Barclays Corporate Insights

In a special edition episode of ‘In the frame’, we speak to Usama Al-Qassab, Marketing & Commercial Director, and Ulrika Högberg, Head of Community Strategy, at the AELTC – direct from the Championship Grounds. At Wimbledon, it's not just two weeks of tennis – it's all year round planning, precision, and partnerships. With a responsibility to preserve the prestige whilst courting a new generation of fans, how is Wimbledon's advantage maintained? Anything is possible with the right partners supporting you. So, tune in to the latest serving of 'In the frame' to find out more.

On this episode, we pull on our lab coats for a chat with Colin MacKay, CEO and Founder of Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services. Symbiosis is a specialist manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals for clients worldwide with an expertise that's globally recognised. We speak to Colin about the relentless incremental growth of Symbiosis, future expansion ambitions – and how Symbiosis negotiated symptomatic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit. What can your business learn from Symbiosis’ journey? Join us to hear more.

Producing premium single malt Scotch whisky requires significant upfront investment, with products maturing for years before sale. So, what strategies do distillers employ to keep their cash flow off the rocks whilst laying down a legacy for the future? Pour yourself a wee dram and listen in as Euan Mitchell, Managing Director, shares the rich history, challenges, and future aspirations of Isle of Arran Distillers. Slàinte!

Join us as we dive headlong into discussion with Raffi Schieir, Director of supply chain business Bantam Materials UK Ltd and founder of Prevented Ocean Plastic (POP). With multiple sustainability-related awards and nominations under the belt, the POP brand is making a splash for both the business and their clients alike. Raffi shares how his goal to 'win the decade' has fostered growth that's both sustainable and profitable, and how embracing change, even in the face of challenges, can create new opportunities. Ready to chart your course to business success? Then tune in as we plunge into the full story.

Joining as a hands-on manager in his family’s multi-generational business, Shyam Raja, Managing Director of Midlands Care has since implemented back office structures - freeing his time to focus on the growth of the business. Sharing the success of recent acquisitions, Shyam describes how the business has stood resilient through hardship, integrating an inclusive organisational culture with a spotlight on evolving customer needs to make a real difference in the local care sector.

Celebrating Swift Dental's 40th anniversary, Roy McGillivray, CEO and co-founder, shares the growth story of the business. From its inception in a garden shed, Swift Dental has developed to become the UK’s largest full service dental lab, bridging the gap in skill shortages by leveraging digital technology to streamline workflows and attract a new set of talent. So, brace yourself as we drill into this story to discover how this future-focused business is upholding their position as an industry leader whilst staying true to their family business roots.

Founded in 1923 by pioneering psychiatrist Dr Kate Fraser, SAMH is a mental health charity built on change-making foundations. Adapting to meet rising service demands across Scotland's local communities, Billy Watson, Chief Executive, joins us on this episode to discuss the charity's new audience-focused strategy and objectives. Having just reached their centenary year, and with a powerful rebrand, Billy shares how the organisation is fine-tuning their approach to ensure their pivotal work continues.

Starting out as a distributor in the office furniture space, OE Electrics have evolved - through investment, acquisition and ambition - to become a manufacturer that’s reshaping how we think about power and charging solutions. From lecture halls to airport lounges and beyond, their goal is to enable people to charge their devices wherever they can sit, stand or walk. So, tune in to draw power from their growth story that could spark an idea for yours!

From humble beginnings as a mechanic on his family’s pig farm, Robert Collard started out with nothing more than a set of spanners to his name. Utilising his mechanical know-how, combined with a focused, disciplined mindset honed through his racing career, he has built his business to become one of the leading demolition contractors in the UK and largest privately-owned waste management business in the South. You won't want to skip this episode!

With a decline in Northern Ireland’s textile and garment industry, Celia & Bernard Birt had a decision to make – move overseas to follow the opportunities or create their own at home. More than 25 years later, they are managing their own successful business specialising in corporate uniform design across a number of diverse industries. So, pin back your ears as we unravel their story and hear how they are weaving innovation throughout the fabric of their business.

