Challenging Convention, Scaling a Consultancy, and the Future of Capital Markets with Chris Watts, CEO & Co-Founder of The Tonic Consultancy

Hear from Chris Watts, CEO and Co-Founder of The Tonic Consultancy, a firm reshaping expectations of what a consultancy can be. Starting his career in collateral consulting at Deutsche Bank and Rule Financial, Chris went on to launch Margin Tonic in 2018, a business that has since evolved into Tonic, expanding far beyond collateral to cover the full front-to-back trade lifecycle, digital assets, sustainability and more. In this episode, Chris reflects on the evolution of the capital markets space, what it takes to scale in a fast-changing environment, and what it means to be an “anti-consultancy consultancy”.Discussions in the episode:The biggest challenges and phases of growth when scaling Building a culture of reflection while staying future-focusedLessons learned in hiring and building high-performance teamsRedefining consulting excellence in a rapidly evolving tech landscapeWhere AI fits into capital markets consulting, and where the risks lieClick here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps. 

In this episode, hear from Ranjan Singh, Co-founder & CEO of HealthHero, Europe’s leading digital telehealth platform, as he shares insights from his journey as a serial entrepreneur to leading one of the fastest-growing digital health companies. From the evolution of telehealth to the leadership principles driving meaningful change, Ranjan reflects on what it takes to transform healthcare through technology.Under his leadership, HealthHero was featured in the inaugural Sunday Times 100 list of the UK’s fastest growing tech companies, and recognised as one of the top businesses of scale within that ranking. With over 20 years of experience in digital innovation and private equity, Ranjan has been at the forefront of reimagining healthcare for the digital age.Discussions in the episode:The importance of resourcefulness and strategic disciplineNavigating early growth and the impact of COVID-19 on the businessAcquisitions as a scaling strategyThe future of AI in healthcareHealthHero’s long-term vision and the systems they’re building for tomorrowClick here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps. 

In this episode, we’re joined by Stephen Critchlow, the Founder and Executive Chairman of Evergreen Life. Stephen began his career as a clinical pharmacist before founding Ascribe, a health IT company that was later successfully sold to EMIS in 2013. Following his exit, he went on to launch Evergreen Life, a company that is reshaping healthcare through digital innovation.Under his leadership, Evergreen has grown rapidly, standing at the forefront of healthcare transformation with the use of AI, machine learning, and personal health records, revolutionising NHS services and being ranked #1 on the Sunday Times Top 100 Fastest Growing Tech Companies list.Discussions in the episode:From Ascribe to Evergreen: Leadership lessons from two healthcare venturesHow AI and personal health data are reshaping NHS servicesRisks and barriers to AI adoption in healthcareManaging fast growth and building leadership that scalesWhy constant disruption is at the heart of meaningful innovationClick here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps. 

Hear from Felix Hughes, Co-Founder and Director of GetBueno.com, as he shares the story behind building an award-winning fintech platform that simplifies life for foreign property owners in Spain. From navigating complex cross-border banking issues to launching a customer-obsessed subscription model, Felix offers a behind-the-scenes look at Bueno’s growth journey and the future of tech-enabled property finance.Bueno, recently named 2025 Property Finance Platform of the Year, consolidates banking, insurance, tax, utilities and more, into one app, offering multilingual support and trusted by users across 26+ countries. Prior to co-founding Bueno, Felix played a key role in scaling wellness and nutrition brands like Nuzest and NASDAQ-listed Natrol Inc. and now sits on the board of BIOVIT Ltd., a sustainability-focused health tech company.Discussions in the episode:Building a financial ecosystem for foreign homeownersStrategic thinking behind Bueno’s subscription modelHow customer focus drives product investmentAI opportunities and threats in cross-border financeFrameworks for sustainable growth and profitabilityExpanding market share efficiently across regionsClick here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps. 

In this episode hear from Nikola Mrkšić, a pioneer in conversational AI and the driving force behind PolyAI, a London-based startup revolutionising conversational AI for customer support. As Co-Founder and CEO, Nikola and his co-founders started PolyAI in 2017 as a spinout from the University of Cambridge, where they developed state-of-the-art conversational AI technology. Their mission was to create AI-powered customer support agents that offer seamless, natural interactions. Under his leadership, PolyAI has raised millions in funding and partnered with major brands like Starling Bank and Landry’s Entertainment, achieving numerous accolades along the way, including from the likes of Forbes, The Financial and Sunday Times.In this episode, Nikola shares insights on scaling AI startups, the future of customer experience, and how AI can work alongside human agents - not replace them. Discussions in the episode:Evolving the vision: pivoting to B2B and measuring successBuilding the right leadership team from 20 employees to scaleFounder mindset: balancing growth with personal focus and time managementAI adoption across industries and geographiesStrategies for attracting and nurturing AI talent in a competitive marketScaling in the UK vs US: cultural and operational differencesClick here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps. 

