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Dougal Shaw

Sir John Hegarty: See AI as a partner, not a tool

Sir John Hegarty: See AI as a partner, not a tool

The legendary ad exec believes leaders should collaborate with the technology, rather than use it as a tool

Apprentice stars: What Lord Sugar taught us

Apprentice stars: What Lord Sugar taught us

Contestants from The Apprentice reveal the fundamental business lessons they learned from taking part in the TV show

Tariff special with Times political editor Steven Swinford

Tariff special with Times political editor Steven Swinford

The Business Leader team are joined by the political editor of The Times Steven Swinford to cover what you need to know about the tariffs

Sizewell C boss: Your workforce should mirror society

Sizewell C boss: Your workforce should mirror society

The woman leading the Sizewell C nuclear plant project explains her approach to building a diverse workforce

Pip & Nut: Passion project to supermarket hit

Pip & Nut: Passion project to supermarket hit

Pip Murray talks about how she took her idea from the kitchen table to supermarket shelves, through food markets, rigorous product testing and more

PocDoc CEO: Lend your expertise to other businesses

PocDoc CEO: Lend your expertise to other businesses

The healthtech entrepreneur runs a 'Last Friday' club where other leaders can book a session and ask him for advice

Inside the Swiss CEO burnout clinic

Inside the Swiss CEO burnout clinic

We go into a luxury rehab clinic in Switzerland to learn about the pressures that cause executives to succumb to stress and how to guard against them

Airwallex CEO: Hire for personality traits, not experience

Airwallex CEO: Hire for personality traits, not experience

The fintech entrepreneur explains a key hiring strategy that has helped him scale a global business

Grind's CEO on how he built a coffee empire

Grind's CEO on how he built a coffee empire

David Abrahamovitch built Grind from one cafe in Shoreditch to a multimillion-pound business that is now expanding beyond London. This is the story of how he did it.

LinkedIn gets physical

LinkedIn gets physical

LinkedIn is the leading social network for businesses around the world. Now it wants a stake in real-life interactions too.

The story behind Gousto recipe boxes

The story behind Gousto recipe boxes

Founder Timo Boldt explains how AI tech is embedded in Gousto and how coaching and mentorship have transformed him as a leader

GoFundMe CEO: Risk-profile yourself to build your career

GoFundMe CEO: Risk-profile yourself to build your career

The leader of the online fundraising platform says measuring your personal risk appetite is vital for success

Quantum and AI: What the future holds for British business

Quantum and AI: What the future holds for British business

IBM UK chair Nicola Hodson discusses how businesses can implement artificial intelligence, the state of Quantum computing and much more

Heka founder: Becoming a mother made me a better leader

Heka founder: Becoming a mother made me a better leader

The founder of the employee benefits platform says parenthood has improved her leadership style

Beauty Pie founder: From facials with Madonna to consumer hits at Boots

Beauty Pie founder: From facials with Madonna to consumer hits at Boots

Serial entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore shares how to develop original consumer products, hire the right people and much more.

Seismic CEO: The best way to grow is never to shrink

Seismic CEO: The best way to grow is never to shrink

The boss of the US tech unicorn says a key part of growing his business involves working hard to ensure that it doesn't lose customers.

Bloom & Wild CEO: See mistakes as an opportunity

Bloom & Wild CEO: See mistakes as an opportunity

The co-founder and CEO of the flower delivery specialist says mistakes with customers can be a chance to shine and even build advocacy

Jordan Schwarzenberger: The opportunity on LinkedIn is staggering

Jordan Schwarzenberger: The opportunity on LinkedIn is staggering

Jordan Schwarzenberger shares his advice on how to connect with Gen Z and stand out on social media as a business leader.

Clarendon Fine Art MD: Make use of reverse mentoring

Clarendon Fine Art MD: Make use of reverse mentoring

The fashion boss turned art gallery executive believes leaders should be open to having younger people coach and educate them

Two Chicks CEO: Be open about who your audience will be

Two Chicks CEO: Be open about who your audience will be

When Alla Ouvarova brough the concept of liquid egg white to the UK, she was surprised by who ended up buying the product

Gousto CEO: Becoming a coach made me a better leader

Gousto CEO: Becoming a coach made me a better leader

Timo Boldt says becoming a coach has helped him to better understand and support employees

Docusign CEO on the AI revolution

Docusign CEO on the AI revolution

How does a tech leader navigate a post-pandemic slump and harness AI to redefine an industry? Allan Thygesen shares how he’s steering the company

