Lead Out Loud

Warwick Campaign Ambassador Michelle Feeney left the UK in her 20s and flew to New York with no job offer and just £600 in her pocket. From there, she climbed the career ladder across some of biggest beauty brands in the world (Estée Lauder, MAC Cosmetics and St Tropez to name just a few), managing multi-million pound budgets and big teams.Then, at the age of 53, Michelle stepped away from the corporate world to start her own sustainable beauty brand from scratch, which became Floral Street.A career like Michelle's doesn't happen by chance, so we decided to sit her down with Sarah Jackson - Alumni and MBA Careers Manager at Warwick Business School - for a chat on the Lead Out Loud podcast.In this episode:• How Michelle went from beauty brand expert to entrepreneur.• The key things an MBA student can do to land their next job.• The reality of changing careers at 53.---Lead Out Loud is the podcast from Warwick Business School where industry and academic expertise collide in conversation.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

We've all seen shouty chefs on TV, their leadership style characterised by yelling at pot washers, waiting staff and even customers. It's probably where the phrase 'if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen' comes from.But do those in leadership positions need to shout? Are there times when shouting is actually necessary? And why have kitchens (and maybe football dugouts) still got that reputation as heated environments where shouting at subordinates is acceptable?To answer these questions, Lead Out Loud host Bron Mills invited Michelin-Starred Chef and Restaurateur Glynn Purnell - better known as the Yummy Brummie on Instagram - and Warwick's Professor Emeritus, Keith Grint, onto our podcast to have a chat. In this episode:• Is it ever okay for leaders to SHOUT?• The difference between tame problems, critical problems and WICKED PROBLEMS.• Can we learn about current POLITICAL LEADERSHIP from Nazi Germany?---Lead Out Loud is the podcast from Warwick Business School where industry and academic expertise collide in conversation.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

When he’s not spending time with his grandchildren, Mel Morris is fully focused on his role as CEO and Co-Founder of Corpora.ai. But his life story is one of a serial entrepreneur (with a stint of football ownership thrown in).Mel is perhaps best known for helping set up King, the company behind the mobile gaming phenomenon, Candy Crush Saga. Before that, he was at the frontier of the internet dating space with uDate (which he went on to sell for £100 million) and owned online security company, Prevx. So, on this month’s episode of the Lead Out Loud podcast, host Bron Mills sat Mel down with Stephen Roper, Professor of Enterprise and Director of the ERC Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, to talk start-ups, investment and entrepreneurship.In this episode:• How Candy Crush became a worldwide PHENOMENON.• Is there a better time than NOW to start a business?• Does investment trump IDEAS and GOOD PEOPLE?---Lead Out Loud is the podcast from Warwick Business School where industry and academic expertise collide head-on in conversation.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

AI is a topic on every business leader’s lips right now. How’s it going to change the way we work? What tasks will it automate? And what are the ethical considerations leaders need to be aware of when it comes to Artificial Intelligence in the workplace?For the rest of us, the big question we're asking is: Will AI take our job?So, to kick off 2026, the Lead Out Loud podcast is tackling these questions head on. To do that, we invited Executive MBA alum and VP of Marketing (EMEA) at Proofpoint, Archana Dhankar, and Associate Professor Jochem Hummel on to have a chat with host Bron Mills about all things AI.Also in this episode:• Should we be using AI to write emails at work?• The dangers of not using AI properly.• Why university students should be using AI. But not to CHEAT.---Lead Out Loud is the podcast from Warwick Business School that brings academia and industry together in conversation.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

Alex Horne is the brains behind global smash-hit, Taskmaster. But what can we learn about leadership from five competitive comedians being set a series of strange, surreal challenges?Quite a lot, according to Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Tamara Friedrich. Which is why we invited Alex and Tamara onto the Lead Out Loud podcast to discuss creativity, leadership styles and why you should never 'kill the frog'...Also in this episode: • Why Alex thinks Greg Davies is ALPHA to his BETA.• How Taskmaster initially FLOPPED in America.• Does someone always need to WIN and LOSE in business?Find out more about School Tasking at the University of Warwick here.---Lead Out Loud is the podcast from Warwick Business School that brings academia and industry together in conversation.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

