Why we’re seeing more bounceback CEOs
If you went off the grid in 2010 and re-emerged to survey the cast of characters in today’s business pages, you might be forgiven for thinking that things hadn’t changed. Bob Iger is still the CEO of Disney. Julian Dunkerton runs Superdry, and Richard Bradbury is in charge of River Island. There’s Nittin Passi at […]
Can you recognise good leadership when you see it?
Imagine a leader, and describe what appears in your mind’s eye. Henry V? Richard Branson? Sharon White? Ozwald Boateng? Lord Karan Bilimoria? History, literature and personal experience help us to form an idea of what leaders – and from that, leadership – look like. If you’re a founder hiring a professional CEO, or looking for […]
IPOs for founders: The good, the bad and the ugly
In an ideal world, you wouldn’t need to take anyone else’s money to grow your business. You’d just take your ample profits and reinvest them back into the top line, bootstrapping your way into the Fortune Global 500, with full control. On Earth, getting into the upper echelons of corporate success generally involves taking some […]
Growing companies need execution as well as ambition
When Ray Kroc struck a deal with the McDonald brothers to scale their fast food burger concept, he didn’t limit his ambition to a few restaurants in the American Midwest. He thought big, and that’s what he got. We work with many founders in high growth companies, and also with non-founder-led companies that consistently outgrow […]
Fractional leaders: Are they worth it?
High growth companies often choose to hire fractional (part-time) senior executives to fill roles that they either don’t want to or can’t pay for full-time. These can be relatively specific, such as supply chain director or chief data officer, or broader strategic positions such as a CMO or CFO. The fractional executives they hire could […]
Why recruiting superstar NEDs requires creative thinking
A great non-executive director can have a real impact on a growing business. Their specialist expertise, connections and outside perspective can help it avoid costly pitfalls, develop capabilities and unlock new opportunities. The problem is that great NEDs – aside from the traditional (much maligned) ‘seasoned white male’ variety – don’t exactly grow on trees. […]
How Fashion UK aims to treble its business
Fashion UK isn’t your average fashion business. Licensing is at the heart of the Leicester-based company, which makes and designs clothing featuring popular characters from the likes of brands such as Disney, Warner Bros, Netflix and Lego. The company was founded in 1999 and has grown aggressively in the past few years, thanks to a […]
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 […]
Do you run your business like an army or a farm?
Something that once was used to store several decades’ worth of half-read family Christmas presents suddenly became a prestige piece during video calls. A little game developed where eagle-eyed, amateur psychologists tried to discern a CEO, politician or professor’s character traits based on his or her book collection. The more erudite, usually, the better. One […]
Good growth in a recession: It’s not either-or
When Martin Luther King Jr said those words, he was referring to the civil rights struggle in the USA, clearly a time of great challenge and controversy, when taking a stand for what was right took great courage. But the message applies today: what we do in hard times shows our character. These are hard […]
