BBI You're On Mute

On this week’s ‘You’re On Mute’, Lord Michael Hastings is in conversation with Tom Ilube CBE, Chair of England’s Rugby Football Union, CEO of Crossword Cybersecurity PLC, Non-Executive Director for advertising giant WPP and more. By age ten, Tom's irrepressible nature had seen him overcome the early challenges of being a care leaver due to his bi-racial heritage, surviving a near death experience after being confronted by the barrel of a gun, in Idi Amin’s Uganda, as well as setting up a new home on another continent. Embracing the dogged determination that represents the best of Nigerian culture and attitude, despite initially having a degree from a relatively unknown university in Benin, Tom has gone on to work for some of the most enviable corporations, companies and institutions, including British Airways, PWC, the British Stock Exchange and Goldman Sachs as a way of learning, gaining invaluable experience and validating his skill set. Matching his drive, tenacity and business acumen, Tom has successfully pursued his passion by becoming a serial tech entrepreneur, with his specialism being start-ups. Remarkably, Tom has a significant appetite for the associated risk of new ventures and speaks openly, about the relationship between failure and success and how often, the difference is about calibrating approach, necessary to create winning pathways. Renowned for his philanthropic pursuits, Tom’s African Gifted Foundation has efficaciously created generational change for numerous Black girls and women in science across Africa, in turn, boosting their prospects globally. As a role model, Tom shares his wisdom regarding overcoming stereotypes, navigating racism, the importance of laughter and the role of drama as a component of engaging storytelling. 

On this weeks Episode of BBI’s ‘You’re On Mute’, we hear from Baroness Tina Stowell, former Chair of the Charity Commission, now Chair of the Communications and Digital Select Committee in the House of Lords. Baroness Tina Stowell MBE’s growth and achievement is exemplary and demonstrates, self-belief, integrity and passion are paramount for achieving excellence! We learn how a girl from the UK’s East Midlands realised with each success, her potential for advance was greater than she imagined.By reaching beyond her grasp and completing each job role with enviable levels of distinction, Baroness Stowell imbued her employers and other influential people with the confidence to provide her with more challenging and sophisticated opportunities, thus allowing the Baroness to rise through the ranks, despite her profile not necessarily meeting conventional norms.Hear directly how Baroness Stowell was almost recruited for MI6, working in Washington DC through a period of huge transition and the view of an insider, during John Major’s Prime Ministership and more. Especially insightful is how Baroness Stowell skilfully steered the same sex bill through The House of Lords to achieve a landmark change in statute, as well as her opinion about the role of charities as a former Chair of The Charity Commission.This episode, contains many important lessons not least of all, talent can originate from all levels of society regardless of academic training and how, recruiters should think laterally in order to benefit from the UK’s deep reservoirs of untapped talent.

On this week’s You’re On Mute, we hear from Julian Douglas, Chairman of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and CEO & Vice Chairman of VCCP, one of the UK’s top three advertising agencies.Julian shares details of his Jamaican father's transformational and inspiring journey, growing up in Manchester and how a ground-breaking advert, caused Julian to pursue a career in advertising instead of becoming a City of London derivatives trader. We learn first-hand about his response when directly confronted by racism and how his love of singing took him on an entrepreneurial excursion involving co-founder of LastMinute.com, Baroness Martha Lane-Fox CBE. Julian also discusses, overcoming failure and the transformative impact of a phone call from Nicola Mendelsohn CBE, now Vice President of Global Business Group at Meta, which ultimately led Julian to become one of the leading voices for the advertising sector and BRiM (Black Representation in Marketing).Julian’s rise to the top is simply phenomenal but perhaps even more impressive, is his unwavering commitment to using his status, influence and network to promote social justice. 

On this week’s episode of ‘You’re On Mute’, Bianca Miller-Cole is joined by Amanda Rajkumar, adidas Executive Board Member, Global Human Resources, People and Culture, discussing adidas’s ‘New Agenda’.Amanda’s journey demonstrates the transformational power of education and how with the support of her direct and extended West Indian family, she overcame obstacles to build an extraordinary career and bring about generational change. We learn about the impact, hustle, bustle and energy of London’s melting pot versus her provincial hometown and how Amanda defied the odds, by going on to play HR leadership roles for some of the globes biggest and most prestigious investment banks, before joining Europe’s largest sportswear brand.Boasting 65,000 employees, hear directly about Amanda’s quest to promote equity and social justice, adopting important lessons from historical events, using data to make informed decisions and her mission to re-shape adidas’s DEI agenda by 2025.

In this episode of ‘You’re on Mute’, Eunice Olumide MBE, is joined by activist and professional agitator Livia Firth, Founder & Creative Director of Eco-Age, The Green Carpet Fashion Awards, The Renaissance Awards and Co-Founder of NGO The Circle, also an acclaimed documentary film maker.From her early years growing up in Rome, to her mother embracing the practical benefits of sustainability, falling in love with Bruce Springsteen’s music to dancing to Beyoncé, we learn first-hand about Livia’s life journey, purpose and passion to promote social justice and a sustainable future for generations to come, as well as how the power of documentary film making, wronged a miscarriage of justice and freed a ‘Black Panther’ from life term incarceration in a notorious American prison.

On this episode of ‘You’re On Mute’, Eunice Olumide is in conversation with Abigail Rappoport, Former Global Director of Enterprise Operations for META, who has very recently, become Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at Expedia. Abigail shares her memories of growing up in North London, time working on a kibbutz and reaching beyond any barriers and limitations to realise her full ground breaking potential. Abigail also discusses the infamous South African Sharpeville Massacre and the true price her grandparents were willing to pay to stay true to their principles and beliefs. We also learn about her role in an IPO whilst in her twenties, encountering failure, challenges of building a career in the tech world and working for one of the most powerful technology and social media brands the world has ever seen, META, balanced with her deep held beliefs about fairness, equity and social justice. 

On this episode of ‘You’re On Mute’ Lord Michael Hastings is joined by Tom Athron, CEO at Fortnum & Mason. Tom shares his memories of growing up in a military family, and life at a military boarding school which provided a lot of structure in his life when he most needed it. Tom attends Newcastle University, where he develops a strong sense of social justice, after which his business management studies lead him into the world of work as he travels to South Africa during Nelson Mandela's early reign. He witnesses the birth of a new rainbow nation, but one looking to balance poverty and inequality with the development of a growing middle class. Listeners are privy to his seminal career experiences – including his time at the John Lewis Partnership – these formed Tom’s approach to ‘industrial democracy’, but also shaped his views on diversity and inclusion and sustainability. Fortnum & Mason continues to be one of the world’s most coveted luxury retailers, a byword for excellence, worthy of its multiple Royal Warrants.This podcast is produced by 4DC - The Podcast Strategists.

Launched to coincide with Black History Month, ‘A Moment of Introspection’, is a new podcast series and platform for exemplary leaders to both reflect and share their visions. These collective discussions, comprise of four to five participants, each one making a meaningful contribution from an alternative perspective. There is especially a keen focus on business sectors where traditionally, there has been Black underrepresentation and a chance to unpick what progress has been made since the 2020 killing of George Floyd. For this episode, BBI partners with Sotheby’s 'Brilliant and Black', with moderator Lord Michael Hastings speaking to four incredible luminaries from the world of fine and high jewellery, including Melanie Grant, Luxury Editor of the Economists 1843 Magazine, and jewellers Lola Oladunjoye, Maggi Simpkins and Sheryl Jones. First hand we learn about their inspirations, challenges, journey to success and how they plan to use their enviable public persona and influential reach. This podcast is produced by 4DC - The Podcast Strategists.