Joanna Allen shares insights on the value of diverse leadership, B Corp and why purpose is integral to business, as we explore the evolution of Graze into the UK's leading healthy snacking brand.

Launched in 2008 as a subscription-only service, Graze is now a thriving retail and direct to consumer business. We delve into the keys to Graze's success and what’s changed since it was acquired by multinational consumer goods giant Unilever.

Joanna imparts her wisdom on the interplay between business purpose, strategy and mission. Learn how businesses can balance people, planet and profit, as she shares examples from Graze's journey as a certified B Corp. 

We also find out why Joanna is backing the Better Business Act, a movement that aims to redefine the responsibilities of company directors. Joanna discusses the creation of a succinct business purpose and how it can be a beacon during decision-making storms, as well as the challenges of greenwashing and the need for a consistent set of standards for measuring ESG. She also shares her personal journey of stepping into the CEO role amidst the pandemic and her ambitions for Graze. 

What does Richard Branson, Andy Serkis and Pamela Anderson all have in common? It’s our latest podcast guest Chris Ormrod from Cakesmiths who joins us for a chat. 

Having worked at big brands such as Virgin, Mars and Haagan Dazs, Chris Ormrod now describes himself as a property developer for businesses. Using private equity, he finds businesses in need of a renewed purpose and spends time getting it back onto its feet - at which point it usually becomes attractive to a potential acquirer.

With a key focus on engaging the local community with the performing arts, James Mackenzie-Blackman from Theatre Royal Plymouth explains the importance of creativity to the wider world in our new podcast episode.

James explains his role as CEO and executive producer at Theatre Royal Plymouth, how they support the community and James also explains how they produce stage sets for productions around the world.

What to bear in mind when a business becomes an employee owned trust - just one of the topics in the latest podcast episode, when our guest shares their experience nearly two years on.

With a background in accountancy and corporate finance, Emily Delve, Group Commercial Director at Coastal Recycling talks about developing the business, the importance of employee engagement and culture as well as how they became an employee owned trust in 2021.