9: Kevin Kimber - Getting Uncomfortable

In this episode, we talk to Kevin Kimber - Managing Director and Head of Global AR at BlackLine, the global accounting and finance Fintech business.We talk about leadership, and the value of clear communication and a shared goal. We'll discuss the importance of putting yourself outside your comfort-zone and explore how making yourself 'uncomfortable' can lead to unique learning experiences.Go to the BlackLine website: https://www.blackline.com/Go to the Apps for Good website: https://www.appsforgood.org/ Follow Coffee First on Twitter: coffeefirst13 Follow Amrop UK on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amrop-uk/Go to the Amrop UK’s website: https://www.amrop.co.uk/ Email Coffee First: [email protected] Music featured: "Wonderflux - Visions" by Argofox, used under CC BYHosted by Adam SaundersEdited by Fabiana Ottini

In this episode we talk to Colin Wood MBE, the newly appointed CEO of UK & Ireland for Aecom – a leading infrastructure consulting firm listed on the NYSE. Today we focus on the importance of teamwork and whether the current environment challenges or empowers it and how, as leaders, we might take the best from this situation to drive optimal productivity and results.Follow Coffee First on Twitter: coffeefirst13 Follow Amrop UK on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amrop-uk/Go to the Amrop UK’s website: https://www.amrop.co.uk/ Email Coffee First: [email protected] Music featured: "Wonderflux - Visions" by Argofox, used under CC BYHosted by Adam SaundersEdited by Fabiana Ottini

Worried about going back to the office or looking forward to getting back together as a team?Concerned about how it’s all going to work or glad you’re not going to have to work from home anymore?  The return-to-work carries with it a lot of big questions and today we are going to try and answer a few of them in this bonus episode of our podcast. Host, Adam Saunders, talks again to Dr Hazel Harrison about how we can best prepare for the most positive and productive return to the office; we’ll dive into the many and varied perspectives that exist on the matter and what factors may be at play but out of sight.Finally, we’ll round up with some key takeaways to help you ensure the best well-being and mental health practices for you and your colleagues in the coming weeks.Follow Dr Hazel Harrison on Twitter: @ThinkAvellanaGo to Dr Hazel Harrison’s firm, Think Avellana’s website: http://www.thinkavellana.com/ Follow Coffee First on Twitter: coffeefirst13 Follow Amrop UK on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amrop-uk/Go to the Amrop UK’s website: https://www.amrop.co.uk/ Email Coffee First: [email protected] Music featured: "Wonderflux - Visions" by Argofox, used under CC BYHosted by Adam SaundersResearch by Charlotte PriceEdited by Fabiana Ottini

In this episode we talk to Jerry del Missier, CEO and founder of Copper Street Capital the public and private fund investing in the financial services sector.Today we ask Jerry whether he believes leaders have to weather financial crises in order to truly lead and grow. Specifically we will pose the question that if the toughest market conditions create the greatest opportunities how do leaders take a traumatic experience and grow themselves and their businesses from it? Go to the Copper St Capital website: https://copperstreetcapital.com/ Follow Copper St Capital on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/copper-street-capital/Follow Coffee First on Twitter: @coffeefirst13Follow Amrop UK on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amrop-uk/Go to the Amrop UK website: https://www.amrop.co.uk/ Email Coffee First: [email protected] Music featured: "Wonderflux - Visions" by Argofox, used under CC BYHosted by Adam SaundersResearch by Charlotte PriceEdited by Fabiana Ottini

In this episode we talk to Dan Williams and Gus Vaz Tostes – CEO & Founder and Head Coach respectively of WIT – the online retailer and fitness brand.Today we ask Dan and Gus about their journey through leadership and specifically how COVID forced them to react and adapt to the impact on their industry. We ask them how they see the global retail market evolving and whether training in the gym will ever be the same again – and if it needs to be?Follow WIT Fitness on Instagram: @wit.fitness Follow WIT House LDN on Instagram: @wit.house.ldn Go to the WIT Fitness website: https://www.wit-fitness.com/ Follow Coffee First on Twitter: @coffeefirst13Follow Amrop UK on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amrop-uk/Go to the Amrop UK website: https://www.amrop.co.uk/ Email Coffee First: [email protected] Music featured: "Wonderflux - Visions" by Argofox, used under CC BY Hosted by Adam Saunders Research by Charlotte Price Edited by Fabiana Ottini

