Seeing the Possibility at Weightmans

How do you lead a high-performing law firm to grow, evolve, and still stay grounded in its purpose? Sarah Walton, Managing Partner of Weightmans LLP, shares how she’s guiding one of the UK’s leading national law firms through a period of transformation—anchored by its purpose to “see the possibility—for our clients and our colleagues.”

Under Sarah’s leadership, Weightmans has set its sights on becoming a Top 30 firm. Its strategic priorities—culture and people, brand and market positioning, technology, and operational excellence—reflect a vision of growth that aligns empowering people and clients with achieving strong performance. From launching CyExcel, an innovative cyber-services business in the US, to exploring new international opportunities driven by client demand, Weightmans is comfortable doing things differently.

In this conversation, Sarah reflects on what it means to lead with purpose in a fast-changing profession—embracing AI and innovation to create value for clients, nurturing a culture of collaboration and trust, and ensuring the firm’s long-term succession. Her message is clear: in today’s legal landscape, success depends on curiosity, courage, and always seeing the possibility.

Weightmans: https://www.weightmans.com/

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Sarah Walton

Leading Through Change

Richard Corderoy, CEO of The Oakland Group, returns to The Purposeful Strategist at a pivotal moment for the consultancy. Since our last conversation in 2022, Oakland has achieved B Corp certification, secured a place on the UK Government’s G-Cloud 13 framework, been named “Best Consultancy in the UK” by the Best Companies Awards, and, most recently, joined Softcat plc through acquisition.

In this episode, Richard reflects on how Oakland has navigated these major transitions while staying true to its values. He shares why cultural alignment was central to the Softcat acquisition, why they have chosen not to continue with B Corp while maintaining the same principles that are shaping Oakland’s approach to clients and social issues, and why moments of challenge reveal more about leadership than times of smooth growth.

We also explore the evolving role of consultancy in the age of AI, the importance of diverse voices in shaping ethical decisions, and what it takes to prepare the next generation of leaders. At its core, Richard shares how purpose, care, and culture can sustain an organisation through transformation.

The Oakland Group: https://weareoakland.com/

Softcat plc: https://www.softcat.com/

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Richard Corderoy

Rethinking Value: Patients, Properties, and Purpose

What happens when healthcare real estate is designed not just as buildings as property, but as a living system that serves patients, clinicians, and communities? In this joint episode, two leaders bring complementary perspectives to the conversation.

Simon Betty, Head of Europe at Northwest Healthcare REIT, has spent over two decades shaping strategies in real estate, from retail to healthcare. At Northwest, he’s focused on creating community-based facilities that deliver high-quality patient outcomes, taxpayer value, and gold-standard environments for care.

He’s joined by Paul Lambert, Founding Director of Living Work Consulting and author of Alive: Cultivating Living Organizations for Success in a Digital Age. Paul’s work challenges traditional organizational culture, showing how autonomy, purpose, and partnership can unlock better outcomes for both people and businesses.

Together, Simon and Paul explore how healthcare real estate can evolve beyond bricks and mortar. They discuss the shift from hospitals to community-based care, lessons from retail’s digital disruption, and why culture is as critical as capital. From net promoter indicators to tenant partnerships, they reveal how aligning financial, structural, and human needs can reshape the future of healthcare across Europe and beyond.

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Paul Lambert & Simon Betty

Redefining Growth and Inclusion at HaysMac

How do you transform a century-old accountancy firm into a modern, ambitious, and inclusive organisation? Natasha [Tash] Frangos, Managing Partner at HaysMac, shares how she is reshaping one of London’s top 10 audit firms—rebranding the business, sharpening its sector focus, and embedding purpose into its growth strategy. Under her leadership, the firm has grown more than 80%, expanded to Cape Town, and strengthened its multidisciplinary offering.

Having joined HaysMac as a trainee 25 years ago, Tash has a deep appreciation for the firm’s culture of nurturing talent and developing home-grown partners. In this episode, she reflects on how a strategy reset has aligned the firm behind a shared vision, why planning succession and developing skills are vital, and how a revamped brand better reflects the innovative spirit of its people. She also explains why authentic communication and partner accountability are essential to sustaining momentum.

