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Leaders in Business

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by Institute of Directors Scotland

5.0(1 reviews)

80 episodes

Updated Daily

Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇬🇧

Podcast Authority

Beta

PoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more

Quality27

Social0

YouTube0

Engagement60

Learn more

Podcast Overview

In each episode, we sit down with trailblazers who have made their mark and revolutionized their respective industries. From CEOs of global corporations to startup founders disrupting traditional business models, we uncover the secrets to their success. Gain exclusive access to their personal journeys and discover the challenges they faced along the way. Our guests generously share their wisdom, revealing the innovative tactics, leadership principles, and growth strategies that propelled them to the top. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business professional, or simply an avid learner, this podcast is your gateway to invaluable insights and inspiration. Dive deep into thought-provoking conversations that cover a wide range of topics. From building effective teams and fostering a culture of innovation to navigating industry disruptions and staying ahead of the curve, our guests tackle the most pressing issues facing today's businesses. The 'Leaders in Business' podcast goes beyond surface-level discussions. We explore the intricacies of decision-making, explore the psychology of leadership, and uncover the traits that set exceptional leaders apart. Discover how they've overcome obstacles, harnessed their creativity, and created lasting impact in their organizations. Each episode is expertly crafted to provide actionable takeaways that you can apply to your own professional journey. You'll gain practical tips and strategies to optimize your leadership skills, enhance your business acumen, and drive meaningful results. Whether you're looking to sharpen your marketing strategies, improve your negotiation skills, or cultivate a winning mindset, 'Leaders in Business' has got you covered. Tune in regularly to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and insights shaping the business landscape. Our host skillfully guides the conversations, drawing out the most valuable lessons from our esteemed guests. Expect engaging dialogues that captivate your attention and leave you inspired to take your own business endeavors to new heights. 🎙️🎙️🎙️ Your hosts, National Director for Scotland, Catherine McWilliam, and Fife & Tayside Committee Chair, Marlene Lowe, guide you through these enlightening discussions. 🎙️🎙️🎙️ If you aspire to be a part of the IoD, visit www.iod.com for more information. Engage with us on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn to share your thoughts on today's episode. 🎵 Music: 'Downtown Delight' and 'Cinematic Emotion' by Joystock. 🕴️ This podcast is managed by The Emerald Agency.

Language

🇺🇲

Publishing Since

9/8/2020

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🇺🇸 Charts #3

Outreach generated

Apple 142

Spotify 827

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Podcast Authority

Beta

PoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more

Quality27

Social0

YouTube0

Engagement60

Learn more

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excellent

Episode Length

48 minutes

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needs improvement

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Every 25 days

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Recent Episodes

July 31, 2026

Selling to Give: Peter Vardy on Values-Led Leadership, The Calling and Why Everyone Has Influence

Peter Vardy is a name most people in Scotland will recognise — but far fewer know the story behind it.In this episode of Leaders in Business, Marlene Lowe is joined by co-host Catherine McWilliam, Scotland Director at the Institute of Directors, for a conversation with the entrepreneur behind one of Scotland's best-known motor retail businesses. Peter shares his journey from a childhood spent serving petrol on the family forecourt in the north east of England — where customers were occasionally found eating his dinner — to buying his first dealership in Perth at 27 and building his own group across Scotland over the following two decades.But this is a conversation about far more than cars. Peter opens up about the moment a leadership conference in Chicago changed his thinking forever — "leadership is a lifelong journey" — and how that shaped a business built on values: one uniform for everyone, performance reviews weighted equally on behaviour and results, a blank £100 cheque handed to every new colleague on day one, and a commitment to give 10% of profits away.The results of that commitment are extraordinary. Peter tells the story of a school opening in Uganda that grew into a programme supporting 25,000 children, an email from Cambodia answered by a giving pot containing the exact sum needed, and the COVID decision to keep paying colleagues even if it cost him everything. Along the way there are lessons from his father's "war on waste", a Formula One paddock, and Alison on front reception — proof that you don't need a job title to be a leader.The conversation culminates in <a href="https://thecalling.scot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">The Calling</a>, the values-based leadership event Peter is bringing to Glasgow's Armadillo — inspired by the conferences that shaped him, and built on a simple belief: everyone has influence, and Scotland's story should be one of saying yes.

