CEO Stories: Conversations with Greater Birmingham business leaders
CEO Stories is a podcast series that delves into the stories behind some of the Greater Birmingham region's leading or up-and-coming CEOs. The series is hosted by Henrietta Brealey, who in 2021 became the youngest CEO in the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce's 208-year history. Listen to find out what makes some of the region's finest leaders tick, who inspired them and what advice they would offer to aspiring CEOs. Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce is the West Midlands' leading business support organisation, having acted as the voice of local business since 1813.
Episodes
Dan Boardman-Weston | Why financial literacy in the UK must improve
Dan Boardman-Weston in the CEO of BRI Wealth Management, the financial planning and wealth management firm based in Meriden.Having initially joined the firm as a trainee, Dan eventually succeeded his dad, Simon, as CEO.In this episode, he talks to Henrietta about making that transition and navigating his way through the challenges of leadership at a young age. We also hear his thoughts on the curr
Wendy Morgan | Overcoming discrimination to become a leader in tech
Wendy Morgan is the founder of the Jumar group of companies (now TXP), the Birmingham-headquartered organisation offering tech and business transformation expertise. Wendy has become a leader in the tech sector despite overcoming a series of obstacles - both during her childhood and her career. This included gender discrimination which threatened to impact her progress in the tech industry.Wendy t
QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS | Brummie slang words, guilty pleasures and celebrity encounters
As CEO Stories takes a short summer break, we bring you a bonus episode in which some of our guests answer a series of quickfire questions.In this episode, you will hear from Professor Aleks Subic (Aston University), Jodh Dhesi (Schools of King Edward VI Foundation), Andrew Davies (Kier Group), Fran Nolan and Dre Picart (Tribera), Janie Frampton (Team You), Iain McCallister (MAN Commercial), Marin
Professor David Mba | My vision for Birmingham City University
Vice-chancellor Professor David Mba sets out his vision for Birmingham City University in this episode of CEO Stories. Professor Mba discusses the transformational journey and impact of BCU - emphasising social mobility, employability, and the importance of practice-based pedagogy. The conversation explores his unexpected path to academia, his upbringing in Nigeria, and his vision for BCU's future
Jim Simpson | Birmingham's music heritage is underappreciated
Jim Simpson is a Birmingham music legend.As well as being credited as the man who gave Black Sabbath their big break, he is the founder of Big Bear Records and the director of Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival. In this episode, Jim discusses his illustrious career spanning decades as a musician, manager, record label and festival founder, author, photographer and much more.He shares anecdotes a
Emma Stenning | Driving change in the face of personal criticism
Emma Stenning is CEO of the globally-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra - an organisation she says is "shorthand for excellence" in the classical music world. Emma comes from a successful theatrical background -leading major theatres in the UK and Canada, being involved in the London 2012 Olympics and working with pop stars such as Damon Albarn and Rufus Wainwright.However, her vision
Marina Robertson | Finding my voice as a leader in the built environment
Marina Robertson is the group managing director of Acivico, the Birmingham-based multi-disciplinary firm offering built environment advisory services from design and construction to building control and facilities management. Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Marina made the crucial decision to study in the UK – which opened the door to working on some key projects such as the redevelopment of W
Iain McCallister | Boxing, Britpop and building a security powerhouse
MAN Commercial Protection founder and CEO Iain McCallister joins Henrietta Brealey for the second episode of season four. Iain is a former nightclub doorman who, alongside his father, founded the Solihull-based private security firm in 1993. He scaled it to become the largest privately-owned security business in the West Midlands, employing 1,600 people across the UK. Iain discusses providing secu
Janie Frampton | The football trailblazer making a global impact
Trailblazing former football referee Janie Frampton joins Henrietta Brealey for the first episode of season four.
Janie, who is the co-founder of TeamYou and president of the Greater Birmingham Global Chamber of Commerce, reveals how her career was sparked by a love of football.
She was only the second woman to referee in a men's professional game and has since gone on to work with global sports
Fran Nolan and André Picart | Building an agency with a best-in-class culture
In the final episode of season three, Henrietta Brealey is joined by the co-founders of Tribera - the award-winning creative content agency.
Fran Nolan and André Picart run the Birmingham city centre-based agency which has racked up a host of accolades including being named in the Sunday Times' 'Best Places to Work' list.
Fran and André join Henrietta to discuss their career-defining moments, how
Andrew Davies | Shaping the vision of an infrastructure giant
As CEO of infrastructure services and construction giant Kier Group, Andrew Davies is at the helm of a company that impacts the lives of millions of people.
Many of those are in Birmingham where Kier is responsible for operating all roads and has built a number of landmark buildings.
