Flexible Working continues to dominate the workplace landscape. Reports show that demand from employees across the UK for flexible working remains high however many organisations across most industry sectors continue to wrestle with this.

In the latest episode of Berwick Partners' and Odgers Berndtson's Leadership Series, Alka Gandhi, Head of Retail in our Retail, Consumer & Leisure Practice was delighted to speak with Sarah Findlater, Group HR Director at Marks and Spencer about their new flexible working offering – Worklife. Sarah shares her insight and learnings on launching this.

In this podcast, we are speaking with Ross Moloney, Chief Executive of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA).

Ross and Berwick Partners’ Principal Consultant, Tom Ewen discuss Ross’ career to date, as well as the motivations which have driven him throughout his career. He also reflects on how leading LEEA and working with the LEEA team has had a meaningful impact on the lives of thousands of people across the world.

The release of this podcast coincides with the first day the LiftEx Conference in Liverpool which starts on 21st November 2023 as well as the launch of a campaign to recruit three new members of the LEEA Executive Leadership Team.

Berwick Partners are supporting LEEA to recruit a Director of Membership, Director of Compliance and Director of Academy. Ross discusses what he is aiming to accomplish with these three appointments in this podcast.

For more information on these three appointments including access to the full job descriptions please visit:

Director of Membership: www.berwickpartners.co.uk/90226

Director of Academy: www.berwickpartners.co.uk/90229

Director of Compliance: www.berwickpartners.co.uk/90228

Ross has a PhD in Politics and Economics from University of Birmingham and has a varied career dedicated to the improvement of skills and knowledge in a variety of professions and industries. He firmly believes that if you can improve skills, it has an impact on the success of UK and international economies. He first became Chief Executive of Skills for Logistics in 2013 and has led organisations since that point. Ross has been leading LEEA since 2017 and has been an advocate and enabler to the LEEA members

improving standards, accessing routes to commercial success and by working

towards their shared goal of eliminating accidents, injury and fatalities in

the sector.  

For an informal conversation about the Director of Membership, Director of Academy and Director of Compliance roles, please email Tom Ewen on thomas.ewen@berwickpartners.co.uk

Post-pandemic many leaders continued to wrestle with a number of constantly changing economic challenges and delivering transformation, innovation and leadership against this backdrop. I was delighted to be joined by Darcy Willson-Rhymer, CEO of Card Factory who shares his experiences of transformation and leadership

Rob Fain, Principal Consultant with Berwick Partners talks to Puneet Chhabra, Head of Software at QLM Technology. Puneet shares reflections on life at QLM, his career and plans for the future. Whilst discussing what makes a good Software Engineer and how QLM are using cutting edge technology to help their customers cut carbon emissions.

In this episode Marek Dobrowolski talks to Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Mayor of Newham Council about her career to date, the future of Newham and the journey they are on to find a CEO.

Marek Dobrowolski, Partner and Lead for Place, Regeneration & Partnerships at Berwick Partners spent some time with Brian Johnson, Chair of Solent Free Port to discuss the importance of Free Ports and how they are providing the biggest opportunities for generational regeneration.

Announced in the 2021 budget, Freeports are a core component of the UK government’s economic plans, aimed at creating jobs, becoming hubs of innovation, and increasing international trade. Designed to play a central role in the regional levelling up agenda, regions with Freeport status will benefit from tax reliefs, simplified customs procedures, and streamlined planning processes to enable and promote regeneration and innovation.

The Freeport being established within the Solent Region, will not only be one of the largest, but also one of the most ambitions, with plans to create tens of thousands of new jobs and play a major role in levelling up coastal communities.

The Solent Freeport is Chaired by Brian Johnson, highly regarded within the regions business community Brian was appointed back in the Spring. Marek was delighted when Brian offered to discuss the place shaping role he sees Freeports playing in the UK’s economic development, and in particular, the impact on the Solent.

Tom Bridgman is the Director of Development at Oxford City

Council, an iconic city immediately recognisable to many people, but one that

not very many people will truly understand the nature of. Appointed in 2019

Tom’s career to date is a fascinating one, that has seen him work in place

shaping roles across the public and private sectors, with both national remits

and in location defined roles.

Three years on from his appointment, and a global pandemic

later our Partner and lead for Regeneration, Place and Partnerships Marek

Dobrowolski caught up with Tom to find out more about the impact of COVID 19 on

Oxford and what the future holds for Oxford. They discussed what levelling up

means for a city such as Oxford, the challenges the city faces around

affordable housing, planning, infrastructure and sustainability and how to

retain a competitive edge in an increasingly competitive world.

Finally they touched on Tom’s own career, what moving

between sectors has taught and skills and experience it has provided him with

and where they will meet for a coffee in 3 years time.

In our sixth episode, Tom Neely, Housing Sector Lead at Berwick Partners was thrilled to be joined someone who was once described to him as "one of the most inspirational leaders I’ve worked within the sector"  - Carol Matthews, Chief Executive of the Riverside Housing Group. In this episode we talk to Carol about her humble beginnings and what drove her to become the best she can be but also, and arguably more importantly, what drives her today as she takes her organisation through a merger with One Housing Group to become one of the biggest landlords in the UK.