Hear from Neil Evans, Head of Credit Risk at OakNorth Bank as he shares his journey from the established world of traditional banking to the agile, fast-scaling environment of OakNorth. Since joining in 2014, he’s helped shape one of the UK’s most resilient and data-driven lending models designed specifically for SMEs.Discussions in this episode:Background to OakNorth Bank, founded by Rishi Khosla and Joel Perlman Neil's journey from a long career at RBS to shaping credit strategy at a fast‑growing bankHow OakNorth built a billion-pound loan book in just 18 monthsThe role of stress testing and proactive credit policy during economic shocksOakNorth’s strategic U.S. expansion, including its recent acquisition of Community Unity BankThis conversation is packed with practical leadership insights, bold decision-making and lessons on scaling without compromising on risk.It's a wonderfully inspiring conversation, full of great insights - Neil tells OakNorth's story beautifully.Click here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps. 

In this episode, we welcome back Maren Schlieper, an experienced startup and scaleup executive, for her second appearance on the podcast. Maren dives deeper into the realities of sustainable growth, the future of leadership and how founders and executives can build companies that scale effectively.With over 14 years of experience in the European startup and scaleup space, Maren has achieved major milestones including a successful exit at DeinDeal and helping to build unicorn company wefox in senior roles such as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief of Staff. She currently serves as Head of Strategy at HudsonGoodman, holds a board seat at medudoc, and advises startups across industries as a coach and mentor.Discussions in the episode:Key lessons from scaling wefox and building high-growth teamsThe paradigm shift toward healthy scaling (and what it really looks like!)Building internal alignment: how to make strategy understandable at every levelExecution done right: bottom-up feedback, prioritisation, and accountabilityThe human cost of hypergrowth, and how leaders can build resilient teamsClick here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps. 

Hear from Romi Savova, a trailblazer in fintech and one of the most influential voices in modern pension reform. As the founder and CEO of PensionBee, Romi has transformed the way people save for retirement by making pensions accessible, transparent and easy to manage online.With a background in finance and a passion for solving complex problems, Romi shares her journey from a personal frustration with pension transfers to building a publicly listed company that now serves hundreds of thousands of customers. Her story offers a masterclass in mission-driven leadership, scaling with purpose and driving innovation in a highly regulated sector.Discussions in the episode:Key milestones, from the first seed round to IPOWhy going public made sense, and what it took to get thereBalancing growth with staying true to mission and valuesExpanding from the UK into the US marketCultural and behavioural differences in consumer financial habitsFuture trends shaping pension management in the UK and USClick here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps. 

Hear from Joy Adams, Chief Operating Officer at Deutsche Bank, as she shares her journey into the digital asset space, offers insights on the rapidly evolving fintech landscape, and reflects on leadership, innovation, and diversity within financial services.Joy is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and holds an executive education certificate from the Oxford University Fintech Programme. She was also selected as a Rise Up Fellow for the annual Money 20/20 Conference, which recognises up-and-coming leaders in the payments industry.Discussions in the episode:Key trends reshaping the digital asset landscapeRegulation challenges amid rapid tech innovationDiversity, inclusion, and representation in digital assets and financeStrategies for advancing Black women in leadership positionsClick here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps.

Hear from Malcolm Graham, Managing Director at Control Union, as he shares his leadership journey, the values that have shaped the company’s evolution and his vision for the future of the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) industry. As the youngest Managing Director in the company’s history, Malcolm has played a pivotal role in expanding Control Union’s global footprint, while maintaining the strong family-owned culture that sets it apart.Discussions in the episode:How agriculture shapes the global economy and the sustainability challenges aheadLeading through geopolitical uncertainty and supply chain shiftsStrategies and lessons learned from international expansionTransitioning into the Managing Director role and the evolution of leadership responsibilityPursuing an MBA while in a high-level leadership positionClick here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps.