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- The Business Leader Podcast with Sir Richard Harpin
132 episodes
The Business Leader Podcast with Sir Richard Harpin, page 2
by Business Leader · English
Sir Richard Harpin grew his business HomeServe from a single idea to a £4.1bn sale. On the Business Leader Podcast, he speaks to entrepreneurs and business leaders about the moments that shaped their success and failure, unlocking original advice and practical insights for anyone building or leading a business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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From €2.5bn to €16bn: How Sephora redefined beauty retail
How Chris De La Puente helped turn Sephora into a global beauty retailer, including leadership lessons from Procter & Gamble and specific “pivot” decisions that scaled revenue from about €2.5bn to…
19 May 2026 · 51m · 30 chapters
Using AI to fight cyber risk
How Envelope Risk uses AI/ML to underwrite and model cyber insurance risk, why cyber “hygiene” is essential, and what cyber risks medium-sized businesses should prioritize (black swans and…
12 May 2026 · 43m · 25 chapters
The art of the possible: Scaling to £240M
Kai Feller (Bark.com) explains how to scale a services marketplace to £240M without investor funding, focusing on pivots in unit economics, automation, and later using AI to automate small-business…
5 May 2026 · 39m · 27 chapters
Can BT beat the odds?
BT’s transformation and how CEO Alison Kirkby plans to turn £40bn digital infrastructure investment into growth amid intensifying competition, price-sensitive customers, and investor pressure.
28 Apr 2026 · 47m · 29 chapters
How the UK was Omazed
Matt Polson, founder/CEO of Omaze, explains how storytelling and a near-death experience drove Omaze’s shift from celebrity prize draws to data-driven prize homes, scaling charity fundraising in the…
21 Apr 2026 · 40m · 21 chapters
'Value people - especially those closest to the customer'
Leadership and value creation in low-margin, outsourced public and private services.
14 Apr 2026 · 40m · 21 chapters
From £500 To Millions: The Mindset That Changed Everything
Harry Stebbings (20VC) explains how he built a podcast into a venture capital platform, and shares his framework for entrepreneurship and VC investing: start young, be “all in,” lead with openness,…
7 Apr 2026 · 40m · 22 chapters
"I can't quit" - Olivia Jenkins built a jewellery brand in honour of her mum
Olivia Jenkins, founder of D-Louise (named after her mother Deborah Louise, died 2017 from colon cancer), explains how grief became motivation to build a jewellery brand and scale it from her spare…
31 Mar 2026 · 45m · 19 chapters
"I don't like being switched off" - Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, on work-life balance
Stuart Machin (CEO of Marks & Spencer) explains his leadership approach for transforming M&S while “protecting the magic” of the brand—product quality, innovation, and service—then modernizing legacy…
26 Mar 2026 · 26m · 12 chapters
'From €200m to €24bn - How I built a global glass empire'
Gary Lubner, former CEO of Belron (Autoglass/CarGlass/SafeLite brands), explains how he scaled a global vehicle-glass replacement business from ~€200m to ~€24bn over 23 years.
24 Mar 2026 · 46m · 24 chapters
Rentokil CEO: ‘This industry is unglamorous but gets in your blood’
Andy Ransom, CEO of Rentokil Initial
17 Mar 2026 · 50m · 22 chapters
Dash Drinks: The challenger brand scaling patiently
Alex Wright, Co-Founder and CEO of Dash Drinks
10 Mar 2026 · 46m · 22 chapters
The Beauty Tech Group: From start-up to IPO
Laurence Newman, Co-founder and CEO of The Beauty Tech Group
3 Mar 2026 · 43m · 22 chapters
Ben Askins of Gaia: Scaling and exiting with a healthy company culture
Co-founder of Gaia, a green technology company focused on online tools for businesses in the environmental space.
24 Feb 2026 · 51m · 21 chaptersSam Stoffel and Outplayed: Betting against yourself to make millions
Sam Stoffel and Outplayed: Betting against yourself to make millions
17 Feb 2026 · 39m · 29 chaptersTenzing: How to scale a challenger energy drink
In this episode of the Business Leader Podcast, Richard Harpin interviews Hub van Bockel, the founder of Tenzing, a natural energy drink company inspired by Himalayan Sherpas.
10 Feb 2026 · 53m · 26 chaptersCaspar Lee: ‘How I turned attention into business leverage’
In this episode of the Business Leader Podcast, Richard Harpin interviews Caspar Lee, a YouTube pioneer who has successfully transitioned from being an influencer to a powerful entrepreneur.
3 Feb 2026 · 45m · 33 chapters
Rory Sutherland: The advertising guru's tips to scale your business
The Advertising Guru's Tips to Scale Your Business
27 Jan 2026 · 43m · 21 chaptersRohan Blacker: Learning the lessons from Sofa.com
Rohan Blacker, Co-founder of Sofa.com
22 Jan 2026 · 39m · 19 chaptersSkin + Me: James Mishreki on scaling a UK skincare phenomenon
In this episode of the *Business Leader Podcast*, host Richard Harpin converses with James Mishreki, founder of the skincare brand Skin + Me.
20 Jan 2026 · 45m · 21 chaptersThe FlightStory ‘sisters’ helping Steven Bartlett scale Diary of a CEO
In this episode of the Business Leader Podcast, Georgie Holt (CEO of FlightStory) and Christiana Brenton (Chief Revenue Officer) discuss their innovative approaches to podcasts and new media, working…
13 Jan 2026 · 57m · 33 chaptersThe banking CEO helping 'extraordinary' people afford homes
Sue Hayes, CEO of Nottingham Building Society
8 Jan 2026 · 31m · 14 chaptersThe AA
In this episode, Richard Harpin interviews Jakob Pfaudler, Chief Executive of the AA, a long-standing British institution known for its roadside assistance and various car-related services.
6 Jan 2026 · 36m · 16 chaptersSanjay Poonen: Getting fired was the best thing to happen in my career
The podcast features entrepreneurs and business leaders sharing experiences on their successes and failures, offering practical advice for business builders.
23 Dec 2025 · 33m