Keeping Strategy Simple

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For Gavin Slark, CEO of SIG, keeping strategy simple, flexible, and people-driven is key to building a business that can thrive across geographies and adapt to change. Leading a multinational distribution company, he believes that when strategy is clear and straightforward, it empowers teams at every level to align around a common purpose. His approach is clear: keeping things simple increases the chances of successful delivery.

SIG is a leading European supplier of specialist insulation and sustainable building products, with 7,000+ colleagues, 440 branches, and operations across six countries. The business connects over 75,000 customers with expert products and solutions, playing a vital role in making construction supply chains more efficient and sustainable. While each business has its own local identity, they are united by a shared culture and ambition to be the best provider for their customers. Gavin joined SIG in 2023, bringing over two decades of leadership experience, including 11 years as CEO of Grafton Group. With extensive experience in the same industry, he recognised an opportunity for himself to guide SIG through its next phase of growth.

In the episode, Gavin shares how SIG approaches strategy as an evolving conversation – one that’s shaped by local insight, guided by common sense, and driven by people on the ground. The conversation also explores SIG’s approach to growth through M&A, its ambitions around sustainability, and the operational realities of decarbonising a large distribution business. Gavin also offers insight into what authentic leadership looks like in a multinational context, and why creating an environment where people can develop and be themselves is central to delivering both purpose and performance.

Gavin Slark

Growing Sustainably Without Sacrificing Culture

For Karl Jansen, Freeths’ National Managing Partner, listening and collaboration aren’t just good leadership practices – they’re essential to ensuring the firm grows harmoniously with its values. Over the past 30-plus years, Karl has been a driving force, helping to evolve Freeths from a small, regional law firm into the leading full-service business it is today. Powered by its 1,200 colleagues in 13 offices, and known for being firm that lives and breathes its brand values – evidenced by its status as the UK’s largest B Corp law firm – Freeths is focused on growth – but growth that doesn’t come at the expense of its culture, ethics or purpose.

Under Karl’s leadership, Freeths has flourished, not only in financial performance, but in culture, reach and reputation. Recognised in The Lawyer Hot 100 in 2024, he believes in working with people, giving his intelligent, driven colleagues the opportunity to have their say and role in shaping the firm’s ongoing development.

In this episode, Karl shares how Freeths has approached its next strategic chapter, following the successful delivery of its 2020-25 plan. He talks about the importance of sustainable growth, choosing the right opportunities, and the value of alignment in both internal culture and client relationships. The conversation also explores Freeths’ work on high-impact cases like the Post Office Horizon Scandal, the firm’s approach to innovation and AI, and why its people-centric culture remains a powerful differentiator in an increasingly competitive legal market.

Karl Jansen

In Healthcare, It's All About Trust

For Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, CEO of Patients Know Best (PKB), success in healthcare isn’t just about innovation – it’s about trust. Mohammad first appeared on The Purposeful Strategist in 2024, where he shared the groundbreaking work PKB was doing to put patients in control of their own health records. At that time, PKB had 3.8 million users, and Mohammad discussed the company’s ambitious plans to expand its reach and impact. Now, returning to the podcast, he reflects on the significant progress made since then, having scaled to 5 million registered patients and secured £6 million in funding to accelerate both their UK and international growth.

Since founding PKB, Mohammad has championed the belief that personal health records should belong to the patient, not institutions. While the idea is widely accepted, systemic barriers remain – organisations often prioritise control over collaboration, and as governments hesitate to enforce, AI lacks the data needed to drive healthcare improvements. Now the world’s largest patient-controlled health record platform, PKB is proving that transformation can happen and benefits everyone. Mohammad believes in partnering with other innovators to ensure patients can access, understand, and use their health data in meaningful ways. By advocating for patient-led data as a necessity rather than an option, PKB is redefining how healthcare systems function – empowering individuals to take control of their health and ultimately improve their own outcomes.

In this episode, Mohammad discusses the urgency of patient-controlled records, why AI in healthcare is stalling, and how PKB is overcoming barriers to scale globally. He shares insights into how governments can move from intention to implementation, what it takes to scale a purpose-driven company internationally, and why sustainable growth requires both commercial success and patient trust. He also offers advice for other leaders on balancing purpose with business realities, the power of partnerships, and why clarity of mission is essential as organisations grow.

Mohammad Al-Ubaydli

Bridging the Chasm of Northern Ambition and Prosperity

What if Northern businesses joined forces to unlock the region’s full potential? For Robert White, founder of True North, networks that facilitate collaboration and support could be the catalyst for this movement. The North has no shortage of ambition or innovation, yet a persistent disparity in productivity and prosperity remains. True North was founded to address this – connecting purpose-led organisations, fostering collaboration, and turning shared insights into meaningful action.

Launched in 2023, True North empowers businesses in the North to work together to unlock their full potential. Now connecting 408 purpose-led organisations, from privately owned, owner-managed businesses to social enterprises, the network amplifies the collective impact of these businesses. The goal is simple: create a platform for innovation, ensure these businesses have a voice, and provide a support network to help them succeed and scale their impact across the region.

In a previous episode, we spoke with Nik White, Managing Partner at Brabners, who shared insights into the firm’s approach to purpose-led business. Now, Robert White, CEO of Brabners and the driving force behind True North, joins us to dive deeper into the network he founded to unite purpose-driven businesses across the North of England. His passion for fostering collaboration between businesses shines through in True North, which he believes is the key to tackling the region’s long-standing challenges.

