David Craig is a man who knows a thing or two about leading major organisational change projects, from his background as a partner at McKinsey advising companies on strategy to turning around Thomson Reuters’ largest – but “unloved” – financial and risk division, and spearheading its subsequent separation and reincarnation as Refinitiv.

In his new book, Bluebook: How bold leadership unlocked a $27bn success story, Craig shares lessons from this practical education in transformation, including the importance of taking tough calls early on.

“I wasn't brave enough and certainly not confident enough,” he says, reflecting on his early days at Thomson Reuters where he was charged with heading up the integration of the two companies. “I was still that new McKinsey guy.”

Perhaps it was this reflection that provided the rocket fuel to his plans with Refinitiv. The company launched in October 2018 under the new majority ownership of private equity firm Blackstone.

Ten months later – and a year and a half after the $20bn carveout deal was first struck – Refinitiv’s owners agreed its acquisition by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) for $27bn, marking a $7bn exercise in value creation. LSEG’s purchase closed in January 2021, by which point the financial data and technology platform had been overhauled and its Tradeweb electronic marketplaces business IPOed.

“Something that frustrates me with many organisations is they haven't realised the value of time. It's important to make decisions properly, but it's also important to make them quickly. I see too many organisations bogged down in ponderous decision-making, bureaucracy, and lack of accountability. [With Refinitiv] we really saw the benefit of speeding things up.”

Credits:

Presenter: Antonia Garrett Peel

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: Jenny Hardy

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As of 2026, the UK space industry is a significant and strategic driver of the national economy, contributing over £19 billion in revenue and supporting tens of thousands of high-skilled jobs. Satellite-based services and data underpin roughly 18% of UK GDP, equivalent to approximately £454 billion of the wider economy. And the sector is growing exponentially.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. For the space industry to fully realise its potential it needs more of the right people to understand what’s happening and get involved. People like policy makers, investors, regulators, planners, communicators, lawyers and consultants.

Dr Alice Bunn, the president of UK Space, and her panel of guests, Sam Alden co-CEO of Space Solar, Nick Shave managing director of Astroscale and Anushka Sharma founder of Naaut, discuss the surprising, awe inspiring business of space and make the compelling case for why more companies and investors should get involved.

Contributors:

Host:

Alice Bunn, President of UKspace

Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedIn

UKspace: Overview | LinkedIn

Guests:

Nick Shave, Managing Director of Astroscale

Nick Shave FRAeS | LinkedIn

Astroscale: Overview | LinkedIn

Sam Adlen, CEO of Space Solar

Sam Adlen | LinkedIn

Space Solar: Overview | LinkedIn

Anushka Sharma, founder of Naaut

Anushka Sharma | LinkedIn

Naaut: About | LinkedIn

Key topics covered:

Impact of Space on Everyday Life

• Practical Applications
• Environmental Monitoring
• Global Security

Sustainability and Innovation in Orbit

• Space Debris
• Manufacturing in Microgravity
• Space-Based Solar Power

Economic and Regulatory Landscape

• Cost Reduction
• Investment and Finance
• Regulation and Policy

The Future of Space Exploration

• New Platforms
• Academic Contribution

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Cortney Stapleton, CEO of the Bliss Group, outlines her journey from the non-profit sector to leading the 50-year-old marketing and comm firm, emphasizing a leadership philosophy grounded in intellectual curiosity where employees are given an opportunity to innovate and learn from failure.

In this week's episode, she discusses the firm's proactive response to industry disruption, specifically their co-development of a custom, agentic AI tool designed to generate deep B2B insights while maintaining client security. She also covers her strategies for navigating a polarised media landscape and her role as a co-founder of Exponent Women, an organisation dedicated to empowering women in the deal-making profession.

Credits:

Presenter: Éilis Cronin

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: Jenny Hardy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self confessed "shoe obsessive" Daniel Rubin launched fashion brand Dune London more than 30 years ago. Since then the brand has expanded from a shop on Oxford Street to locations across more than 130 countries.

In this week's episode, Rubin discusses his new book - Sole Survivor: How I Built a Global Shoe Brand, which documents the brand's journey and the leadership lessons he learned along the way. He also dives into the challenges facing the modern day fashion industry.

Credits:

Presenter: Éilis Cronin

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: Jenny Hardy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steph Edusei’s leadership strategy can be encapsulated in two philosophies: “be a little bit naughty” and “push the boundaries”.

This mindset of challenging the status quo, paired with a commitment to compassionate, human-centred leadership, defines her career trajectory from the rigid NHS structure to the caring culture of the charitable hospice sector. Edusei spent almost 20 years in the NHS, where she experienced a culture of immense pressure, constant reorganisation and a sense of being a “small cog in a huge machine”.

Her appointment in 2020 as CEO of St Oswald’s Hospice – a charitable hospice based in the north east – presented a stark contrast.

Credits:

Presenter: Éilis Cronin

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: Jenny Hardy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the world grapples with an ongoing wave of global disruptions, which many have dubbed the “supply chain polycrisis”, automotive distributor Inchcape has been forced to adapt quickly.

CEO Duncan Tait, who took the helm during the Covid pandemic, is putting his more than 30 years of tech experience to good use, steering the almost 180-year-old company through this turbulent period.

On the latest episode of Leadership Lessons, Tait talks leveraging technology, understanding emerging markets, and driving long-term growth for Inchcape.

Credits:

Presenter: Éilis Cronin

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: Jenny Hardy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Visa, Birmingham City Football Club, and Grindr. What do these companies have in common? They're all clients of PR firm Grayling, headed up by CEO Heather Blundell, who will grace the stage as a speaker at this years' Women in Work Summit.

In this week's episode, Blundell reflects on her career trajectory; from a rigorous start at Edelman, which she describes as SAS training, to taking on a managing director role at Weber Shandwick at age 29.

Now leading Grayling, Blundell explains the strategic shifts she's driving, including the launch of Grayling Media, and discusses how the agency’s diverse client base serves as the perfect business case for why DEI is a business necessity, not just a 'tick box exercise'."

Credits:

Presenter: Éilis Cronin

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: Jenny Hardy

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New ideas are the engine of corporate growth, but all too often established businesses find innovation too cumbersome and too distracting from the day job – which means it’s the preserve of nimbler start-ups.

Daniel Aminetzah is a McKinsey consultant on a mission to change that. The global co-leader of McKinsey Business Building wants companies to pursue new revenue streams and act more like start-ups, even in deeply traditional industries.

As he puts it: “We can allow ourselves to unleash our entrepreneurial muscle in many more contexts, including traditional corporates or professional firms. You don’t have to go to a garage and do it with another founder.”

On the latest episode of MT’s Leadership Lessons podcast, Aminetzah explained how he helps firms upgrade their business building capacity. And despite the current macroeconomic uncertainty, he said many are ready to take the plunge.

Credits:

Presenter: Antonia Garrett Peel

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: Jenny Hardy

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