Business & Philanthropy

Having a robust credit control process is key to business survival and growth. Thanks to Know-it, there is an effortless and painless way to ensure your business gets paid Businesses up and down the country have, for too long now, suffered issues with late payments and arduous credit management processes. Driven by my determination for…

Tell us about how you came to establish your business, and how it has evolved over the past decade. Eco solves problems for businesses. We started out about 12 years ago offering dry ice blasting services, and have evolved over the years into a multifaceted firm operating in different sectors across the UK. The key…

Arguably, the most challenging part of investing is holding your nerve and remaining invested when markets become turbulent, or the economy starts to weaken. We fear we will lose everything, and it seems as if the market will continue to go down forever. Moreover, when the market is volatile, it is constantly in the headlines,…

“There is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game,” Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman wrote in 1970.[i] The leader’s job, according to Friedman, is to maximize profits (within the bounds of…

Tell us about Social Chain, what is it and when did it begin? Social chain is a social media marketing agency that helps brands understand how they harness the power of social media. At Manchester Metropolitan University, I enrolled on a Business Management course but soon quit to follow my dreams of becoming an entrepreneur.…

Capitalism’s Resilience Capitalism has been one of the most resilient forms of organising our societies and our economies for centuries. Its resilience stems from its ability to adapt to the times. We have had feudalism, mercantilist capitalism, industrial capitalism, consumer capitalism and, the era from which we are now emerging – financialized capitalism. Communism, which…

What does ‘purpose’ really mean in the business context? How can companies go about identifying what their broader social or environmental values are, ensuring these are authentic and actionable? Purpose is becoming so widely used and misused as a word that it’s in danger of losing all meaning.  But a clear purpose is useful, in…

There is an SAS saying that how we learn from our successes and failure is what allows us to improve, and this is what I’ve focussed on in my new book, Business Leadership Under Fire. This book is the guide I wish I could have read earlier on in my career, drawing on the benefits…

Much like the use of the word ‘unprecedented’, itself, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the world around us and how we live was entirely unprecedented. The initial economic impact was stark, with the British economy shrinking a record 20.4% in the three months to June 2020, while the shift to remote working fundamentally…

Founded in 1934 with a focus on kitchens in its native Italy, Boffi is today recognized as a global design brand for the home and contract markets, known for its innovative blend of modern aesthetics and traditional craftsmanship. A conversation with Boffi CEO Roberto Gavazzi. When you entered Boffi in 1989, the company was a…

The World Sustainability Organisation (WSO) started with eco-labels for products and services which respect and protect the marine environment. Where did the inspiration come from and how did you come to a sustainable fashion eco-label? We have come a long way since the concept of sustainability first started to echo on people’s minds in the…

When did you first realize you wanted to be involved in art and events?  I started my art and events career at Somerset House when I was completing my art degree 10+ years ago. I helped out at prestigious art exhibitions as a Gallery Assistant and had lots of opportunities to work at lots of…

When it comes to purpose, you might think that conversations about its value versus its cost, and the extent to which it can support business growth, would be a thing of the past in today’s boardrooms. Purpose trailblazers such as Unilever are proving that a more responsible approach to capitalism is what stakeholders, talent and…

Who are the founders of The Lost Explorer Mezcal? Our co-founders are adventurer and environmentalist David de Rothschild and entrepreneur Thor Björgólfsson, in partnership with expert Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos and his family Tell us about The Lost Explorer Mezcal, what is it and when did it begin? The Lost Explorer brand was initially…

It is a safe statement to make that many financial institutions have in recent years, been torn as to whether cryptocurrencies are an asset class. Analysts are polarised. This is unsurprising as, over time, cryptocurrency went from being widely seen as a conduit for money laundering into a serious proposition for investors. And it’s not…

You’re born in Sweden but have made London your home — what drew you to the city? My brother and I grew up in a small town in Sweden. Our parents were German, so we went there every year on holiday to visit family. As such, we always felt there was more to explore than…

Tell us a bit about yourself and your business. I’ve always been obsessed with entrepreneurship! As a child I’d make money any way possible and study the most successful founders. Today, I run The Founding Network – the leading community of high growth founders to come together to share challenges, experiences and advice, enabling them…

