Inspiring Leadership with Jonathan Bowman-Perks MBE

Krishnam Thapa Magar, also known as Krishna Thapa or the "Warrior Monk," is a distinguished mountaineer and former SAS Sergeant Major who has achieved international recognition for his pioneering feats in extreme adventure and military leadership. Raised in the Nepal Himalayas, Thapa Magar fuses Buddhist philosophy with military discipline, serving as a motivational speaker and meditation guide focused on holistic wellbeing and modern leadership. He supports team development, mental health, and sustainable adventure, acting as a role model for service, compassion, and personal achievement. Krishnam Thapa Magar is globally respected for blending elite military leadership with world-class mountaineering and inspirational personal development.Thapa Magar was one of only two Gurkhas from the Royal Gurkha Rifles to pass the highly selective entry to the British Special Forces, serving as head of the SAS Mountain Troops. He operated on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, demonstrating exceptional leadership under pressure, and was the first serving Warrant Officer to summit both Everest and K2. Krishna Thapa holds nine world-first records in mountaineering, including leading the largest summit group ever to Everest, and making pioneering ski descents from peaks such as Dhaulagiri. He has guided and inspired climbers from diverse backgrounds, including amputees, the visually impaired, and Parkinson’s disease sufferers, on expeditions around the globe—it’s not just about the climbing but about enabling others to overcome adversity. As leader of Gurkha Everest Expeditions, he became the first serving Gurkha soldier to scale the world’s highest peak while opening climbing routes and exemplifying teamwork and resilience.  

Lieutenant General Sir Nick Borton was commissioned into the British Army in 1991. Over a 34 year career, he has served in UK, Germany, Belize, Bosnia, Brunei, Cyprus, Iraq and Afghanistan. He has worked in strategy and policy in the UK Ministry of Defence, and commanded at every level from platoon to corps. His most recent appointments included: Commander 16 Air Assault Brigade; Commander 3rd (UK) Division, and Chief of Staff UK Permanent Joint HQ, where he was responsible for the daily running of all UK joint operations globally. His most recent appointment was command of the NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, UK’s senior field formation, focused on NATO deterrence in Europe. He was awarded the MBE in 2002, the Distinguished Service Order for commanding his Battalion in Helmand, Afghanistan in 2008, and was appointed Knight Commander of The Order of the Bath in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours. He is a graduate of: University of Stirling; Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Cranfield University; Joint Services Command and Staff College; National Defence University Washington DC, and is a Distinguished Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute. On leaving the Army, he has pursued various strategic advisory, board and business roles and is a NATO Senior Mentor. He is married to Amanda, and they have two daughters.

Sam is an experienced transformational leader and adviser with 25 years experience in politics, government, policy-making, strategy, sustainability, financial services and running his own business.Sam has undertaken some big roles in politics and Government. He was Sir Keir Starmer's Chief of Staff for the turnaround of the Labour Party and long-serving adviser to Chancellor Rt Hon Alistair Darling's during the Global Financial Crisis. Sam helped Starmer drive the political and professional transformation of the Labour Party in opposition; climbing from -10% in the polls when Sam took on the role to +30% when he left.He has worked across Government: in Whitehall, in devolved administrations and with intergovernmental bodies, and covered briefs including the Treasury, transport, energy, business and trade during the last Labour Governments under Tony Blair & Gordon Brown.Sam spent a decade as a senior executive at the FTSE100 Aviva plc, running a range of teams and advising the CEOs and Board. One of the projects he was most proud of is authoring Aviva's Net Zero 2040 plan, which remains one of the most ambitious and comprehensive climate plans for a major financial services company.Today, Sam is Chair of Foundations: the What Works Centre for Children and Families, advising government on effective interventions in policies affecting children (for example children’s social care, family support etc). He has a long history championing causes including Living Wage Foundation, Climate Change, Gender Equality and Social Mobility.He also acts as a Specialist Partner at the strategic consultancy Flint Global as well as MD of his own advisory business Next Chapter Strategy, working with senior leaders in business, charities and politics. He is on a number of advisory boards, including the Social Market Foundation think tank.He is married, living in Yorkshire with two daughters. And is proud to have been one of the most senior job-sharing dads in the UK.Sam regularly appears on the media to provide insight and commentary.