In his conversation with Henrietta Brealey, he discusses the importance of having a clear vision and purpose for a
Jodh Dhesi | We want to make Birmingham the best place to be educated
As chief executive of King Edward VI Foundation in Birmingham, Jodh Dhesi is on a mission to make Birmingham the best place to be educated in the UK.
In this episode of CEO Stories, he admits to Henrietta Brealey: "It was a bit daunting when I applied for the job, but the Chair of Governors explained it well, saying that somewhere has to be, so why not Birmingham?"
Jodh talks Henrietta through an
Professor Aleks Subic | The academic leader inspired by Da Vinci
In this episode of CEO Stories, Henrietta Brealey speaks with Professor Aleks Subic, vice chancellor and chief executive of Aston University.
Professor Subic shares his journey from his early life as a migrant in Australia, through his career transition from industry to academia, to leading significant technological innovations.
Highlights include his formative experiences in both Belgrade and M
QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS | Battle of the bands, Curry World and Carrie Bradshaw the brand ambassador
As CEO Stories takes a short summer break, we bring you a bonus episode in which our Series Three guests answer some quickfire questions.
Listen to find out:
Who would hire Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw as their brand ambassador?
Who has the most unusual item on their office desk?
Who would call Albert Einstein as their 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' phone-a-friend?
We also
Wade Lyn | How my Jamaican patties spiced up the UK market
Wade Lyn gave supermarket bosses food for thought by introducing them to the Jamaican patty.
The Jamaican-born entrepreneur owns Hockley-based Cleone Foods which produces Island Delight, the UK’s biggest selling Jamaican patty which is stocked on most major supermarkets.
In this episode, he talks to Henrietta about his role in spicing up the UK food market by introducing the Caribbean culinary sta
Jas Rohel | Driving change and recognition in education
Jas Rohel openly admits her younger self would have dismissed the idea of a career in education.
Fast-forward to the present day, however, and the entrepreneur and radio presenter is banging the drum for the sector in her dual role as Education Awards founder and co-CEO of charitable organisation the Titan Partnership.
In this episode, Jas talks to Henrietta about how a spell teaching at Solihul
Abbie Vlahakis | The STEM champion with a passion for people
Abbie Vlahakis was seeking a career change when Millennium Point “found her”.
In this episode, South Wales-born Abbie talks to Henrietta
about how her passion for learning developed into a career in finance, before ultimately leading to her current role as CEO at one of Birmingham’s most recognisable
venues.
We learn why Millennium Point’s dual purpose of being both commercial and charitable was
Harvir Sahota | From sweet beginnings to catering for star names
Mahirs Experience chief executive Harvir Sahota reveals his recipe for success – including how he scaled up his family’s Indian sweet shop business into an award-winning catering and events company that has been used by a string of illustrious names.
Harvir and Henrietta discuss the firm’s evolution over the years and how his leadership has been shaped by the many different roles he has held withi
Paul Faulkner and Sam Fletcher-Goodwin | Turning the Kids’ Village dream into reality
Since overcoming cancer as a child, Sam Fletcher-Goodwin and her family have dreamed of creating the UK’s inaugural holiday village for critically ill children.
Now, with support from a top team spearheaded by former Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce chief executive Paul Faulkner, plans are gathering pace to build the Kids’ Village in the picturesque Staffordshire countryside.
Interim CEO P
Zoe Bennett | How a Motivational Queen turned trauma into triumph
Zoe Bennett’s life changed forever when her father Errol was brutally murdered in 2011.
After a long battle to achieve justice, she channelled her experiences into forging a successful career as an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author and founder of the Multicultural Business and Community Champion (MBCC) Awards.
In this episode of CEO Stories, the self-styled Motivational Queen shares her
Deborah Cadman | Leading Birmingham City Council through crisis
Season three of CEO Stories begins with Henrietta Brealey talking to a chief executive who has one of the toughest jobs in local government.
Birmingham born and bred, Deborah Cadman has enjoyed a distinguished career in local government – including stints leading the West Midlands Combined Authority, Suffolk County Council and St Edmudsbury Borough Council.
Her current role, leading Europe’s large
Nasir Awan | How faith, family and determination helped me survive in business
When Nasir Awan came to England in the 1960s, he could speak virtually no English.
Today, Nasir is one of the West Midlands’ most successful business figures – and, on 17 November, 2023, he will become president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.
In the final episode of CEO Stories season two, the boss of international wholesale firm Awan Marketing talks Henrietta Brealey through an eve
Eman Al-Hillawi | Career pivots, driving change and learning to fly
Eman Al-Hillawi is passionate about driving change.
The Entec-Si CEO has experienced several transformational moments of her own – including moving to the UK from Iraq as a teenager, switching careers from science to technology and meeting her business partner Peter Marsden, with whom she created the Birmingham-based consultancy.