A few years back I did my BBA in Fashion Marketing & Management and worked in the fashion industry in New York. To balance the hectic lifestyle, I started practicing pilates and yoga. My co-workers and I were moving around the city with our handbags, computer bags, gym bags, and sometimes even our lunch bags…

Thanks to the success of the vaccine rollout, we were able to send field staff back to Saudi Arabia in August after a pandemic-induced period of absence. Apart from the natural sense of excitement at finally being able to hold face-to-face meetings with partners old and new, our new team has reported a sense of…

Aliko Dangote lives as you might expect, given he’s the richest person in Africa and resides in the same country being bullied by the insidious Boko Haram terrorist group, which finds something noble in kidnapping village girls. Located on Victoria Island, a wealthy Lagos enclave that has a moat in the form of a lagoon…

A couple of thousand years ago a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus was quoted as saying, “the only constant in life is change.”  He was right then, and he is right now. Change is an inevitable and important part of life. And yet, as society and culture has evolved over the last few centuries there is…

I am what some people would call a lifer. I have worked for the same business, albeit one that has gone through a lot of change and growth, throughout my 34-year career in real estate. This has given me a unique vantage point to observe the changing landscape of commercial real estate and I have…

Why did you start Tutorful and what is the company’s mission? Since I was a child I was always obsessed with the idea of creating things. My first ever dream was to build a robot – however unfortunately that one never did come to fruition! I did however go on to study Engineering at University…

Can you tell us a little about your inspirational journey and how you got to where you are today? My parents came to the UK in 1975. They’re Nigerian and came over here to work and study. They had me in 1979. My parents were working two jobs and studying at the same time, so…

The fortunes of real estate are inextricably linked to the economy – in periods of growth, companies expand, and people spend more on property. However, real estate is also innately resilient – buildings are not easy to sell quickly, businesses will always need premises and people will always need homes. The key to unlocking consistent…

After three months as Director and CEO of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Clare Shine shares her thoughts on what’s next for the sustainability agenda, and the need for a collective focus on people, nature and climate. How do you view the next 10 years of ‘sustainability’?  It’s urgent to make this a…

I-MAGAZINE sat down with the billionaire owner of the Evening Standard, Evgeny Lebedev and ask what motivates and inspires him, his future plans and his leadership style. Where do you live and spend most of your time? I live in London throughout the year. This is where I’ve lived since I was 8, and though…

When I was in my late 20s, I worked with a lady who had recently retired. Virginia (as I will call her) volunteered a few days each week at the public-service organization where I worked. One day, as we were assembling materials for a direct-mail publicity campaign, we began to talk about money. I will…

The susceptibility to threats soars in times of crisis. What pivotal aspects companies forgot in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic? One of the biggest checkmarks that lots of companies missed is cybersecurity. According to various sources, around 80% of CISOs admit having sacrificed it in an effort to enable employees to work remotely. Some…

When did you first realize you wanted to set up The Deck I have always had an interest in fashion, and from a young age worked within different roles in the industry, whether that was fashion journalism, styling or PR. I worked for the Fashion Director of the Sunday Times Style and was keen to…

Vincent Abrams, Editor-in-Chief at I-MAGAZINE interviews the founders of Icelandic Venture Capitalist Fund who are leading the way in gender diversity. Tell me more about Crowberry Capital? Crowberry is an early-stage Venture Capitalist fund which invests in technology start-ups across the Nordics. We are passionate about technology and invest in people that build cutting-edge global…

Erki Kert, CEO, Big Data Scoring The experience of banking customers in the UK is completely different to that in Scandinavia. While the UK might be home to more of the big names in banking, it is those in Scandinavia that are getting the best, most convenient and innovative services. But why is this? This…

You took over at Rémy Martin at a time when its stock had taken a slight fall, when you arrived what were and are your priorities to bring it back to full profitability and raise its brand profile? At Rémy Martin, we have a clear vision of what the future of luxury looks like. Our…

You have a strong background both in economics and technology, what is the importance of data analysis in Syndicate Room’s process? Data is essential to all that we do, though it has played the biggest role in our indexing and analysis of the startup market and the design of our fund. We indexed every private…