Our predictions for business in 2025

Our predictions for business in 2025

The Business Leader editorial team look at the year ahead, the trends we expect to see, what leaders should stop doing and much more

Ordnance Survey CEO: Ask three questions before proposing a new business idea

Ordnance Survey CEO: Ask three questions before proposing a new business idea

The CEO of the mapping service says too many would-be entrepreneurs jump in blind without having done enough research

How bamboo helped put this business on a roll

How bamboo helped put this business on a roll

Julie Chen was visiting a farm in China when she had the idea for building a business based on importing eco-friendly toilet paper

Pip & Nut CEO: How to build luck into your business

Pip & Nut CEO: How to build luck into your business

The founder and CEO of the Pip & Nut food brand explains how you can make your own luck in business

Creatio CEO: Bootstrap first, then raise capital

Creatio CEO: Bootstrap first, then raise capital

Tech entrepreneur Katherine Kostereva explains why you should bootstrap your business idea first, before you seek capital investment

A year in business: Reviewing 2024

A year in business: Reviewing 2024

Graham Ruddick, Sarah Vizard and Dougal Shaw get together to discuss what they have learned in 2024 and their top business tips

Emirates bets on a high-flying high-street experience 

Emirates bets on a high-flying high-street experience 

Retail stores are becoming places to cement a relationship with customers, not just to sell products

Ikea's retail boss on its reinvention

Ikea's retail boss on its reinvention

Jesper Brodin, the CEO of Ingka Group, the business behind Ikea's global retail operations, on how Ikea became one of the biggest retailers in the world

Ikea CEO: Manage challenges, lead from opportunities

Ikea CEO: Manage challenges, lead from opportunities

Ikea's CEO explains a simple concept to help business leaders in times of change and uncertainty

MorphCostumes CEO on how a strategy overhaul saved the business

MorphCostumes CEO on how a strategy overhaul saved the business

Fraser Smeaton turned MorphCostumes into a multi-million-pound business but had to reinvent when it became a victim of its own success

DataStax CEO: Business success is all to do with people

DataStax CEO: Business success is all to do with people

Tech CEO Chet Kapoor explains an important lesson he has learned about recruitment and team building

The Folio Society’s CEO: Consider the power of lateral thinking

The Folio Society’s CEO: Consider the power of lateral thinking

Publisher Joanna Reynolds explains how a diagnosis of dyslexia in her 20s helped her to forge her own leadership style.

Barbie mania: Meet the architect behind the branding blitz

Barbie mania: Meet the architect behind the branding blitz

Josh Silverman explains how he orchestrated the marketing drive behind the Barbie film

Five practical ways businesses are using AI

Five practical ways businesses are using AI

Many business leaders understand that AI is an important technology for the future but are less clear how they can adopt it now. Here are five companies showing how

Monday.com: How to build a global software giant

Monday.com: How to build a global software giant

In our latest podcast, we speak to Monday.com co-founder Eran Zinman about how the company has scaled so rapidly

Grind CEO: Reinvent and replace yourself

Grind CEO: Reinvent and replace yourself

David Abrahamovitch, CEO of Grind, discusses the impact of a growing business on the founder

MorphCostumes CEO: Learn to build trust quickly

MorphCostumes CEO: Learn to build trust quickly

Fraser Smeaton, co-founder and CEO of MorphCostumes, explains how a formative experience from his youth helped him succeed in business

Monday.com co-CEO:  Failing is part of our success

Monday.com co-CEO: Failing is part of our success

The co-founder and co-CEO of Monday.com explains how an appreciation of failure has driven him to build a multi-billion-dollar company.

Uncle Nearest: Business lessons distilled from bourbon

Uncle Nearest: Business lessons distilled from bourbon

Fawn Weaver has built a global whiskey brand from scratch, and she’s distilled some important business lessons along the way

How to build a unique whisky brand

How to build a unique whisky brand

We speak to Fawn Weaver, who has been building a new global whisky brand, Uncle Nearest, from Tennessee in the US

Merchant Gourmet boss: Boring products offer big opportunities

Merchant Gourmet boss: Boring products offer big opportunities

Richard Peake, managing director of Merchant Gourmet, on bringing excitement to 'begrudged' consumer products

Sidemen manager: I was C-suite at 20, it was hard

Sidemen manager: I was C-suite at 20, it was hard

Jordan Schwarzenberger, manager of YouTube sensations The Sidemen, discusses the pitfalls of being a young leader

