All Points West

Mark Bartlett joined Strix in 2006 as its CEO; leading the company to a successful IPO in 2017, and shaping it into a powerhouse whose products are used more than 1.2 billion times a day in 100+ countries. In this episode of All Points West, Mark shares his journey with Strix, the surprising intricacies of the kettle market, and how this Isle of Man-based company has become an essential part of daily life. Tune in to discover how this unsung hero of a company has managed to make so many remarkable contributions to global safety and convenience. 

Today we sit down with Jennifer Sundberg, co-founder and co-chief executive of Board Intelligence, a pioneering consultancy and technology firm revolutionising boardrooms worldwide. With over a decade of experience, Jennifer and her team have empowered over 3,000 organisations and 40,000 directors, spanning Fortune 500 giants to grassroots charities, to elevate their decision-making prowess.Discover the secrets behind their success as Jennifer discusses the pivotal role of consultants in transforming board dynamics, the essence of collective intelligence, and the insights from her recent co-authored book, "Collective Intelligence: How to Build a Business That's Smarter Than You."

Despite high energy storage levels in the UK, global events have led to less competitive rates - highlighting how distant geopolitical issues can affect UK energy costs. David Mirzai, SP Angel's Director of Equity Research and Energy Sector Specialist, discusses the influence of global politics on UK energy policy and pricing. Drawing from over 15 years of investment banking experience and expertise in petroleum geology, Mr. Mirzai provides valuable insights into recent crises.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Can we trust Artificial Intelligence?Recently, siMa.ai, a leading edge computing chip firm, secured $70 million in funding, with significant backing from Dell, underscoring the growing investment in AI and edge computing technologies. While AI chatbots continue to evolve at an accelerated pace, advancements in algorithms are driving faster performance, shaping how we interact with technology. At OcaiPipe, Eric Topham and his team are committed to delivering trustworthy AI solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT).Eric Topham is a 'sporty geek' who is operating at the cutting edge of the high tech world of AI and edge computing. The founder and chief executive of OctaiPipe, the start up British tech firm, has developed a platform that aims to protect critical infrastructure, such as power plants, by putting AI right at the heart of connected devices. He is super smart, with a PhD from Oxford University, but has a laid back 'work to live' ethos, inherited from his parents.Episode 16 of the All Points West Podcast hears why the adventurous divemaster has, so far, eschewed the well trodden 'tech bro' path to Silicon Valley and why he believes AI presents more potential opportunities than risks. Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Jacqueline Daniell enjoyed a nomadic childhood. By the time the Crimson Tide chief executive was 11 she had lived in seven different counties of England, due to her builder father's entrepreneurial knack of doing up and building homes and selling them for a profit. Episode 15 of the All Points West Podcast explores how her father's love of building and new technology (he had a Pulsar digital watch in the 70s) has influenced her own career path through architecture, regeneration and town planning to become the boss of an Aim-listed AI software company.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Judith MacKenzie has a 'death wish'... she is an eventer. It means that most weekends she can be found in her Land Rover, towing a horsebox around the country to compete at equestrian events. It's not a surprise to discover that the head of Downing Fund Managers is a gritty competitor who enjoys a challenge. Judith credits her 'Scottish Presbyterian work ethic', handed down from her small business owning parents, for her attitude to hard work and desire to dig into the details of the Aim-listed firms she invests in.Episode 14 of the All Points West Podcast takes us on a journey from the Northern Highlands, where Judith grew up, to spotting the hidden gems listed on Aim... with a little help from the spreadsheets, management meetings and factory visits. Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

In the '90s, Stuart Neal played guitar in a band with his friends. The allure of gigging in smoky pubs around the country eventually succumbed to the more sedate attractions of family life and a burgeoning business career. Rock n Roll's loss was finance's gain, as the chief executive of Boku, the Aim-listed payments firm, set off on a wild career ride that took him from Virgin Media to a Silicon Valley start-up.Episode 13 of the All Points West Podcast hears why the guitar strumming, oil painting executive believes his fast-growing financial payments firm has the potential to go all the way to the FTSE100.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Steve Bassi's first job enabled him to get up to "teen mischief" on the computer systems of local businesses in the Californian farming town where he grew up. It proved to be just the start he needed to break into the world of cyber security, where the chief executive of Narf Industries is an expert in developing software that can detect threats and defend complex commercial and military computer networks from hackers.Episode 12 of the All Points West Podcast takes us on a journey from Steve's humble farming roots, through the Naval Research Laboratory and top secret US defence projects, his passion for Muay Thai kickboxing and listing Narf on the London Stock Exchange.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