In this episode of CEO Stories, Eman talks to Henrietta Brealey
Jason Wouhra | Continuing the legacy of a family business
Jason Wouhra has a saying about family businesses – “it’s like being in the mafia – once you’re in, you can’t get out!”
Jason is the chief executive of Lioncroft Wholesale Ltd, a ‘carve-out’ of the renowned East Ends Foods brand which was started by his father and uncles in the 1960s.
In this episode, he tells Henrietta about building on his family’s legacy by making his own mark on the busines
Charlie Blakemore | A telling-off from the MoD to making FA Cup history
Whether it's “getting a telling-off” from the Ministry of Defence or making history in football’s oldest cup competition, Charlie Blakemore is no stranger to huge challenges.
The Intercity Technology managing director’s successes in business and sport have been driven by an ability to bring the best out of his people.
He talks Henrietta Brealey through a fascinating career – from engineering
Sara Wajid | I want to use museums to make the world a better place
Birmingham Museums Trust co-CEO Sara Wajid’s “twin obsessions” of storytelling and equality set her on a path to becoming a respected cultural leader.
The former arts and culture journalist was by her own admission a reluctant CEO with aspirations to “get something done in society”.
She tells Henrietta Brealey how a secondment to Birmingham Museums Trust - the largest independent charitable trus
Caroline Miller | Taking risks, Black Sabbath ballet and recruiting a global superstar
“There’s a reason I work in the arts – because it’s exciting!”
Caroline Miller’s passion for her profession is loud and clear as she talks Henrietta Brealey through the fascinating and varied career path that led to her becoming chief executive of Birmingham Royal Ballet.
It is a career that has taken her from the box office to the boardroom – driven by a lifelong love of dance and a determinati
Raphael Sofoluke | Channelling frustration and inspiration to start the UK Black Business Show
Entrepreneur and author Raphael Sofoluke founded the UK Black Business Show from a place of "frustration and inspiration".
The show has doubled in size since 2017 and has expanded into other parts of the UK - with the Birmingham edition returning to the NEC on Saturday 17 June, 2023.
In this episode of CEO Stories, Raphael talks to Henrietta Brealey about what inspired him to create a pl
Mario Mazzocchi | Sharing Wesleyan’s 'mutual' DNA
Mario Mazzochi was all set to return to his native Italy when he spotted a newspaper advert that changed the course of his career.
The appeal of a top job with financial services giant Visa was too good to turn down for the Turin-born business leader, who would end up extending his stay in the UK.
That decision would eventually lead Mario to his current role as CEO of Birmingham-headquartered fi
Ian Reid | Life before, during and after Birmingham 2022
Ian Reid is the man who oversaw delivery of Birmingham’s golden summer.
The chief executive of the 2022 Commonwealth Games joins Henrietta Brealey to provide his perspective on leading an organisation which mushroomed from a start-up into a workforce of thousands in a short space of time - before dissolving in the aftermath of the sporting extravaganza.
Reid discusses overcoming some of the
Oli Hills | Talking TikTok and turning social media on its head
Entrepreneur Oli Hills pivoted his business to embrace a social media revolution that has turned the world of content creation on its head.
The CEO of social media publisher Updates Media - parent company of thriving social media news source Birmingham Updates – identified an opportunity to help businesses capitalise on the seemingly limitless potential of fast-growing platform TikTok.
Updates Med
Saira Demmer | I want everyone to love their jobs
SF Recruitment chief executive Saira Demmer kicks off Season Two of CEO Stories by talking Henrietta through the forensic detail that has gone into building her firm’s award-winning culture.
The specialist recruitment business has earned a string of accolades for its workplace practices – including a place in the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work list.
Saira puts much of this success d
Season One recap (Part II) | The TV chef, taking centre stage and going viral
This bonus episode of CEO Stories focuses on business leaders who have been thrust into centre stage - sometimes in unusual circumstances.
In a recap of Season One, Henrietta looks at instances when some of her guests have found themselves in the limelight.
We hear from a CEO turned stand-up comedian, a chef who earned his shot at TV fame and a prominent business owner who unexpectedly
Season One recap (Part I) | Trailblazers, one step journey and inspired by Fergie
In the first of two bonus episodes of CEO Stories, Henrietta Brealey explores who or what inspired some of the Greater Birmingham's business leaders.
We hear from four high-profile Season One guests who tell us why they were influenced by life-changing experiences and key figures from the worlds of sport, media and the military.
Listen to this episode to hear from:
Simon Caulton, One
Paul Thandi | How we woke a sleeping giant
In the final episode of Season One, NEC Group chief executive Paul Thandi discusses his distinguished career in the leisure and entertainment industry.
