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Currently the Number 1 Manufacturing Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Mark Bracknall, Founder of Theo James Recruitment is the host of Manufacturing Leaders.
The UK is still a powerhouse in Manufacturing & Engineering. We speak to those who are helping to make those firms a success. By motivating, inspiring and managing teams.
Are you new to management? Are you keen to hear from those who are dealing with the same day-to-day challenges you are facing?
In this podcast we get inside the minds of the Managers in Manufacturing & Engineering, and understand how they get the best our of their teams and make Manufacturing & Engineering great.
124 Episodes
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Send us Fan Mail In the latest episode of the Manufacturing Leaders Podcast, Mark is joined by Malcolm Humble, Managing Director of Arian EMS, who has built his career from the shop floor through to leading a successful electronics manufacturing business. Together, they explore Malcolm’s journey through the manufacturing industry, reflecting on the key moments, challenges, and decisions that shaped his path into leadership. From early hands-on experience to running his own company, Malcolm sh...
Send us Fan Mail In the latest episode of the Manufacturing Leaders Podcast, Mark is joined by Ashleigh McKendrick, founder of The STEM Coach and an experienced chemical engineer turned leadership coach. Together, they explore the often-challenging transition from technical expertise into leadership roles within engineering and STEM. Ashleigh shares her own journey from the oil and gas industry into coaching, highlighting the key moments that shaped her path and the insights she’s gained alon...
Send us Fan Mail What does it take to lead a 172-year-old business in a world that doesn't stand still? In the latest episode of the Manufacturing Leaders Podcast, Mark is joined by Kiran Fothergill, Executive Vice Chairman of the Kipling Group and sixth-generation leader behind Pickering Lifts. Together, they explore the balance between legacy and innovation - and the responsibility that comes with stewarding a historic family business into the future. Kiran reflects on what long-term ...
Send us Fan Mail In this latest episode of the Manufacturing Leaders podcast, Mark welcomes Richard Bradley, CEO of SST Group, to discuss leadership, organisational culture, and the future of the engineering industry. The conversation delves into Richard’s journey of transforming business environments through strategic vision and growth initiatives. Emphasising the significance of values, Richard articulates the vitality of having a shared purpose within the team, highlighting how...
Send us Fan Mail In the latest episode of the Manufacturing Leaders podcast, we’re joined by Mark Greenhouse - a highly experienced manufacturing consultant who’s spent years working hands-on in the industry. Mark’s career spans from high-speed food production to advising factories across a wide range of manufacturing environments. Along the way, he’s built a deep understanding of how factories really work - from improving productivity and efficiency to getting business models and operations ...
Send us Fan Mail In the latest episode of the Manufacturing Leaders podcast, Mark is joined by Krystina Snowden, HR Manager at Blachford, for an honest and insightful conversation about what modern leadership really looks like - and why people-first cultures matter more than ever. Together they explore how leadership has evolved from command-and-control management to creating safe, supportive environments where people are encouraged to grow, learn from mistakes, and ultimately thrive. K...
Send us Fan Mail In the latest episode of the Manufacturing Leaders podcast, we sit down with Gary Sheader, the driving force behind the Manufacturers Alliance, for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, personal growth, and what it really takes to lead in today’s manufacturing world. We dig into why employee engagement matters more than ever, how it directly impacts productivity, and what leaders can do to create environments where people genuinely want to do their best work. Ga...
Send us Fan Mail This week on the Manufacturing Leaders Podcast we welcome Stephen Mitchell, the CEO of SQCDP, a company dedicated to enhancing operational efficiency in manufacturing environments through innovative software solutions. With over 30 years of experience in manufacturing, Stephen has a rich professional history that includes significant leadership roles in well-known corporations, such as Nestlé and Coca-Cola. Throughout his career, he has focused on operational exce...
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore practical leadership that prioritises speed of decision-making, honest risk, and shared accountability - while empowering true experts to lead within their domain. Graham dives into how dual career tracks, early STEM exposure, and well-defined business processes shape stronger teams and deliver better outcomes. We also discuss the importance of development over ego, diversity in STEM, and why manufacturing still faces a marketing gap despite ...
Send us Fan Mail Big news for our community: we’re taking the energy from 100+ conversations and turning it into the Manufacturing Leaders Summit, a purpose-driven day dedicated to real progress in UK manufacturing. On 30 April 2026, we’re gathering at New College Durham to bring together operators, founders, engineers, HR leaders and educators who want solutions that work in the real world. We’re building a programme that blends high-signal talks and hands-on workshops led by speakers with ...