Tash discusses how she embeds diversity, equity, and inclusion into everyday practice—from creating more diverse trainee cohorts to creating forums for open feedback—while encouraging colleagues to seek growth opportunities beyond their day-to-day roles. Reflecting on her own journey, she shares why determination, curiosity, and strong relationships are key to building a purposeful career, and how embracing “butterflies in your stomach” can signal you’re about to learn and grow.

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Natasha Frangos

Funding the Future: Investing in Female Founders

Sarah Turner is the co-founder and CEO of Angel Academe, the UK’s most active network of female angel investors. Since founding the organisation, she’s worked to open up angel investing to more women and channel capital into female-founded tech startups. Now, Sarah has taken a bold next step—launching the UK’s first EIS fund dedicated to female founders.

In this episode, Sarah shares how this new fund could make early-stage capital more accessible, while also creating a pipeline of future women investors. She reflects on the hurdles of today’s tougher economic environment, the red tape that keeps many would-be investors on the sidelines, and the importance of collective intelligence when building and backing a community.

Her conversation ranges from the challenges of investor’s changing behaviour to the real-world impact of innovation—from alternative fertility treatments to new technology preventing injuries. With candour and conviction, Sarah highlights both the risks and the opportunities ahead, and why inclusive investment is critical for the UK’s future growth.

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Sarah Turner

Leading the Net Zero Transition

Mark Horsley, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Gas Networks, returns to share how his organisation is tackling one of the most pressing challenges of our time: building a secure, sustainable, and fair energy future. Serving 6.8 million people across Northern England, NGN has become a leader in the UK’s net-zero transition under Mark’s guidance.

Since our last conversation in 2021, Mark has pushed bold initiatives forward—from investing £25 million in a hydrogen development fund with JCB, to projects like East Coast Hydrogen, part of a wider industry collaboration to secure the UK’s energy resilience.

In this episode, Mark shares why hydrogen remains central to industrial energy, how electrification is reshaping government priorities, and why pragmatism is essential to balancing decarbonisation with affordability. Beyond infrastructure, Mark highlights NGN’s citizen-led accountability model, new consultation panels to engage young people, and training their teams not just in technical skills but also in social listening to better serve vulnerable households.

At the heart of his leadership is a question that continues to drive NGN’s purpose: Can we do more than simply operate a network? For Mark, the answer lies in putting people first—customers, communities, and colleagues—and building an energy system that supports them all.

Supported By Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Mark Horsley

Redefining Mobility for a Sustainable Future

How do you lead a professional body that shapes the systems we all rely on—but rarely notice until they break? Sue Percy, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), returns to The Purposeful Strategist to share how she’s steering the transport sector through transformation—with equity, sustainability, and professional ethics at its core.

Transport networks quietly underpin daily life, yet their moral and strategic choices often go unseen by the public. Precisely because others aren’t paying enough attention, it falls to professionals to lead with foresight—embedding values into decisions that shape how infrastructure is planned, designed, and delivered. Sue reflects on how CIHT is making once-optional aims like EDI and Net Zero into non-negotiable pillars, while holding government accountable and preparing a diverse, future-ready workforce.

Throughout, she makes a compelling case for leadership rooted not just in technical excellence, but in purpose, soft influence, and the courage to say no when initiatives don’t serve the bigger picture.

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Sue Percy

Rethinking AI in Law

What does it take to lead AI strategy in a sector where precision, trust, and human judgement are paramount? Rosie Djurovic, Head of AI at Brabners, is working to answer that question—while ensuring innovation strengthens both client outcomes and the capabilities of the firm.

Since joining Brabners in 2024, Rosie has been driving an ambitious approach that makes becoming an AI enabled law firm one of the firm’s three strategic pillars—alongside being brand-led and client-centred.

Her work starts with first principles thinking: understanding the real problems lawyers and clients face, and ensuring solutions fit within the firm’s broader goals. Sometimes those solutions involve AI, sometimes they don’t—but when they do, she ensures they are introduced at the right time, in the right way, and with the right safeguards.

In this episode, Rosie shares how Brabners is scaling up workforce skills, enhancing evaluation frameworks for AI tools, and exploring possibilities such as generative AI in client portals to improve transparency and service. She also reflects on how innovation can emerge both from within the firm and in response to client expectations.

From resisting AI for AI’s sake to imagining its long-term, transformational potential, Rosie’s leadership is about more than adopting new technology—it’s about redefining what AI can achieve in a people-focused profession.

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Rosie Djurovic