The podcast grew out of a research process and a simple belief. If you want to understand a business, understand the people running it. Each episode is a long conversation about career paths, pivotal moments, leadership lessons and what comes next.
The show began life as A Track Record, the Colebrooke Partners podcast; the earlier episodes below were released under that name.
Nothing in this podcast constitutes investment, tax, legal or other advice; it is for informational purposes only.
Episodes
Midwich Group Plc CEO — ‘The often overlooked importance of people in M&A’
Jack and Sam talk to Stephen Fenby, managing director of Midwich, about how a buy-and-build strategy turned a UK distributor into a global AV business, from the first acquisition to the IPO. What he looks for in a target, why the people matter more than the price, and how the culture survived the growth.
London Metric Property PLC CEO — ‘Andrew Jones: quality investing in real estate’
Sam and Jack talk to Andrew Jones, chief executive of London Metric, about growing up in Wales, coming into property, founding London Metric and the challenges of the financial crisis.
Liverpool Airport CEO — ‘Embracing change and leadership’
Sam and Jack talk to John Irving, chief executive of Liverpool Airport, about growing up in Newcastle, a career in finance and at Procter & Gamble and Newcastle United, the move into aviation, and what the pandemic did to the travel industry. It ends with a round of quick-fire questions.
Oxford Summer Courses — from school to business sale
Sam and Jack talk to Harry Horton and Rob Phipps, who founded Oxford Summer Courses, about starting the business, getting it through the pandemic, and selling it in 2024.
Eurocell CEO — Darren Waters: navigating leadership
Sam and Jack talk to Darren Waters, chief executive of Eurocell, about growing up in Grimsby, a career in the oil and building-materials industries, what he has learned from mergers and acquisitions, and the pandemic.
Naked Wines CEO — Rodrigo Maza: from aspiration to reality
In the first episode, Sam and Jack talk to Rodrigo Maza, chief executive of Naked Wines, about growing up in Mexico City, his path from Grupo Modelo to AB InBev and then Naked Wines, and what he has learned about leading a business. It ends with his advice for young leaders and a quick-fire round.
An introduction to ‘A Track Record’
Jack and Sam explain why ‘A Track Record’ is being launched, who this is for, and what guests we will be bringing onto the show.
More reading: our Founding Statement and why we verify every member.