Re-booting the CBI’s purpose, fast
Rain Newton-Smith surely thought long and hard about whether to accept the role of Director-General of the CBI. The invitation has ‘glass cliff’ written all over it. Chief among the items in her unenviable in-tray are restoring trust in the scandal-ridden business lobby and stopping the exodus of big employers that threatens to kill its […]
Bambino Mio’s Guy Schanschieff on the company’s fast growth trajectory
Bambino Mio hopes to change that and the Northampton-based company is on a fast growth trajectory as consumers worldwide become more aware of their carbon footprint. Bambino Mio specialises in reusable nappies made from high performance fabrics that are designed to be washed and reused again and again. As well as reducing the number of […]
How Gymshark Became a $1.45bn Brand
“I want to grow a billion-dollar business.” These words may sound like a pipe dream to many, but when Gymshark founder Ben Francis said this to the ORESA team during their second meeting back in 2017, we knew this was a statement of intent – and we were committed to helping make that happen. Three […]
5 steps to improve your succession plan
At first glance, succession planning may not seem Hollywood material, but it has a long history on the silver and small screens. From Citizen Kane to Dallas, Game of Thrones to Succession, people have been fascinated by the intrigue and backstabbing that supposedly accompanies a corporate transition of power. The reality is rather less glamorous, […]
Neurodiversity: Great minds think differently
Neurodiversity has a lot of employers scratching their heads, either because they don’t know what it means or because they don’t know why everyone seems to be talking about it all of a sudden. What it is, broadly, is an umbrella term for a range of neurocognitive differences including but not limited to autism, dyslexia, […]
BT’s Bridget Lea for International Women’s Day
Bridget Lea is the Managing Director of Commercial at BT / EE. She has held senior roles at Sainsbury’s, O2, Oasis and more, and is also a non-exec at Marston’s and governor at Manchester Metropolitan University. She sat down with ORESA for International Women’s Day, telling us about her storied career, gender equality and what […]
Why founders are turning off stock market flotations
Floating on the stock market was once the ultimate sign that the business you’d founded was a serious, lasting concern. That feels like a long time ago. When the stock of ailing businesses like GameStop or AMC Entertainment can balloon twentyfold in a month because some kids in basements think it’s funny, you know that […]
Talent isn’t a zero sum game
I’ve seen a few downturns in my time. They usually come with tough decisions, not least when it comes to people. Many leaders will be balancing the need to retain talent in their business with the need to cut costs. Redundancies are never an easy choice to make. Aside from the human impact, they can […]
Hybrid working: Can you drive innovation on Teams?
As we now know, it turned out to be premature. The alpha, delta and omicron waves ensured that the hybrid working experiment would be a long one. Opinion is still divided over whether allowing any meaningful amount of working from home is a good idea and – even more pressingly for the leaders of businesses […]
Non-executive directors can be extremely valuable to growing businesses – if you let them
For start-ups, the presence of a prestigious industry heavyweight can open doors, helping the founder win new customers and backers. For these and for more established firms alike, NEDs can also serve as a much-valued voice of experience. Perhaps they’re a veteran CEO or founder themselves and have experienced the growing pains of a dynamic […]