In this episode we talk to Mark Beeston, founder and managing partner of Illuminate Financial Management.Today we ask Mark about his career journey and how leadership has played such a key part in it. We look at his venture fund ‘Illuminate’ and ask how he creates cultures in the cutting edge of Fin Tech – an exciting and fast growing segment of financial services.Go to the Illuminate Financial website: https://illuminatefinancial.com/ Follow Coffee First on Twitter: coffeefirst13 Follow Amrop UK on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amrop-uk/ Go to the Amrop UK website: https://www.amrop.co.uk/ Email Coffee First: [email protected] Music featured: "Wonderflux - Visions" by Argofox, used under CC BY Hosted by Adam SaundersResearch by Charlotte PriceEdited by Fabiana Ottini

In this episode we talk to Mark Lowdell, a professor of cell and tissue therapy at UCL. Mark is also co-founder and owner of INmuneBio and Autolomous, two business at the forefront of the burgeoning field of immuno-oncology, an exciting and hugely important area of medicine. Today we ask Mark about his leadership journey. We discuss how he fell into leadership, and how he is helping to establish new practices that are redefining the relationships between academic research and commercial big pharma.Go to the INmuneBio’s website: https://www.inmunebio.com/index.php/en/ Go to the Autolomous’ website: https://www.autolomous.com/ Follow Coffee First on Twitter: coffeefirst13 Follow Amrop UK on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amrop-uk/Go to the Amrop UK’s website: https://www.amrop.co.uk/ Email Coffee First: [email protected] Music featured: "Wonderflux - Visions" by Argofox, used under CC BY Hosted by Adam Saunders Research by Charlotte Price Edited by Fabiana Ottini

In this episode we talk to Christine Baldwin, newly appointed UK Director of Infinitus, the property investment arm of the LKK Health Products Group. As UK Director, she is responsible for the iconic Walkie Talkie in the city of London, and the surrounding Eastcheap Estate.Today we discuss her fascinating career, the unique leadership values of her employer and the importance of successfully navigating the ‘return to the office’ after lockdown. Follow Coffee First on Twitter: coffeefirst13 Follow Amrop UK on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amrop-uk/Go to the Amrop UK’s website: https://www.amrop.co.uk/ Email Coffee First: [email protected] featured: "Wonderflux - Visions" by Argofox, used under CC BY Hosted by Adam Saunders Research by Charlotte Price Edited by Fabiana Ottini

This launch episode of Coffee First was taken from a recording of a live webinar Adam Saunders (Managing Partner at Amrop UK) hosted in May 2020 – during lockdown and Mental Health Awareness Week to discuss the topic of Kindness.Adam is joined by guest Dr Hazel Harrison – clinical psychologist and founder of Think Avellana; a firm which works with clients ranging from FTSE 100s through to SMEs, on their strategies and practices around mental well-being at work. In her work Hazel helps create highly productive, growth-oriented company cultures by demonstrating the importance of wellbeing, from the board down to graduates.Adam and Hazel talk about the importance of wellbeing to an individual’s health, teams health and businesses health. They discuss how mental wellbeing has become an openly discussed topic inside businesses, with more and more time, and money, being spent on understanding the importance of positive wellbeing to culture and productivity. They draw parallels between mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing and share some ideas on how daily practices can add a lot in the long-term.During the chat, they refer to a number of sources which can be found below together with some recommended books:Mental Health Awareness Week: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ Loss during the pandemic: https://bit.ly/3bRGKxq One helpful way to understand wellbeing: https://bit.ly/2yl2Tqm Wellbeing in the workplace: https://bit.ly/2zVJ49G Reading material on the psychology of grief: https://amzn.to/3cQuIpr Follow Dr Hazel Harrison on Twitter: @ThinkAvellanaGo to Dr Hazel Harrison’s firm, Think Avellana’s website: http://www.thinkavellana.com/ Follow Coffee First on Twitter: coffeefirst13 Follow Amrop UK on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amrop-uk/Go to the Amrop UK’s website: https://www.amrop.co.uk/ Email Coffee First: [email protected] Music featured: "Wonderflux - Visions" by Argofox, used under CC BYHosted by Adam SaundersResearch by Charlotte PriceEdited by Fabiana Ottini