As the last England men's cricket captain to win an away Ashes in Australia in 2010-11, Sir Andrew Strauss knows a thing or two about leading a high-performance team and handling big personalities. So, on this episode of the Lead Out Loud podcast, host Bron Mills gets Andrew in conversation with Dr Mark Bawden - who previously worked as a sports psychologist with the England Cricket Team and is now CEO and Co-Founder of Mindflick - a partner on the LeadershipPlus module at Warwick Business School for our Full-Time MBA. Also in this episode: • Can England REALLY win The Ashes in Australia? • How WATER BOTTLES signalled the end of a high-performance team. • The LEADERSHIP LESSONS we can learn from elite sport. Discover more about our LeadershipPlus module: https://www.wbs.ac.uk/courses/mba/full-time/structure/?tab=leadershipplus --- Lead Out Loud is the podcast from Warwick Business School that brings academia and industry together in conversation. Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

BOXRAW Founder and CEO, Ben Amanna, wants to own the boxing ecosystem - and he’s well on the way to achieving that goal.His journey from first visiting a boxing gym at the age of 12 to help him stand up to bullies at school has taken him through ‘multiple failed businesses’ (his words) and selling everything from sweets in the playground to white goods and cars.  One thing Ben has demonstrated in spades is RESILIENCE – which is why we sat him down on this episode of the Lead Out Loud podcast with Professor of Marketing (and author of the book, Brilliantly Bouncy), Laura Chamberlain.Also in this episode: • The MISCONCEPTIONS around boxing. • Can ANYONE start a business? • What does resilience in business ACTUALLY MEAN.---Lead Out Loud is the podcast from Warwick Business School that brings academia and industry together in conversation.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

Golf is evolving faster than ever — from cutting-edge technology to fresh formats and unforgettable experiences, the game is teeing up a whole new world for players and fans alike. Whether you’re a seasoned pro, a weekend hacker, or just curious about where the sport is heading, this episode delivers insights, predictions, and a few surprises that prove golf is about more than just a hole in one. In this episode of Lead Out Loud, we’re joined by two experts who know the game inside and out: Ian Randell, Chief Executive at the Confederation of Professional Golf, and John Rudd, Professor of Marketing at Warwick Business School. Together, they take a swing at the big questions — from the role of AI and VR in golf, to how investment is reshaping clubs and tournaments, the 2025 Ryder Cup and what lessons in leadership, strategy, and marketing we can all learn from the sport.  They cover:  🏌️‍♂️ The changing face of golf with new audiences, formats, and experiences  🤖 The role of AI in shaping the future of golf  🎮 How VR and virtual experiences are transforming the sport  💰 The impact of huge investment and money in golf on clubs at every level  🧠 What leadership, marketing, and strategy lessons can be learned from the game Whether you’re a golfer, sports fan, or interested in business and innovation, this podcast delivers insights that go far beyond the fairway.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

When Dr Sharon Redrobe OBE first sat in the boardroom as CEO of Twycross Zoo, she was told the reason they were losing A MILLION POUNDS a year was 'they were a charity'.She disagreed, saying they were actually 'a badly run charity'. From there, someone who once protested the very existence of zoos then saw the power in what they stood for in terms of mission and conservationism.In this month's Lead Out Loud podcast, we've paired Sharon with Associate Professor of Strategy and Sustainability, Frederik Dahlmann - an academic at Warwick Business School who loves focusing on how companies tackle global sustainability issues in the way they do business. Also in this episode: Why Money isn't a DIRTY WORD in charities. Was GREENWASHING inevitable? How much it costs to FEED A TIGER. Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

