Business Leader

IKEA opens a flagship store in London's Oxford Street today, one of its new breed of city-stores. So it's a good time to reshare this video we did with Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group, which runs IKEA's global retail arm for our My Business Leader Secret series. He was visiting the store for a site inspection last autumn when we filmed this with him. Ikea's Ingka Group has annual revenues of more than €40bn from its global retail empire. If you want to understand how this store fits into the company's broader omni-channel strategy, then have a listen to the podcast interview we did with Brodin at the time: https://lnkd.in/eQPnD_nz

🤯 When Rob Hamilton suggested we should cycle to Australia, I never dreamt that we would create such a movement for change and good. 🥰 Changing lives.... not only that of the children at 1moreChild, but the lives of 100s of riders who join our epic adventure. We only have 10 places left on the October Founders ride. 👀 Who's in? Any questions, drop them in the comments, and we will answer them for you. 🤝 If you want to sponsor, and network with Business Leaders / Founders, increasing the visibility of your brand with some amazing entrepreneurs and the wider business community, let me or Rob know. It's your year this year.... no excuses... Richard Flint Andrew Barke Chris Attewell Ian Harris Joe Procter Tony Patterson Joe Krancki Andrew Moses Richard Harpin Thanks to our sponsors, who help us raise vital funds for 1moreChild Helm The ICE Network Marriott Harrison Crowdcube KitBrix ASK BOSCO® - Marketing AI Modo25 Business Leader Grubby ManiLife | B Corp™ Sigma Sports FieldHouse Associates Love Ventures

“AI is an incredible development. You've got to engage with it. But the one thing it can't do is imagine.” Sir John Hegarty is a renowned figure in the world of advertising. As co-founder of global advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, he was responsible for world-famous TV and billboard campaigns such as the celebrated 'Vorsprung durch Technik' ads for Audi and the 'Flat Eric' puppet ads for Levi's. Hegarty’s insights on creativity are still in high demand and he currently leads The Business of Creativity course at The Garage Soho. So this week, Dougal Shaw took a trip to Soho to hear his thoughts on the creative process in person. In this episode of My CEO Secret, Hegarty unpacks the role of AI in modern marketing and why utilising it as a collaborative tool can help pave the way to success – but is only one part of the equation. Follow Business Leader for the insights and expertise to you scale up your mid-sized organisation.

Full disclosure; I’m a Clare Roberts OBE fan. The second episode of the Business Leader podcast is a girl chat with a difference. Think of it as a no nonsense discussion about what it really takes to scale a business, the importance of dealing with set backs quickly and the realities of balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood. It’s no fluff, there are several relatable takeaways and it’s also rather amusing. Having said all of that, I know I’ll have at least one disappointed listener given I inadvertently told him over a text exchange that my next guest was ‘really God’. As he fairly pointed out, that would have made one hell of a podcast… divine guests and typos aside, I think you’ll find me true to my word. Clare is ‘really good’, so tune in wherever you usually get your podcasts. #podcast #leadership #entrepreneurship

The Business Leader Podcast has been nominated for the Audio Journalism of the Year Award at the Wincott Awards! 🎉 To be among names like the BBC and Financial Times is an absolute honour – especially after only a year of releasing episodes. Thank you to everyone who’s joined us on the podcast and shared their journeys with our audience. Building a business from the ground up is no easy feat, but hearing the success stories and exchanging knowledge that encourages other entrepreneurs to keep grinding. And a huge thank you to everyone who’s tuned into the podcast each week! Great work from the team Graham Ruddick, Dougal Shaw, Sarah Vizard and Josh Dornbrack 👏

A spot of Easter reading with the Business Leader team 🐣 The latest edition of the Business Leader Magazine seems to be keeping everyone busy this weekend. And we're not surprised. This issue features: Bye-bye American Pie: Graham Ruddick gives a detailed analysis of Tesco’s failed US expansion. Business must learn fast on winning cultures: Our Expert columnist Catherine Baker takes a look at what businesses can learn from sports dedication to coaching, motivation and feedback, to get the best results. Success takes sacrifices: Thomas Beahon on the true cost of building a large company from the ground up. You can spend the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend exploring our magazine too 😉 Access the latest edition here: https://lnkd.in/ezt4wkYU

Simon Arora and his brother took a struggling local business and transformed it into a thriving retail chain. From their initial £525,000 investment to a +£5billion valuation, B&M Retail is now one of the biggest retailers in Europe. But after the company’s incredible success, there’s one thing Simon wishes he’d done differently.

Our new Business Leader website is live! As we continue to support business leaders, we’ve updated our site to reflect our ongoing mission: To accelerate the growth of mid-sized businesses in the UK and empower the people leading them. To the mid-sized business owners who’ve felt unheard and overlooked, this is your space to be seen, understood and valued. This is the community for leaders who are serious about growth 🚀 We’re excited to keep building with you. A huge thank you to everyone who’s been a part of our journey so far – our members, collaborators and the Business Leader team. We couldn’t have built this community without you. Shaun Prime Linda Hardy Elle Prime Graham Ruddick Michael Wannop Lauren Howlett Geoff Wade Melanie Shah Angela Hammond Sarah Vizard Craig Wilmann Dougal Shaw Gemma Crew Joan Okoye John Luck Chloe Hall Beatrice Povia Jochen Viegener Josh Dornbrack Josef Woodward Kenn Obi Jedidiah Silud Carmen Nadolu Harriet Pentland Lee Irvine Here’s to the next chapter of Business Leader! 👉 https://lnkd.in/esPX6cfx

Exercise, exercise, exercise 🏋️♀️ Not only is it a requirement to stay healthy, but as a business leader it might just be the key ingredient to keep the creative juices flowing. That’s why founder of iconic, industry-disrupting companies like FitFlop, Soap & Glory and Beauty Pie, Marcia Kilgore places it at the top of her list for anyone starting a business. And with such an impressive business acumen behind her, we could certainly all learn a thing or two!

Our latest podcast series has launched 🎉 In our new limited series, head of private capital at consultancy firm Alvarez & Marsal, Victoria Price takes the microphone, interviewing entrepreneurs from across the UK to hear the stories behind their success. This week, Victoria sits down with founder and chief executive of Applied Nutrition plc Thomas Ryder who’s journey has seen him grow from a scaffolder in Liverpool to leading one of the biggest stock market flotations in the UK. In this episode, Ryder shares his advice for budding business leaders as they embark on the path of entrepreneurship. You can listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eEzyEuqG