What do you think the fundamentals of leadership are? I think there are a few. The first is uniting people around an exciting, aspirational vision. That is actually not a tough task at The New York Times where there is a huge passion for the mission throughout the organization. The second is building a strategy…

You are currently CEO of Newgate Communications, part of SEC Newgate S.p.A., the world’s fastest growing global communications consultancy which you are Deputy Group CEO of.  What challenges did you face in your previous position or positions which made you a success in your current role as you occupy today? The negative experiences that shaped…

As an Italian, I’m used to dealing with a restless political system. The UK to me has always represented a show of legitimate actions, of individual rights, of correctness and savvy political judgement. That all changed on June 24th. Now we find a country, adored for the freedom it represents, for its liberal culture and economy, utterly…

City workers are being asked to celebrate their firms’ community and volunteering initiatives this year by taking part in online and offline activities as part of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal’s City Giving Day 2020. The annual event, this year on Tuesday 22 September 2020, celebrates the value of the City to society and shows how…

For the past 20 years I have spent much of my time counselling capitalism. In practice, this has meant counselling capitalists—most of whom have been or are CEOs of very large, often interntional businesses. To do this successfully my necessary self-discipline is discretion. A consultant’s task is to speak truth to power. To do this…

I received an email from Harvard Business Review recently. They were offering a series of books called ‘How to be human at work’. A six-volume HBR Emotional Intelligence Boxed Set.And a snip at just $99.99. I am not making this up. A lot of people are at it. In fact, you get over a thousand results…

You coined the term ‘Youpreneur’, which is also the title of your recent book ‘Rise of the Youpreneur: The Definitive Guide to Becoming the Go-To Leader in Your Industry and Building a Futureproof Business’. What does ‘Youpreneur’ mean? A Youpreneur is someone who builds a profitable business based around themselves, their experience, their personality, and…

Every entrepreneur, at some point in their career, will be faced with the same question: how can I be sure it’s the right time to give up the safety of my job and become a full-time entrepreneur? Making this leap of faith is not a decision to be taken lightly. If your company has reached…

In an age when communication takes place almost exclusively via screens, why should we still value the pen? Handwriting is an important tool for our cognitive development; it’s proven that handwriting has a direct impact on our reading and recall capabilities. Writing by hand, not on a device, provides a complete individuality and freedom to…

Where do you live and spend most of your time? I live in London throughout the year. This is where I’ve lived since I was 8, and though I travel a huge amount, and have a place in Italy, there’s no doubt that I’m a Londoner first and foremost. How important is philanthropy to you?…

Since Nobu Hospitality moved into the hotel industry five years ago, the luxury lifestyle brand has grown to operate across five continents. On track to operate 20 hotels by 2020, the iconic portfolio will see properties in Barcelona, Los Cabos and Chicago launch this year alone. With a career in luxury hospitality spanning more than…

Partridges opened its doors for the first time at 132 Sloane Street on 25th May 1972 at 9am. A former car showroom had been transformed into a delicatessen with the slogan “Good things for the larder”. It was the vision of my older brother Richard who after studying at the LSE with Mick Jagger, among…

Betts was founded in 1760 and is now in its third century of trading. Tell us a little about the history of Betts. The business was founded to service the newly developed jewellery industry in Birmingham at the start of the industrial revolution. Obviously a lot has changed since then, with huge technological developments in…

How did you get your start in residential property? I had set my sights on being a lawyer. However, whilst undergoing my law degree, I took a work experience role with a property company and rather surprised myself when I fell in love with the world of property. So after I completed my degree I…

There is a great difference between charity and philanthropy, but it is a difference that is too often ignored. Charity is the act of giving money, any amount, but not actively engaging in the cause. Philanthropy involves giving money, certainly, but also requires personal and proactive involvement. The traditional image of the billionaire philanthropist is…

When I was in my late 20s, I worked with a lady who had recently retired. Virginia (as I will call her) volunteered a few days each week at the public-service organization where I worked. One day, as we were assembling materials for a direct-mail publicity campaign, we began to talk about money. I will…