The power of paper in a digital age

The power of paper in a digital age

Online marketers call people who live offline ‘the unreachables’ but Paperplanes co-founder Dan Dunn has shown that direct mail can still hit home

Uncle Nearest founder: To disrupt a market, you have to understand it

Uncle Nearest founder: To disrupt a market, you have to understand it

Fawn Weaver, the woman behind the Uncle Nearest whiskey brand, shares her personal business advice

The unique funding strategy of a vertical whisky distillery

The unique funding strategy of a vertical whisky distillery

Paddy Fletcher, co-founder and co-CEO of The Port of Leith whisky brand, shares his personal business advice, explaining why he built a vertical distillery

Is it better to build your start-up in-person or remotely? 

Is it better to build your start-up in-person or remotely? 

It’s the existential business question of the post-Covid age: are you remote, in-office, or hybrid? We speak to start-ups who have taken very different approaches 

AKQA CEO: Put diversity at the forefront of your business

AKQA CEO: Put diversity at the forefront of your business

AKQA CEO Ajaz Ahmed on diversity in tech and advertising and his sense of responsibility when it comes to representation at work

Hims & Hers CEO: Before you build it, prove it

Hims & Hers CEO: Before you build it, prove it

Andrew Dudum, the man behind Hims & Hers, wants to bring healthcare into the digital age by using all the user-testing tricks at the modern entrepreneur's disposal

Why start-up founders are going back to primary school

Why start-up founders are going back to primary school

We visit a former primary school in north London that has become the unlikely hub for a group of start-ups focused on sustainability 

Swingers and the rise of ‘competitive socialising’ 

Swingers and the rise of ‘competitive socialising’ 

Matt Grech-Smith talks about how Swingers leveraged pop-up spaces and social media to create a thriving business with a £39m turnover and plans for further expansion on the Business Leader podcast

Hawksmoor: How to build an award-winning restaurant chain from scratch

Hawksmoor: How to build an award-winning restaurant chain from scratch

Will Beckett, co-founder of Hawksmoor, shares insights on scaling a business by prioritising staff retention and much more.

Anthesis CEO: My hiring tips if you want to scale

Anthesis CEO: My hiring tips if you want to scale

Stuart McLachlan, co-founder and CEO of Anthesis, shares his personal business advice

ClicknClear CEO: The skills to start a business can come from anywhere

ClicknClear CEO: The skills to start a business can come from anywhere

For entrepreneur Chantal Epp, a passion for the sport of cheerleading led to her business breakthrough

Swingers CEO: Use pop-ups to test your big idea

Swingers CEO: Use pop-ups to test your big idea

Indoor, inner city mini golf combined with a boozy night out sounded like a crazy idea, but a pop-up in east London gave it a chance with customers and investors

5 insights language-learning companies can offer us 

5 insights language-learning companies can offer us 

Digital language learning platforms are big business these days and the data they harvest can yield interesting insights for everyone, including business leaders

Is fear an effective driver of performance?

Is fear an effective driver of performance?

Plus, new car sales hit five-year high, private equity M&A growth, and a new Barbie exhibition launches

The woman behind a ticketing juggernaut

The woman behind a ticketing juggernaut

Plus, the next government to benefit from easing of the cost-of-living crisis, Tata Port Talbot steel plant strikes called off and Revolut reports record profits

Hims & Hers CEO: Hire people smarter than you

Hims & Hers CEO: Hire people smarter than you

Andrew Dudum, co-founder and CEO of online health and wellness company Hims & Hers, shares his personal business advice

Retail sales and consumer confidence rebound

Retail sales and consumer confidence rebound

In today's Off to Lunch, we also cover Carlsberg's bid for Britvic, the cautionary tale of Huy Fong's hot sauce and what we can learn from the Adidas and Puma rivalry

Why AI is a co-pilot, not a decision-maker 

Why AI is a co-pilot, not a decision-maker 

Amit Bendov, CEO of Gong, has worked in AI for five decades. He believes we are on the cusp of a “cerebral revolution” but cautions on the limits of the technology

Eventbrite CEO: My leadership style is inspired by rugby

Eventbrite CEO: My leadership style is inspired by rugby

Julia Hartz, co-founder and CEO of the global events marketplace Eventbrite, shares her personal business advice

5 Nordic ideas to boost entrepreneurship in the UK 

5 Nordic ideas to boost entrepreneurship in the UK 

The UK government wants to boost entrepreneurship. To do so, it could take inspiration from initiatives in the Nordic countries

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