Spencer Gore is the CEO of Gorely Group, an investment company with a mission to “create gold medal winners.” The group owns and operates businesses across healthcare and sport, including EMJ, EMJ Learning, AMJ, and Chelmsford City Football Club in the UK.A serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience, Spencer has founded and scaled seven businesses across television, travel, publishing, recruitment, sport, and healthcare. In 2012, he founded EMJ, which has grown into one of Europe’s leading digital health communication companies, building relationships with all of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical firms and engaging an audience of over one million healthcare professionals. EMJ has been recognised in The Times 100 and the Financial Times 1000 lists of fastest-growing businesses.Spencer has received multiple awards for his leadership and innovation, including the Queen’s Award, Entrepreneur of the Year at the BDA’s 50th annual awards, and recognition in The Times and LDC’s list of the UK’s 50 most ambitious business leaders.

GSM (Garrison Sergeant Major) Bill Mott was known as Her Majesty (HM) The Queen’s Ceremonial Warrant Officer. The Garrison Sergeant Major London District is the Co-Ordinator and SME (Subject Matter Expert), organizing all State Ceremonial Events. Some of the tasks he helped orchestrate included, HM The Queen Mother’s Funeral in 2002, HM’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in 2002 and 2012 respectively, the Royal Wedding in 2011 and the Funeral of Baroness Thatcher in 2013 as well as all annual State Ceremonial Parades. Since August 2025 he has served as the Deputy Commandant of Operations at the Missouri Military Academy.GSM Mott was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in The Queen’s Birthday Honors 2007. He was presented with a new insignia or badge of rank reviving the original one made for a select group of Sergeant Majors appointed to the Court of King William IV in the early 19th Century. He was awarded the MVO (Member of the Victorian Order) in the Diamond Jubilee Honors in 2012, for his personal service to HM The Queen, organizing the Armed Forces Parade and Diamond Jubilee. Lastly, GSM Mott was granted The Freedom of The City of London in 2013 for his significant service to The City.

Matt Alder is a futurist and strategic consultant who works with organisations to navigate the changing landscape of Talent, HR, and the future of work. He is the host of Recruiting Future, one of the world’s most influential podcasts in this space, and the author of two books, Exceptional Talent and Digital Talent. Over his 25-year career, he has advised global employers on foresight, technology, and strategic workforce capability. Matt is an experienced keynote speaker who has presented in 18 countries, known for offering clear, practical insight into the forces reshaping work and their implications for leadership.

A podcast that arose after a fortuitous meeting on a train, Air Commodore Rich Davies CBE is a retired RAF tornado pilot, Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty The Queen and now works as a Defence and Political Advisor (Air), providing strategic input across fast jet integration, future air combat capability, and defence engagement.   In this episode, Rich shares his journey and lessons learned along the way throughout his long and successful career in the RAF and now in the private sector. 

Ash Alexander-Cooper OBE is a former soldier, world-championship athlete, award-winning international musician and artist. During a 28-year regular and reserve career, Ash served as an airborne soldier, helicopter pilot, jungle warfare and counter-terrorist specialist, spending 82 months deployed on operations. Since retirement, Ash has been a Senior Partner at McChrystal Group, led international business development at Palantir, runs a Leadership Development firm and is VP EMEA & APAC for Dedrone by Axon. Wounded multiple times in combat, Ash is passionate about giving back and is proud to support several veteran and mental health charities. To that end, he has committed to donate all author profits from the sale of his upcoming book - Mindful Soldier: Building Resilience to Overcome Life’s Challenges – which publishes in the UK on 22 January 2026 and is available worldwide from 27 January 2026.

Nick started his career as a nightclub promoter, DJ, and recording artist in Leeds, later moving to his first corporate role at London Records in 1994. He co-founded NorthWestSide Records at BMG, where he signed Jay-Z for the UK market. He served as Managing Director of Epic Records UK and later relaunched London Records for Universal Music. Nick was President of Capitol Records UK from 2013 to 2021, signing and developing Sam Smith, 5 Seconds of Summer, and other major artists. After leaving Capitol, he founded NWS Music Group with Christian Tattersfield, focusing on records, publishing, and sync licensing. Impact and Current Activities - Raphael is recognised for signing and nurturing award-winning artists, with his roster achieving multiple UK No.1 singles and albums - He regularly serves as an executive advisor and mentor, for instance, joining the A&R talent group at Cre8ing Vision where he helps emerging music executives and artists - His entrepreneurial ventures continue to shape the UK and global music scene, with a focus on discovering new talent and maximising artist success Nick Raphael is widely regarded as a dynamic force in the music talent business, blending artist development, strategic vision, and A&R leadership across decades of executive roles