In this episode, Martin reflects on his diverse career, spanning 15 years at PepsiCo, 9 years in private equity as CEO of Iglo (Birdseye in the UK) and United Biscuits followed by a jump to the FA as CEO in 2015.

Following this, Martin transitioned to a non-executive career, being appointed as chairman of the Football Foundation, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and Britain’s biggest wine producer, Chapel Down.

Martin discusses the importance of uniting employees with purpose and reflects on his leadership journey, sharing his key learnings that shaped his career. From his time at United Biscuits, Martin identifies that it takes courage to view culture as an opportunity, to not delegate it to HR teams, and to champion it as a leader.

Martin talks about moving to take on leadership of The FA as his “midlife crisis”, where he was responsible for appointing Gareth Southgate, championing culture change and highlighting what it means to wear the England shirt. He cites cultural transformation as one of the reasons that England is now seen as a contender in international tournaments and shares his insight on the growth of women’s football and the rise of development squads at St Georges Park.

Given the breadth of Martin's professional experience, this podcast episode is packed with insight, humour and solid lessons for anyone wanting to implement change.

Chapters

00:00:00-Welcome to Episode 4

00:01:32-Introduction to Martin’s career

00:04:59-Reflection on the culture at PepsiCo

00:10:53-Leadership & culture evolution from PepsiCo to private equity at Birdseye

00:18:46-‘It takes courage to prioritise culture and to see it as an opportunity’

00:22:00-Move to United Biscuits, restoring pride and unlocking the potential of culture

00:29:33-Joining the FA, re-affirming purpose & what it means to play for England

00:46:22-Prioritising development squads at St Georges park and the Lionesses

00:53:07-The growth of women’s football

00:57:17-Life as a chairperson on the board of the Football Foundation, PGMOL, Chapel Down and Froneri

01:05:08-Martin's career as a song

In this episode, David Tait candidly dissects his life experiences and discusses how they have impacted his leadership style and mindset during his role as CEO of the World Gold Council.

David describes the cultural transformation he has led at the World Gold Council since joining in 2018, and highlights his determination to fundamentally shift the culture within the gold industry, through his commitment to responsible sourcing, transparency, and digitalisation.

David also reflects on his time at Credit Suisse, and talks about how the seeds of its future demise as an organisation were already visible when he left in 2015. David highlights the genuine fulfilment he experiences from leading people and investing in culture. He also talks about his early life experiences which have shaped his mindset and driven him to raise millions of pounds for the NSPCC through his multiple ascents of Everest and other fundraising activities.

Chapters

00:00:00-Welcome to Episode 3

00:01:17-Introduction to David's career

00:03:03-Overview of the World Gold Council

00:08:05-Challenges of cultural transformation in the gold industry

00:32:17-Experiences whilst shifting the focus onto Culture

00:37:56-Reflections on the culture at Credit Suisse

00:45:15-Early life experiences, fundraising for the NSPCC and the only north-south traverse of Everest

00:52:16-The writing of David's life story and creation of his film Sulfur and White

00:57:39-David's mindset throughout leadership

01:06:08-David's leadership journey encapsulated in one song

In this episode, Charlie speaks with Chris Jones, CEO at BMJ.

Chris talks about his experience of joining BMJ in lockdown, BMJ's role in the pandemic and the role Purpose plays in guiding decision-making and priorities. Chris also frankly shares his lessons from his own leadership journey.

https://www.bmj.com/company/

https://culture15.com/

https://coodeassociates.com/

Chapters

00:00:00-Welcome to Episode 2

00:01:39-Chris's role and background

00:03:16-Becoming CEO during covid

00:10:15-The evolution of BMJ

00:14:56-The impact of purpose & balancing commercial goals

00:18:11-Implementing an impact framework to evidence the work of BMJ

00:23:00-Cultural transformation at BMJ & the role of leadership

00:29:19-If BMJ was an animal, which would it be?

00:31:22-The role of a CEO in shaping culture

00:40:22-Chris's personal leadership journey in a song

DISCLAIMER - we apologise for the poor quality of this audio and assure you that all future episodes will be better!