Thandi tells Henrietta Brealey that joining the organisation – initially as commercial director – was like “lifting the lid on 1,000 flowers and letting them bloom”.
We hear about his role in transforming the NEC Group into one of Europe’s leading
Liam Dillon | Running a restaurant is like performing in a West End show
Liam Dillon is an acclaimed chef whose adventurous culinary career has led him to roles at top restaurants in London, Sydney and Copenhagen.
But none of those experiences compare to running his own business – The Boat Inn in his home city of Lichfield.
The Boat has been transformed under Liam’s ownership, achieving three rosettes and Michelin-recommended status.
Liam talks to He
Claire Clarke | Driving innovation and culture change
Professional services firms are not traditionally known for being at the forefront of innovation – but Claire Clarke is helping to change that perception.
Claire is the managing partner at Mills & Reeve – a company that has featured in the UK 100 Best Companies to Work For list 18 years in a row.
In this episode, she talks about her career to date, including balancing becoming a partner with p
Rachel Roberts | People, resilience, dog puns and David Beckham
Rachel Roberts is passionate about her business being the “best in breed”.
In this episode, she tells Henrietta Brealey about transitioning from a career in the army to become a successful PR practitioner – which led her to founding the multi award-winning agency spottydog communications.
A firm believer in demonstrating the value of strong public relations, Rachel also bangs the drum for her prof
Colonel Richard Maybery | How the Armed Forces shaped my leadership style
A 35-year career in the army unsurprisingly had a profound impact on Colonel Richard Maybery’s leadership style.
“The Armed Forces is a people business,” he says. “You learn very early on that you have to trust and get on with your people.”
After nearly four decades in the Forces, Colonel Maybery took on a leadership role of a different kind, becoming chief executive of the West Midlands Reserve F
CJ Lloyd Webley | Helping black entrepreneurs get ahead
In a short space of time, writer, theatre director and entrepreneur CJ Lloyd Webley has developed a flair for business to match his creative talents.
CJ earns his keep as a theatre director, working at Birmingham's Rep theatre.
But, after been moved by the protests and marches that followed the murder of George Floyd in 2020, he decided to launch a new project to help black entrepreneurs across th
Doug Wright | How Mr McDonald's climbed the ranks
When a teenage Doug Wright decided to seek his first opportunity in the world of work, he was by his own admission “pretty much unemployable”.
However, when he did gain his first job – as a 93p-an-hour cleaner at his local McDonald’s – it turned out to be the first step on a remarkable journey with the global fast-food corporation.
Fast-forward four decades, Doug is now a multi-restaurant franchis
Deborah Hazell | Making a social impact
When Deborah Hazell decided to seek a new challenge, after more than three decades working in financial services in the United States, her criteria was simple.
“I wanted to do something more meaningful,” she tells CEO Stories host and Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce chief executive Henrietta Brealey.
Deborah’s determination to make a positive societal impact led her to Birmingham-based Uni
Beverly Lindsay | The accidental businesswoman
Beverly Lindsay is a self-confessed “accidental businesswoman” who has faced more than her fair share of adversity.
Since arriving in Birmingham from Jamaica as a teenager, she has encountered personal struggles, family tragedy and significant threats to her business.
But the Diamond Travel founder has shown resilience in abundance to overcome those challenges and become a prominent West Midlands
Sheila Brown | Build your people and you’ll build your business
From market trading to hairdressing and working as a private detective, Sheila Brown has had an extremely varied career.
But, as a parent with two disabled sons, she took her most important career step in 1991 by co-founding Newlife, The Charity for Disabled Children (previously the Birth Defects Foundation) after deciding “something had to change”.
Fast-forward three decades and Cannock-headquart
Simon Caulton | One step at a time...
Simon Caulton’s life changed forever when his seven-month old daughter Mia was diagnosed with infantile Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in 2017.
The story behind his leisure trainers brand Ones is one of strength, courage and learning how to take things ‘one step at a time’.
Simon opens up to Henrietta about how the trauma of Mia’s life-threatening illness and his personal mental health battles insp
Deb Leary | Stepping plates to stand-up comedy
When Deb Leary was reluctantly dragged along to a policing conference by her husband, she had a lightbulb moment that led to her setting up pioneering forensics firm Forensic Pathways.
Deb, who became president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce in 2021, tells Henrietta how being “naturally nosey and curious” has been integral to her entrepreneurial journey.
But there is far more to Deb th
Welcome to CEO Stories
CEO Stories is a podcast series that delves into the stories behind some of the Greater Birmingham region's leading or up-and-coming CEOs. The series is hosted by Henrietta Brealey, who in 2021 became the youngest CEO in the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce's 208-year history. Listen to find out what makes some of the region's finest leaders tick, who inspired them and what advice they woul
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