Your People Are Your Biggest Asset: But Most Businesses Don’t Treat Them That Way
Everyone says people are their biggest asset. Very few businesses are actually structured like that’s true. The reality is that people are often the most valuable part of a business, and at the same time, the least visible from a traditional financial perspective. You cannot capture experience, relationships, trust, or internal knowledge on a balance […]
“I Didn’t Understand the AI” Is Not a Defence: Why boards are already accountable for AI risk, whether they like it or not
Artificial intelligence is now embedded across financial services and increasingly across wider mid-tier businesses. It touches credit decisions, customer communications, fraud detection, pricing, marketing, operations and risk management. In many organisations, it is already business-critical. What is striking is how often responsibility for AI is still treated as a technical issue. Something to be owned […]
The Dangers of Being Classed as a Shadow Director
In the ever-evolving world of corporate governance, the role of a company director is clearly outlined and scrutinised. However, there exists a lesser known, yet equally important, concept: the shadow director. Under the Companies Act 2006, individuals who influence the decisions of a company’s board without being formally appointed as directors may find themselves caught […]
Fortify Your Business in January: 8 No‑Nonsense Actions to Avoid a Crisis This Year
January isn’t just another month; for a mid-tier business, it’s a window of opportunity. In my experience advising UK companies in the £1m–£100m range (including plenty of private-equity backed firms), the seeds of a collapse are often sown in the year’s early weeks. Leadership teams charge in with optimism and plans, but under the surface, […]
Resilience Amid Rising Costs: How organisations can protect delivery as payroll pressures mount
Britain’s National Living Wage is confirmed to jump 4.1% to £12.71 per hour in April 2026, pushing labour costs to new heights. National Insurance thresholds have been frozen into 2031 (meaning more of each pay rise is taxed), and a new cap on salary sacrifice tax relief looms, clawing back benefits on employer pension contributions. […]
When “More Marketing” Isn’t the Answer: Recognising the Crisis Within Your Business
In my twenty-plus years as a marketer (six-plus as a Fractional CMO), I’ve often been parachuted in when a business feels stuck. The brief is usually the same: “We need to sell more. Let’s spend more on marketing. Can you fix our brand?” As a Chartered Marketer and Fellow of the CIM, I understand the urge […]
What Surviving a Corporate Collapse Taught Me About Leadership, Clarity, and Starting Again
There is a strange moment that happens in the middle of a corporate collapse. Everything feels like it is happening all at once, yet nothing makes sense. People cling to optimism because the alternative feels too big to confront. Advice splinters, messages conflict, and leaders freeze. And then, sometimes, the business goes under anyway. The […]
Mazur Judgement & Target Operating Models (TOM)
I know, I know… many lawyers are thinking they dislike this insight already. Firstly, because TOM design feels corporate, which I understand can put lawyers off immediately, and secondly, because there is a significant amount of Mazur fatigue for many excellent lawyers who have been affected by the judgment. Lessons from Mazur are wider than […]
Fortify for Growth: Empowering Companies to Scale Safely
The Hidden Risk of Rapid Growth For a mid-sized business on the cusp of rapid expansion, growth is a double-edged sword. The excitement of new markets and surging demand often comes with an undercurrent of anxiety. Will our people and current processes hold up under pressure? Can our culture and cash flow withstand the strain? […]
Why Joseph Mawdsley co-founded Arx Nova
I’ve had the benefit of a diverse career. Utilising a primary skill set rooted in project and programme management allowed me access to a fantastically varied range of industries, from transport and logistics, to the third sector. From property management and construction, to mining in West Africa and Canada. As my career progressed, I earned […]