July 14, 2026

How Two 23-Year-Old History Graduates Built a Thriving Gardening Business

What do two history degrees have to do with gardening? Not much — and that's exactly what makes this story so compelling.In this episode of Leaders in Business, Marlene Lowe sits down with Calum Lawrie and Angus McGregor, the 23-year-old founders of Scotica Gardening. What began as a favour — mowing a family friend's lawn during university — has grown, in just four years, into a professional garden maintenance business operating across Edinburgh, Exeter and Oxford, complete with their first full-time employee.Angus and Calum share how they spotted a gap in the market between large firms chasing government contracts and informal odd-jobbers, and built their business around year-round maintenance plans, reliable service and genuine personal relationships with their clients. They talk candidly about earning trust as young business owners, the steep learning curve of admin and systems, and how they've used AI and automation to handle scheduling, pricing and invoicing — freeing them up to focus on the work, and the people, they love.They also reflect on what it means to become employers in a brutal graduate job market, why they're determined to treat every applicant with respect, and their ambitions for the future — from steady, sustainable growth to community green space projects and, one day, perhaps the gardens of Scotland's historic castles.It's a masterclass in doing the basics brilliantly — proof that turning up on time, doing what you say you'll do, and excelling at the cup of tea and a chat can take you a very long way.Find out more about Scotica Gardening at <a href="http://www.scoticagardening.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">www.scoticagardening.co.uk</a> Do the basics brilliantly<ul><li>Turn up on time, on the right day, with the right tools — and be polite. It sounds simple, but doing it consistently requires strong systems and organisation, and it's rarer than you'd think.</li><li>Trust is earned through action. The best answer to "you're very young — do you know what you're doing?" is simply to do a good job.</li></ul>Work on the business, not just in it<ul><li>The pair used their university years as a low-pressure training ground to learn customer service, pricing and operations before going full time.</li><li>Automating admin — scheduling, invoicing, route planning and photo-based pricing — freed them from hours of nightly laptop work and made growth possible.</li><li>Technology handles the repetitive work so they can prioritise the human side: personal relationships are their competitive advantage.</li></ul>Find the gap and own it<ul><li>Scotica sits between large firms chasing commercial contracts and informal, unreliable solo operators — offering professional, year-round maintenance plans for individual clients, with predictable revenue as a bonus.</li></ul>Grow deliberately and sustainably<ul><li>Knowing exactly what one employee, one van and one set of tools can deliver means expansion is now a formula, not a gamble.</li><li>Early on they worked unsustainable hours; learning to dial back, choose customers and protect time to think was some of the best advice they received.</li></ul>Be the employer you'd want to work for<ul><li>Having watched friends ghosted by faceless recruitment processes, they committed to in-person interviews, honest rejections and proper explanations — treating all 40–50 applicants with respect.</li><li>With growth comes responsibility: building a genuine company culture, and eventually giving back through community green space and charity work.</li></ul>

June 16, 2026

Three Centuries of Trust: Stewarding Legacy and Creating Change with Joyce Onuonga