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we share how the 4-day working week went from idea to reality across multiple manufacturing sites. You’ll hear how we trialled the shift with people-first thinking, data-driven decisions, and flexibility at the heart of the process. We cover union conversations, contract changes, phased rollouts, and how we managed customer expectations and key performance indicators. Learn how we tackled fairness across roles and shifts, used overtime wisely, and what we wou...
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Paul Stockhill, Managing Director of Agemaspark, shares insights from his 55-year career in UK manufacturing. A passionate advocate for apprenticeships, Paul believes developing young talent is the key to solving the sector’s skills crisis and he has proven it. Every member of Agemaspark’s senior team started as an apprentice, including those who joined him in a successful management buyout. From 3D metal printing for space stations and Mars rovers to hands-o...
Send us Fan Mail From administrative temp to Head of People at Expanded Metal, Jo Lloyd shares her 12-year journey of transforming leadership in manufacturing. She explains how the industry has shifted from command-and-control management to a people-first approach. In this episode you will learn: Leadership is about guiding with collaboration, not egoEmotional intelligence drives better decisions and stronger teamsHow Expanded Metal moved from hierarchy to collaborationThe importance of diver...
Send us Fan Mail When a manufacturer doubles its workforce in just seven years despite industry-wide skills shortages, you know they’re doing something right. In this episode, Lorinda Lackay, Operations Director at Minicam, shares the strategies that have transformed this Salford-based wastewater inspection systems manufacturer. In this episode you will learn: How Lorinda’s early passion for engineering inspired a focus on developing young talentWhy diversity across nationalities fuels innova...
Send us Fan Mail Dinosaur leather, lab-grown meat, and replacement corneas might sound like science fiction, but they’re happening now in Newcastle at 3D BioTissues. Adam Crosby, Director of Operations, shares how this Newcastle University spin-out is developing groundbreaking biological materials. In this episode you will learn: How 3D BioTissues produces pure biological materials without scaffoldingThe creation of dinosaur leather, lab-grown meat, and lab-grown corneasHow servant leadership...
Send us Fan Mail Razan Alsous shares her journey from fleeing conflict in Syria to founding Yorkshire Dama Cheese, now one of the UK’s most celebrated artisan cheese brands. In this episode you will learn: How Razan started the business with just £2,500 and repurposed equipmentHow she identified a gap in the market for fresh, locally made halloumiHow Yorkshire Dama has won over 65 awards, including at the World Cheese AwardsHow the brand supplies Michelin-starred restaurants and top farm shop...
Send us Fan Mail Declan Middleton, Engineering Manager at Perry Process Equipment, shares his journey from reluctant work experience student to respected leader and details how one summer placement changed his career trajectory forever. In this episode: 🎮 Declan wanted to be a journalist, until his dad made him try engineering work experience instead. 👷♂️ From apprentice to Engineering Manager, now leading and mentoring his own team. 🚀 Encouraging young engineers to take risks, fail fast, ...
Send us Fan Mail Matthew Pemrick, Managing Director of Cicor, shares his journey from apprentice to business leader and how endurance sports like Ironman have shaped his approach to resilient leadership. In this episode you will learn: How Matthew progressed from factory apprentice to MD and the lessons he learned along the wayHow endurance sports shaped his mental toughness and business resilienceHow to build inclusive teams by hiring the best, not by quotasHow a people-first culture of visi...
Send us Fan Mail Peter Cottle, Head of Supply Chain at Walker Filtration, shares insights on leadership and innovation in modern supply chains. In this episode you will learn: How accountability, emotional intelligence, and trust form the foundation of strong leadershipHow resilience is built through data visibility, early warning systems, and smart technologyHow sustainability and mentorship attract talent and create long-term valueHow purpose-driven strategies reshape supply chains to be fu...
Send us Fan Mail Daniel Stanway, transformational business coach and former manufacturing leader, shares how real change begins with identity, mindset, and trust. Learn how to create a culture where people don’t just comply, they commit. In this episode you will learn: Why identity-based motivation outperforms traditional incentivesThe importance of psychological safety in driving continuous improvementHow to lead with values rather than just metrics or processesHow to make change stick by al...
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