At the age of 49, Maxine Laceby DARED TO GO BARE. Stripped of make-up and wearing dowdy clothes (her words), she finally realised who she was. From there, she started drinking homemade bone broth – an act of self-care that became Absolute Collagen. A business that has, to this day, turned over £30 million. In this month's podcast, we got Maxine talking to Dr Ketan Goswami, an academic at Warwick Business School who loves spending time focusing on micro-level entrepreneurial actions and believes that DOING is what matters most. Also in this episode:·       The reason strategy is ALWAYS STORY.·       Why leaders need to BE REAL - not loud.·       How age might just give you an EDGE IN BUSINESS.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

Nowadays, Jon Hendry-Pickup leads a proper British Institution: Butlin's. Before that, he worked for Aldi, Tesco, Travelodge and Prezzo. He's spent decades in high-volume, high-pressure environments. Yet his leadership philosophy might surprise you... In this month's podcast, we sat Jon down with Professor Christian Stadler, an academic at Warwick Business School who spends many of his days researching what makes companies ‘survive beyond their 100th birthday'.  They cover:  Why the All-Knowing, All-Seeing Leader is a COMPLETE MYTH. The Power in Trusting the LOWEST-PAID, LEAST-QUALIFIED People in any Business. How Bringing CHATGPT into the Boardroom Actually Works. Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

“Debt is slavery,” says Gtech founder Nick Grey—who built a multi-million pound business without taking a loan. In this episode, he joins Warwick Business School’s Professor Simon Barnes to explore the hard truths about venture capital, risk, and starting smart.They discuss why so many start-ups fail, how to survive the “valley of death,” and why great leadership starts with listening—not ego—but about building teams, listening well, and delivering value to customers.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

“You came out of that with your integrity intact.” That, says Sir Andy Street, was what mattered most after losing a mayoral election.The ex-John Lewis CEO and former West Midlands Mayor joins WBS Professor Tina Kiefer to explore what authentic leadership looks like—when values are tested in public, on this episode of Lead Out Loud.From building Britain’s most trusted retailer to leading in politics, Andy reflects on why trust, consistency, and transparency matter more than ever. Tina brings a psychological lens, revealing how leaders shape culture not through slogans, but daily behaviour.Together, they unpack why emotional intelligence is a leadership essential—and why walking the talk, even under pressure, is the true mark of a great leader.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

“I didn’t feel like I belonged — but I kept going.”Award-winning podcaster and young entrepreneur Taylor James sits down with WBS expert Rachel Dickinson to unpack the messy reality of building something from nothing. From imposter syndrome to burnout, in this episode of Lead Out Loud, they explore what it really takes to lead in creative industries—and why mental health has to come before hustle.It’s a candid conversation about self-doubt, resilience, and why vulnerability isn’t a weakness—it’s the future of leadership.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

Are companies pulling back from inclusion—and what might it cost them?With major firms like Google and Goldman Sachs retreating from their EDI efforts, the conversation around inclusive leadership is shifting. In this episode, Elham Fardad—senior EY leader and founder of Migrant Leaders—joins WBS expert Dr Dawn Eubanks to explore what happens when businesses treat inclusion as optional.They unpack why diverse teams drive better decisions, how inclusion fuels innovation, and what real leadership looks like in a complex, global world in this episode of Lead Out Loud.This is a call for clarity, not just commitment—because in today’s climate, inclusive leadership isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s essential.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.

If leaders don’t look after their wellbeing, why should their teams?In the very first episode of Lead Out Loud, former actress turned self-development coach Holly Matthews joins WBS behavioural scientist Dr Joshua Fullard to explore how leaders can set the tone for mental and physical wellbeing—by walking the talk.They discuss how burnout, stress, and silence around wellbeing damage teams, and why leading with openness, boundaries, and balance is no longer optional.Whether you're running a business or managing a team, this episode unpacks why wellbeing isn't a side conversation—it's a leadership responsibility.Discover more on Leadership at the Warwick Business School website.Follow us on LinkedIn for our Core Insights newsletter here.Help make the podcast even better. Click here to share your feedback.