How does a business started by a man \"a quarter of an inch too short\" to be a policeman grow into a £60 million hospitality giant? In this episode of Trading Up, Gavin Annon, Chief Strategy Officer at Mount Charles and son of the inch-short founder, shares his journey from a decade-long career at Tesco to leading a workforce of 3,500 employees. Gavin discusses how the company pivoted from catering to cleaning and retial, by embracing agility and customer-centric values.
He also breaks down his unique strategy framework—\"Effort vs. Impact\"—and the importance of co-creating plans with frontline staff to ensure 100% commitment. Drawing on his leadership at the Belfast Chamber, Gavin explores the future of Northern Ireland’s economy, the power of \"positive pressure\" for city development, and why Belfast is a \"magical\" home for investment. And he also shares some interesting insights on how his moonlighting as a DJ has important lessons for running any business.
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Supported by - Queen’s Business School at Queen’s University Belfast offers world-class undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education. The mission of Queen’s Business School is to educate and explore for the benefit of business and society. QBS is triple-accredited, an accolade which puts it in the top 1% of business schools in the world. As a member of the Global Business School Network, the School is connected through strategic partnerships across the globe. QBS engages with the business community to develop principled and effective leaders, provide student and graduate talent, and harness innovation through academic expertise.
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