Management Today three simple tips for fixing the problem, including wellbeing responsibility at board level.
Embezzlement, tornados and intensive care: Why we shouldn’t romanticise entrepreneurship
Serial entrepreneur and Huboo CEO Martin Bysh speaks candidly about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
The changing face of the CFO
The chief financial officer is now increasingly integral to strategic decision-making, risk management and organisational growth, Ultima's CFO tells Paul Simpson.
The Sun boss Dominic Carter: ‘Maintaining the status quo always means going backwards’
The Sun’s EVP, publisher Dominic Carter on the brand’s identity, why the status quo is worse than stagnation and his personal approach to leadership.
Dame Sharon White: “You learn more from things that did not go to plan”
John Lewis Partnership’s chair Dame Sharon White has just announced she will leave her role in February 2025. She tells MT about her career, hybrid work and how female leaders are treated.
Communication lessons from a kidnap negotiator
Managing a successful business negotiation takes trust, curiosity and a healthy dose of emotional regulation.
From customer to CEO: The benefits of knowing your industry
Chris Hewish, president of Xsolla, took his much-loved childhood hobby and turned it into a 30-year career. He recommends others do the same.
Behave consulting director: “Adaptability is a key skill”
5 mins with…Lea Karam, consulting director at Behave.
‘I ordered staff back in five days a week and don’t regret it’
Simon Swan, the CEO of recruitment agency marketplace Hiring Hub, on how hybrid undermined the business’s “edge” and what he’s done to get it back.
Luminance chief of staff: “It’s important to create a culture of meritocracy”
5 mins with…Jaeger Glucina, chief of staff at Luminance.
A CIA analyst turned CEO’s lessons from the field
Former CIA analyst Rupal Patel on finding the secrets hidden in our daily ‘data’ that can improve our lives.
Laura Gordon: “I took a leap into the unknown. I was right to follow my heart”
5 mins with… Laura Gordon, Vistage Chair.
“Don’t be a prisoner to things you can’t control”: Lessons from a sinking submarine
John McNally, vice president of professional services at Riverbed Technology, explains how his Naval training prepared him for high-stakes business situations.
How to get the most out of your people
The UK is facing a productivity slump. FTSE 100 CEO André Lacroix advises leaders on how to boost employee engagement and, in turn, long-term productivity.
Zero Gravity founder: “Everyone’s in a space race for diverse talent”
Zero Gravity CEO and Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus, Joe Seddon, on why the successful businesses of tomorrow are already “fishing in” a bigger pool of talent.
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DGI’s Laura Odell: “Write down your achievements”
5 mins with…Laura Odell, head of air freight at DG International.
Athora president: “A leader’s job is to defuse problems”
In MT’s latest Leadership Lessons podcast, Athora president Michele Bareggi discusses the art of risk management, his Lehman Brothers experience and why leaders are there to fix problems.
Konrad Bergström: “It went bankrupt. I lost everything.”
The famed Swedish entrepreneur had to sleep in his car after his outwardly successful company went to the wall. He tells MT about the perils of being “in love with” your business and how he climbed back.
DocuSign CEO: How to lead a pandemic darling, after the pandemic
DocuSign’s new CEO Allan Thygesen tells MT how he is reshaping the business for a post-pandemic future.
Pertemps ops director: “Being a strong leader doesn't mean that you always have to act strong”
5 mins with… Chloe Bodley, operations director at Pertemps Professional Recruitment.
Talentful MD: “Learning through osmosis is key for a growing business”
5 mins with… Alice Roper, managing director at Talentful.
Rococo’s founder on being reunited with the brand she loved and lost
The confectionery world’s latest comeback tale is on a smaller scale than an Apple/Steve Jobs affair, but its lessons in resilience are equally instructive.
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How not to fail at retail
Paul Mills-Hicks, business consultant, ex-commercial director at Sainsbury’s and chairman of Sense Marketing, discusses the trends and challenges facing the FMCG sector and how retail leaders can attract more customers to their physical stores.
What joining the Royal Navy taught one CEO about leadership
In conversation with Cas Paton, chief executive of OnBuy, on how his naval training prepared him for being a leader.
Ivanti’s Helen Masters: “Be assertive not aggressive”
5 mins with… Helen Masters, executive vice president and general manager of international sales at Ivanti.
Lessons from a former golf caddy: “You can be very humble but have enormous ambition”
Aon EMEA CEO and former caddy to Seve Ballesteros, Eduardo Dávila, shares his learnings from the golf course.
How Régis Schultz is making his mark on JD Sports
Ten months in, the athleisure chief executive is targeting young customers with money to burn.
“There’s no longer an authoritarian approach to leadership”: Lessons from the leaders of the future
What can the leaders of the future teach us about the leadership of today?
The 3am call: how one senior leader responded to a serious cyber attack
How it felt to be the victim of a cyber hack, from a leader who endured it.
‘Be more Madonna’ and other tips from a veteran hotelier
Philippe Leboeuf, managing director of Raffles’ new flagship London hotel, on the secrets to good hospitality and why we should all be more like Madonna.
“Don’t hesitate to make the change”: How one CEO led a successful restructure
Tim Hassett, chief executive of marketing agency Unlimited, outlines how he consolidated the business from 23 agencies to nine - while losing fewer than 50 employees.
From Super Bowl to seaweed: “The learning curve has been off the charts”
Karen Scofield Seal, CEO and co-founder of Oceanium, opens up about her love of entrepreneurship and how ‘not having all the answers’ has shaped her leadership style.
Royal Academy of Engineering CEO: “There is a cultural perception that engineering is a male subject”
Hayaatun Sillem, chief executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, debunks the myths around what it means to be an engineer and opens up about what makes her different.
The British Chambers of Commerce speaks out on its alternative to the CBI
The British Chambers of Commerce talks to MT about its plans for the Business Council, a new lobby group launched in the wake of the CBI scandal.
Olio founder: “We’ve faced an exhausting wall of male cynicism”
Tessa Clarke, founder of waste reduction app Olio, shares the challenges of accessing funding as a female entrepreneur and the importance of investing in your mental health.
From Bangladesh to Wall Street: The all-inclusive leader
Durreen Shahnaz, chief executive of Impact Investment Exchange, opens up about her time on Wall Street, the problem with greenwashing and the importance of inclusivity in business.
Framery CEO: “We need to move away from glorifying all-nighters”
Samu Hällfors, chief executive of Finnish tech company Framery, outlines his key tips to boost productivity.
What leaders get wrong about burnout
Jennifer Moss, author of The Burnout Epidemic, offers leaders critical advice on how to prevent burnout in their companies - and why they should take the syndrome more seriously.
"It's like falling off a cliff": A personal story of burnout and its lessons
Jennifer Moss, entrepreneur and author of The Burnout Epidemic, tells MT about her experience of burnout and how she is preventing it from happening again.
Why the ICO’s deputy CEO “swam against the tide” and spoke up about his visual impairment
Paul Arnold, the ICO’s deputy CEO and COO, tells MT about how he leads with a visual impairment and why he changed his mind about speaking out.