Get ready for an adrenaline-packed ride into the world of Philip Miller MBE – owner and CEO of the Stockvale Group. With a number of diverse, but linked, businesses - including the iconic Adventure Island theme park, bars & restaurants, a ‘zooquarium’, Radio Essex, and a property development portfolio - he shares his thoughts and experiences on the ups and downs of his professional life. Here’s your free ticket to the tale of an East End boy who built a Southend-on-Sea family empire and those who have helped him on the way.

In 1987, when district nurse, Ruth Appleby, was looking to place her children into childcare, she saw an opportunity in her local area. 36 years later, her business operates 16 nurseries, each with a good or outstanding rating from Ofsted. As well as working with a number of family members, she maintains a very loyal workforce and even employs staff who were toddlers at the first site she opened. So, how has she achieved this business growth whilst balancing standards with fees, and maintaining loyalty and trust from both staff and clients alike? Tune in to learn about the ‘Ripley way’.

What happens when a passion for history and storytelling collides with the hospitality & leisure industry? Rob Cox, CEO, talks to us about the development of the heritage sites in their collection, including the trials and rewards of transforming an 18th century derelict prison into a luxury hotel and visitor attraction. The ethos of this business is to give guests an experience which can be educational, emotional and will stay with them for life, underpinned by both luxury and sustainability. But is this all achievable? Listen in to find out.

This cultural music venue based in the north east of England is run as a charity for music lovers of all sorts, but it can’t rely on tickets sales alone. It needs to provide a diversified offering and evolve to remain relevant to audiences young and old. Sara Vening, Director of Finance and People at The Glasshouse ICM talks to us about the business strategy, product development and brand evolution that ensures The Glasshouse ICM remains a place where music lives and grows.

From economic recessions, wars and a global pandemic, to developing technology, sustainability and diversity opportunities, there are multiple challenges and changes in the wider world that businesses need to navigate. We speak to Lee Spong, Financial Director of Mala Engineering, about her experiences – not just about how Mala is evolving for the future and the strategies it adopts to protect itself financially in challenging times, but also how it feels being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated sector.

When you’re growing a company, you need the right team around you. But how do you evolve and build that team to keep pace with the company’s progression? What strategies can you put in place to ensure the team moves forward with a shared mindset that allows the business to flourish? On this episode, Steven Cartlidge, Managing Director, talks to us about his business, Lake – the growth journey, its innovative learning management system and much more besides.

The Wemyss business has been operating not just through the generations, but through the centuries too. So, what’s the family secret to success? In this episode, William Wemyss talks openly about the history of the business and their approach to risk management, growth and sustainability. Tracing back to the 16th century, the business has more recently diversified its operations, and risk, into renewable energy, superfood farming, property development, whisky distilling and even owns a vineyard – spread across several continents. The breadth of this business is extraordinary and William has a wealth of insights to share.

When his local Gaelic football team received less-than-ideal support from a gym equipment supplier, it sparked an idea in Greg Bradley. In just 11 years, he has built a business that now serves some of the biggest global sports brand names, as well as many elite sports clubs. We delve into the challenges faced along the way and explore the strategies that have strengthened and defined BLK BOX to keep clients coming back year after year. 

In this episode, Mitesh Dhanak – founder of Precious Homes – takes us on his career journey, from his own beginnings in banking, to opening his first learning disability home, and now to the day-to-day running of over sixty units nationwide. We explore the challenges facing the healthcare sector and, importantly, how Mitesh has navigated these by creating the right organisational culture, striving for quality and maintaining talent in his team.

From the loss of a major customer, to the devastation caused by Storm Dennis and then straight onto Covid-19, Rod Parker, Managing Director of Gwalia Healthcare, tells us about the most stressful period of his life. Listen to his captivating story of resilience and hear how he found opportunities in adversity to grow his business and thrive.