When Sam Smith first entered the City at age 18 on the London Commodity Exchange she was one of only two women on a trading floor full of men, who would wolf whistle and had pictures of naked women on their cubicle walls. At 33, Sam became the first ever woman to run a stockbroking company, when she founded finnCap Group (now Cavendish). Her career in the City was defined by a drive to put inclusion and female entrepreneurship at the heart of the company's success.Episode 11 of the All Points West Podcast discovers why she stepped down as CEO of finnCap  in 2022, her thoughts on how group think is holding back some City firms and why her favourite hobby is ... reading about entrepreneurship.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Much of James Ashton's life has been about telling better stories - as a journalist, author, book prize founder, non-executive director and now chief executive of the Quoted Companies Alliance, the small and medium-sized company lobbying group. Episode 10 of the All Points West Podcast hears how a boy from West Yorkshire cut his journalistic teeth on local hospital radio before rising to the heights of The Sunday Times, Evening Standard and eventually landing in the hot seat of a City lobbying group, where he aims to tell a more compelling story about the issues that really matter to smaller listed companies.All Points West will return in January, 2024 - we wish all our listeners a wonderful holiday break and a happy New Year!Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Neil Stevens and Matt Timmins are a rarity in the business world. Not only are they co-chief executive of Fintel, the AIM-listed financial technology firm, they are also lifelong friends. Episode 9 of the All Points West podcast tells the unlikely story of how two childhood friends, who grew up on the same cul-de-sac in Staffordshire and went to the same school, ended up at the same company sharing the top job. Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Quinton van der Burgh is one of South Africa’s leading mining investors and entrepreneurs. His investment firm, Q Global Commodities, is one of Africa’s largest privately-owned commodity, logistics and investment houses, which has just taken a stake in NEO Energy Metals, the London-listed uranium miner.He enjoys a pretty glamorous, jet-set lifestyle – but it wasn't always this way. Quinton was brought up in a tough mining town near Johannesburg, where he worked long weekend hours during in his father's small chain of supermarkets. Episode 8 of the All Points West Podcast hears how Quinton was kicked out of school several times for selling stickers to schoolmates, and how that entrepreneurial spirit, mixed with hard work and a good eye for detail has helped him reach the top.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

From the shop floor to the boardroom, Dr. Andy Palmer has had a career not many executives can claim. As the former CEO of Aston Martin and the current CEO of Pod Point – one of the UK's leading providers of EV charging solutions – he has centred his life around cars. Dr. Palmer is a leading voice for the move to net-zero, and a philanthropist devoted to giving underprivileged kids the same opportunities that he had.Episode 7 of the All Points West podcast takes a look at how one of the UK's most legendary automotive executives stays poised to change the world.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Ryan Mee is the son of a carpenter who grew up in south Birmingham. His working class roots taught him about the value of money... it also taught him how to make it. The Fulcrum Metals chief executive has come a long way since then - he is now an experienced private investor, turned entrepreneur. It may be premature to say Mee has the 'Midas touch', but he has just landed a deal to buy Tully, a gold project in Canada that he believes could be transformational for his Aim-listed exploration company. Episode 6 of the All Points West Podcast takes us inside the rationale for the Tully deal, while Mee also takes aim at some fellow exploration company directors who are 'coasting' just to keep their salaries rolling in.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Steve Quah started his own agency at 21 and is now planning events for the likes of YouTube and The Wall Street Journal. Balancing creativity with a talent for computer science and maths, the Aeorema Communications CEO credits his success to a strong work ethic and his team-focused management style. Episode 5 of the All Points West podcast takes a look at what it means to run a profitable creative services company, how to successfully open a remote office during a pandemic, and why motorcycle maintenance is every bit as relaxing as meditation. Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Ian Foley was one of those kids who would take stuff apart in order to figure out how it worked. His curiosity has served him well. Today, the Equipmake founder and managing director oversees a business that dismantles double decker buses to replace old diesel powered engines with its electric powertrain.Episode 4 of The All Points West Podcast gives you the low down on Ian’s journey from his childhood in Liverpool, to the dizzy heights of Formula One and the iconic Routemaster bus.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Chairman and CEO of zircon producer PYX Resources Oliver Hasler has taken an unconventional route to the top. He grew up in Mexico City from the age of 6, and at 22 he was an officer in the Swiss Army. Episode 3 of the All Points West Podcast will discover what that taught the PYX Resources chief executive about leadership and how his early life as an 'international foreigner' has shaped him. Hasler's passion for transforming companies has taken him all over the world, in a career that spans the tableware, food and drink, finance and mining sectors. Find out what makes Hasler tick and why he believes he can make a difference at PYX.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Episode 2 of the All Points West podcast takes us on Russell Fryer's journey, from his childhood in apartheid South Africa to the City of London... including the story of how dinner with a former director of the CIA inspired him to set up Critical Metals, plc. As the executive director of the Aim-listed strategic metals investment company, Russell has certainly had an interesting and varied 28-year career in the mining and financial sectors.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

The heartbeat of our economy comes from the many thousands of small and medium sized companies in every community across Great Britain. The collective market value of UK-listed small and medium sized businesses is nearly £400bn.  Despite their importance to the health of the British economy, these smaller businesses rarely get the attention or credit they deserve.Former Sunday Times business journalist, Karl West, will shine a light on the issues, triumphs and tribulations faced by the entrepreneurs and management teams in the SME space in the All Points West podcast. We’ll also learn more about how these leaders got their start and the stories behind their success. Karl kicks off the first season of the All Points West podcast with Stefan Bernstein, CEO of Greenland-based graphite exploration company, GreenRoc Mining. Stefan has extensive natural resources experience and a passion for the country. Find out more about the company's unique Amitsoq graphite project, and why Stefan is uniquely positioned to guide GreenRoc into production. Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research. 

Meet business leaders from some of the most innovative and influential small and mid-cap UK-listed companies. Hosted by former Sunday Times business journalist Karl West, the All Points West podcast aims to learn more about how these entrepreneurs got their start, and uncover the stories behind their success.Nothing in this podcast is intended as investment advice and the people in this podcast may hold positions in the stocks they talk about. Do not buy anything based solely on a tip or recommendation. Please do your own research.