In this episode of Leaders in Business, host <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/janemarlenelowe/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Marlene Lowe</a> speaks with Joyce Onuonga, Managing Director of<a href="https://www.johnwhiteandson.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> John White & Son Weighing Machines Limited</a>, about her remarkable journey from Kenya to Scotland and from teacher to custodian of Scotland's oldest family business. Joyce's story is one of resilience, cultural adaptation, and breaking barriers in ways she never anticipated.Starting as a high school teacher in Kenya, Joyce moved into business before following her husband to Scotland. After struggling to find teaching work despite registering with the teaching council, she pursued various jobs, earned an MBA, and eventually accepted what was supposed to be a six-month temporary placement at John White & Son. Nearly 30 years later, she's still there—having progressed from business development manager to general manager to becoming the company's first female manager in its nearly 300-year history.The conversation reveals the profound challenge Joyce faced as a woman of colour in a male-dominated industry. Her first achievement, she says, was convincing colleagues to look past her gender and race to hear her ideas. This required patience, persistence, and surrounding herself with supporters who encouraged her to "wipe the dust away and stand up" when faced with resistance.In 2017, Joyce completed a management buyout when founder Edwin White decided to retire but wanted someone who would preserve the family ethos and company values. Now, Joyce works alongside her two sons, transforming John White & Son (established 1715) into a Scottish-Kenyan family business whilst honouring its three-century legacy.Joyce chairs the <a href="https://www.africascot.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Scottish Africa Business Association</a> (SABA), working to connect Scottish and African businesses and challenge outdated narratives about Africa being too risky for business. She advocates for recognising Africa's innovation—citing Kenya's <a href="https://www.m-pesa.africa" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">M-Pesa</a> mobile money system that leapfrogged traditional banking to create a nearly cashless society—and encourages collaboration between Scottish technology expertise and African problem-solving approaches.The episode explores Joyce's cultural perspective on risk, innovation, and problem-solving. Where Western business culture emphasises risk mitigation through extensive planning, Joyce describes the African approach: when there's a problem, find a solution immediately rather than dwelling on "what ifs."Joyce offers wisdom on work-life balance (advice she wishes she'd followed earlier), the importance of building safe networks with mentors and critics who challenge you, and the difference between business associates and friends. She emphasises being a giver—sharing information and skills to lift others—and maintaining clear boundaries when working with family through agreed-upon rules and discipline.

80 total episodes available

Recent guests on Leaders in Business

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Sarah Boyd

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Rebecca Rigby

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Amy Callaghan

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Hamish Taylor

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Sonia Aitken

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Julie Ashworth

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Jane-Claire Judson

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John McMorris

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Sandra Dailidyte

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Ivan McGeorge

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Sophie Dow

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Frequently asked questions

Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

What is Leaders in Business?: In each episode, we sit down with trailblazers who have made their mark and revolutionized their respective industries. From CEOs of global corporations to startup founders disrupting traditional business models, we uncover the secrets to their success.

Gain exclusive access to their personal journeys and discover the challenges they faced along the way. Our guests generously share their wisdom, revealing the innovative tactics, leadership principles, and growth strategies that propelled them to the top. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business professional, or simply an avid learner, this podcast is your gateway to invaluable insights and inspiration.

Dive deep into thought-provoking conversations that cover a wide range of topics. From building effective teams and fostering a culture of innovation to navigating industry disruptions and staying ahead of the curve, our guests tackle the most pressing issues facing today's businesses.

The 'Leaders in Business' podcast goes beyond surface-level discussions. We explore the intricacies of decision-making, explore the psychology of leadership, and uncover the traits that set exceptional leaders apart. Discover how they've overcome obstacles, harnessed their creativity, and created lasting impact in their organizations.

Each episode is expertly crafted to provide actionable takeaways that you can apply to your own professional journey. You'll gain practical tips and strategies to optimize your leadership skills, enhance your business acumen, and drive meaningful results. Whether you're looking to sharpen your marketing strategies, improve your negotiation skills, or cultivate a winning mindset, 'Leaders in Business' has got you covered.

Tune in regularly to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and insights shaping the business landscape. Our host skillfully guides the conversations, drawing out the most valuable lessons from our esteemed guests. Expect engaging dialogues that captivate your attention and leave you inspired to take your own business endeavors to new heights.

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Your hosts, National Director for Scotland, Catherine McWilliam, and Fife & Tayside Committee Chair, Marlene Lowe, guide you through these enlightening discussions.

🎙️🎙️🎙️

If you aspire to be a part of the IoD, visit www.iod.com for more information. Engage with us on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn to share your thoughts on today's episode.

🎵 Music: 'Downtown Delight' and 'Cinematic Emotion' by Joystock.

🕴️ This podcast is managed by The Emerald Agency.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 10 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Information about guest appearances is not available.

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