In this episode, Robert discusses why businesses can no longer wait for top-down solutions and how creating a connected, purpose-led community is key to achieving practical solutions. He shares how True North is empowering businesses to overcome the North’s productivity challenge, creating a platform for positive, meaningful change. He also explores how regional clusters and inter-business collaboration can drive innovation, why small, purpose-driven businesses are crucial to the region’s economic transformation, and how initiatives like Northern Stars are challenging outdated stereotypes about Northern enterprise.

Robert White

Fuelling Growth with Purpose: The Cycle of Success

Can purpose drive a firm’s growth and success? In 2022, Mike Scott, Senior Partner at Cripps, first appeared on The Purposeful Strategist, discussing how Cripps aligned its purpose with business strategy. In this episode, Mike returns, joined by James Beatton, Managing Partner at Cripps, to reflect on the progress of their five-year strategy, how their purpose continues to fuel growth, and the culture they have managed to maintain.

Cripps is a leading UK law firm, ranked among the top 100, with over 500 lawyers and B Corp certification. Their reputation for delivering exceptional legal services while staying true to their values has been key to their success. Cripps’ mission to ‘be the difference’ has shaped their culture and strategy, leading to continuous growth and a meaningful impact on clients, communities, and the planet. In 2024, the success of their purpose-driven approach was recognised with the title of Independent Law Firm of the Year.

In this episode, Mike and James discuss how aligning values with business decisions shapes client experiences and drives profitability. This cycle of growth and purpose enables Cripps to reinvest in purpose-driven initiatives, creating a cycle where success fuels further impact. They also explore how purpose alignment has been key in Cripps’ successful mergers, with shared values and cultural synergy driving seamless integrations. The conversation extends to the evolving role of technology in the legal industry, examining how AI and automation streamline processes, reduce administrative burdens, and empower teams to focus more on building meaningful client relationships.

Mike Scott and James Beatton

Balancing Long-Term Purpose with Short-Term Business Needs

Sara Bailey first appeared on The Purposeful Strategist in 2023, sharing the ambitious changes Trowers & Hamlins was undertaking and her drive to improve social mobility in the legal profession. Now, returning to the podcast, she reflects on the progress of those plans – what’s worked, what’s been challenging, and how she ensures long-term purpose isn’t lost in short-term demands. With over 30 years of experience in complex real estate and regeneration projects, she has played a key role in shaping the firm’s strategy and leadership. As Senior Partner, she continues to embed purpose and values into the firm’s long-term vision, ensuring they remain actionable day-to-day.

Trowers & Hamlins is an international law firm known for providing commercial advice that helps businesses and governments tackle future challenges. Established in 1777, the firm has evolved through multiple identity changes and mergers, now operating globally with offices in Dubai, Malaysia, and Singapore. As a people-driven business, its purpose centres on delivering innovative solutions for clients while maintaining a commitment to collaboration, culture, and responsible business.

In an era where businesses face pressure to cut costs and drive efficiency, true growth requires more than financial targets – it demands space for people to innovate, develop, and lead. But in a fast-paced environment, where immediate priorities often take over, how can leaders ensure that big-picture goals, like embedding purpose, driving innovation, and fostering inclusion, don’t get lost in the urgency of the present?

In this episode, Sara reflects on the progress of the firm’s transformation plans, sharing insights into their 2030 strategy and the steps they’re taking to embed purpose at the heart of their growth. She discusses how she balances long-term ambitions with short-term business realities, fosters an inclusive culture, and leads with empathy while ensuring commercial success. Sara also touches on the role of AI in law, the importance of their equal-sharing model in strengthening collaboration, and why having a trusted advisor outside the firm has been essential to her leadership journey. Alongside her work, she speaks candidly about her personal mission to improve social mobility in the legal profession, why progress has been slow, and how she hopes to drive real impact in the years ahead.

Sara Bailey

Law Firm Finds Its True North

In business, you get the behaviours you reward, says Nik White, Managing Partner at Brabners, a leading UK independent law firm. That’s why the firm has built its values into the criteria for promotion and reward.

Making the firm’s purpose and values explicit has helped Brabners recruit the right people and manage the dynamics in the partner group. The effort has also helped maintain the unique Brabners culture as the firm grows.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Nik discusses the firm's commitment to community engagement, the significance of B Corp certification, and the need for authenticity in purpose and strategy.

Listen to the conversation, and let us know what you think in the comments.  

Nik White

Building Trust in Health Research

The Health Research Authority (HSA) was established in 2011 with the core purpose of protecting and promoting the interests of patients and the public in health and social care research. For the past three years the HSA has focused on accelerating the research approval process, and ensuring the right level of diversity and inclusion in clinical trials. As the authority begins to develop its next three-year strategy, we asked Chief Executive Matt Westmore about progress to date, and what the UK needs to do to maintain its competitive position as a research powerhouse.

Our discussion covers the significant advances in health research during the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of public trust in the research process, and how the National Health Service gives the UK a competitive advantage in attracting research projects from around the world.

Listen to the conversation on the latest episode of The Purposeful Strategist.

Matt Westmore