What does it take to turn things around? With Zak Brown and Pauline Biddle
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
Release Date: 03/25/2025
What will it take to power our AI goals? With Carol Yan and Tom Harris
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
When you imagine the future, is it powered by clean energy or driven by AI? As the UK works towards its net-zero goals, our energy system is being asked to do more than ever before – delivering power that’s cleaner, smarter, and more reliable to support an increasingly digital and connected world The future isn’t just electric – it’s intelligent. Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we live and work, boosting productivity, driving economic growth, and helping to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges. But AI doesn’t run on ideas and data alone – it runs on...
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What’s the secret to better business relationships? With Dr Linda Papadopoulos and Nina Gopal
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
A lot has changed about how we work and do business. But one truth has remained the same – the importance of relationships. We’ve all felt the benefits of building good business relationships; successful projects, faster progress, confident decisions, career opportunities and meaningful support. We’ve probably all felt the effects of less-good relationships too; stilted results, miscommunication, lack of trust and a lot of frustration. Whether it’s the long-standing client who just introduced a new leader, the potential client who isn’t really looking to...
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What if our next decision makers aren't human? With Professor Richard Susskind CBE and Stacey Winters
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
We’re used to using technology to help us make decisions. We research, we report and we act. But are we ready to let technology make those decisions by itself? Generative AI has already changed the way we work - helping us write, code, and create in ways that once felt impossible. But now, we’re moving one step further into a world where technology doesn’t just suggest or report – it learns, reasons and acts. For business leaders, the appeal with Agentic AI is clear: faster growth, higher productivity, greater efficiency. In fact, studies show that 42% have...
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Do we need to think differently about defence? With Rachel Ellehuus and Duncan Farrow-Smith
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
For many of us, defence is invisible. As we go about our everyday lives, we rarely have cause to think about it. And that’s a good thing. It means that the defence sector is doing its job well and preventing threats from becoming incidents that make headlines or change lives. But what that job entails, how it’s best done and the tools that are used to do it is changing. As geopolitical tension and new technology transform the nature of the threats, and how we fight them, defence is becoming more important and more visible for all of us. Defence spending has increased globally...
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What does it take to build trust? With Ed Williams and Shauna Robinson
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
Trust influences everything. It helps shape decisions, drives loyalty, and defines reputation. It’s the foundation of strong leadership, lasting relationships, and long-term success, across all areas of society. But in today’s world, trust is harder to earn – and easier to lose. And at times, it can feel like a balancing act due to shifting values and high expectations. 71% of people say they’re more likely to buy from a brand they trust – and 78% will recommend one. Trust shapes the businesses we choose to work with, buy from and believe in. And with many organisations learning...
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Is it easier to start a sustainable business or to become one? With Rory MacFadyen and David Rakowski
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
We’ve all got a lot savvier about sustainability in recent years. We know the size of the climate challenge facing the planet. And we know that the planet needs more than statements, green logos and commitments to use the printer less to tackle it. As we all make more sustainable choices and changes in our personal lives, we look to the businesses we buy from and work for to do the same. Our expectations are higher than ever before, but are some businesses better placed to meet them than others? That’s what we’re exploring with Rory MacFadyen, co-founder of Reflo, and David Rakowski,...
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How can we put more meaning into our metrics? With David Kennedy and Veronica Poole
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
In a data-driven world, it’s easy to get lost in a maze of metrics. We start by looking for helpful measurements that will allow us to track our progress, set goals and make more informed decisions. But we can quickly lose sight of what we’re tracking and why we’re tracking it. Because it’s easy to collect data – the challenge is knowing how best to use it. So, what needs to happen to ensure metrics aren’t just numbers on a page, but drivers of real change? And how do we use them to give what we say – and do – more meaning and direction? That’s what we’re...
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What’s the best way to build a network? With Isabel Berwick and Kirsty Newman
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
What you know matters, but who you know matters more. That’s not quite how the original saying goes, but perhaps it’s time for an update. Whereas once ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ might have been whispered and accompanied by a raised eyebrow, things have shifted. A strong network doesn’t, or shouldn’t, act as a substitute for our skills. But it can provide us with more opportunities to demonstrate them. According to LinkedIn, 70% of jobs aren’t even advertised on job websites, with 85% of all jobs filled through networking. So, your network,...
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What do we need to learn about learning at work? With Professor Nick van Dam and Heike Dekker-Schäch
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
You learn something new every day. At least, that’s how the saying goes. But it’s not always how the reality goes – particularly when it comes to our work. Even though 84% of us feel like learning adds more purpose to our work, demanding deadlines and overflowing inboxes often stop us from finding time to focus on our own development. But being given the time and space to learn new things can lead to some seriously good things, like new opportunities, career growth and improved mental wellbeing. And what’s good for us, is good for business too. In fact, research shows that...
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How do we turn words into action? With Paul Van Zyl and Piumi Mitchell
The Green Room: Questions That Matter Most In Business
“Well done is better than well said.” You might have heard that famous saying from Benjamin Franklin. And it’s one that reminds us of the importance of action over words. But what does it take exactly? When it comes to solving some of the world’s biggest problems or doing business in a more sustainable and responsible way, there’s no shortage of people talking and theorising. And that’s a good thing. Hearing and learning from others is important. But right now, the world needs more people driving impact as opposed to simply just talking about...
info_outlineSailing a ship is effortless when seas are calm and the wind is blowing in the right direction.
And in business, it’s easier to feel confident and in control when conditions are idyllic, profits are high and growth is steady.
But what do you do when a storm hits? How do you turn things around and not only weather the storm, but emerge stronger?
Turnarounds are challenging - in fact, within business, 70% of them fail. And the weight of expectation can test even the most experienced leaders and teams. So, what can we learn about the mechanics of managing a successful turnaround from the people who’ve done it?
That’s what we’re exploring with Zak Brown, CEO at McLaren Racing, and Pauline Biddle, partner in M&A at Deloitte UK, in this episode of The Green Room as we ask: What does it take to turn things around?
Tune in to find out:
- The essential first step all leaders must take when beginning a turnaround.
- How cultural change affects commercial success – and vice versa.
- Zak’s advice to leaders who find themselves under pressure.
- What kind of mistakes are important to make while turning a business around.
Enjoyed this episode? Check our website for our recommendations to learn more about this topic: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts
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Scope here: scope.org.uk
Guests: Zak Brown, CEO at McLaren Racing, and Pauline Biddle, partner at Deloitte
Hosts: Lizzie Elston and Annie Wong
Original music: Ali Barrett