Robin Rowland OBE - YO! Sushi

In this episode I talk to Kevin Reeves, an ex special forces soldier who’s served all over the world. Abandoned by his parents and hiding for a life of drugs and crime, he found the military and in particularly ‘Who Dares Wins’. He talks about this with passion and vigour and brings it to life as a real life single organising principle. Now settles back into civil life, he runs several international businesses in the food & personal care sectors. As I’m sure you’ll agree with me, he’s one of those characters who’s mad, bad, and a little dangerous to know.

In this episode I talk to Mark Chadwick, CEO and founder of EcoAct, a major European Climate Change consultancy. As you will hear, he’s optimistic about how businesses have embraced the need to address climate change... although concerned at the pace of change amongst some of the larger fossil fuel based organisations. I joined him at his headquarters in Kings Cross.

In this episode I talk to Robin Rowland OBE, the previous CEO of YO! Sushi for 19 years and non-exec director of Marston’s PLC, Cafe Nero & Eathos in the Middle East. He’s also operations partner at TriSpan, a restaurant focused private equity business in London and New York. As you’ll hear, he believes brilliance comes from chaos and a business without an elevator pitch can’t hope to success.

In this episode I talk to Clare Blampied OBE, managing director of the family owned pasta sauces business Scala UK. She started aged 26 and has grown it into a 40 million pound business whilst proudly proclaiming herself as the original pesto pioneer. We met at their HQ in Beaconsfield, just outside London.

In this episode I talk to Eric Partaker, Eric Partaker, Co-Founder and CEO of the Chilango Mexican restaurants chain. We met at their original site in Islington’s noisy and bustling Upper Street. In the episode, he talks about his passion for product quality and how even in the toughest times they refuse to compromise. If you’ve never tasted one of their burritos do yourself a favour, it’s not described as a stampede of flavours in your mouth for nothing.

"Being able to keep employees motivated, provide skills progression, career progression and to be able to retain the skill set in order to continue to innovate… it’s fundamental. " In this episode I talk to Phil Wild. Phil is the CEO of James Cropper PLC one of the world’s leading suppliers of coloured paper, makers of the Poppy and owners of CupCycling™, the world's first recycling process dedicated to upcycling take-away cups. Trust me, the business he runs is one of the most impressive businesses you’ve never heard of.

“Being real people who sounded more like a customer than a producer was quite important... and it helps when it was genuine. We were just that… people who loved food.” In this episode I talk to William Kendall: serial entrepreneur, investor and farmer. As Managing Director, William developed and ultimately sold New Covent Garden Soup Company and went on to discover, develop and sell Green & Black's chocolates. He’s now working on his farm and on his latest venture, the range of premium soft drinks Cawston Press. As you’ll hear, he’s a man of many parts and he’s previously told me he’s still not sure what he wants to do when he grows up.

“The food and service in conjunction with the artwork on the walls... the crockery and the music… having that all come together to create the sense of something”

"We had to change the attitude from ‘telephony is a cost to be minimised’ to ‘communication is an investment in quality of life’."

An introduction to the Focus, Purpose & Leadership Podcast