Scott Challinor

By her own admission, Nailya Belkacemi, founder and chief executive of high-end garment manufacturing studio Plus Samples, began her journey in business back in 2003 without really knowing where it would lead her. Intending to create a temporary workplace to keep busy during her maternity leave that appealed to her own enjoyment, Belkacemi started out with just a pattern cutting table in her home.

Communication is a vital element of running any business, let alone when executives are faced with the prospect of managing a crisis. Speaking to the Leaders Council, Emma Bradley-Bond, founder and managing director of home rehabilitation provider Community Rehabilitation Management [CRM], highlights the importance of communication and close collaboration, while the Commons Public Accounts Committee takes aim at the government for failing to sufficiently plan for the economic impact of a pandemic situation.

In the week where the long-awaited Russia report was finally publicised, the need for leaders to instil a mutual sense of trust has become more relevant than ever. Ruth Badger, the managing director of her own eponymous consultancy service, speaks to the Leaders Council about the need for today’s leaders to establish a culture of trust, while news had emerged from the south coast that the Green Party will take control of Brighton and Hove City Council following the resignation of three Labour councillors, two of which were accused of anti-Semitic behaviour.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected UK business and society as a whole on an unprecedented scale, with firms forced to adapt quickly to the challenges of the pandemic while the government introduced numerous measures to safeguard businesses and employment which have taken their toll on the public purse. James Adams, director at Chiltern Marble Group, discussed how his company had to pivot in order to respond to the crisis, while chancellor Rishi Sunak responded to the latest borrowing figures forced by the pandemic.

As businesses have had to adapt and overcome to meet the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the co-founder and director of one such innovative business, Onsite Technologies, speaks to the Leaders Council about establishing a business “out of necessity” in an ever-evolving sector and juggling that with the challenges of being flexible enough to meet the challenges of Covid-19. Elsewhere, Conservative MP Liam Fox has played down suggestions that Brexit is an important factor in his bid to become the first British director general of the World Trade Organization.

A new report highlighting critical aspects of the global wax blends market has projected a strong five years for the industry.

The UK government’s plans for a fast-track visa system for health workers will not include concessions for care home staff and will have minimum salary thresholds in place which could have a significant impact on recruitment in the industry.

The nature of IncomeMax’s work as a social enterprise means that human-to-human conversations form a central part of its service delivery; helping families access unclaimed benefits to help ease the burden of household bills and debt. While the Covid-19 lockdown has seen a hailing of the powers of digital connections and prompted plenty of reflection about our working practices, IncomeMax founder and managing director Lee Healey stressed that there must still be a place for human-centred services under the new normal.

It is often said that a key part of leadership is pro-activity: in business one must have plans in place to mitigate for any circumstances, particularly in times of crisis. However, it is also said that another key attribute that today’s leaders must have is the capacity to be reactive and take measured decisions when circumstances change with little notice. For Sam Bawa, CEO of human resources company WEPLUI Group Ltd, the key to being effective when having to react as a leader involves following one’s own instinct and taking ownership of personal decisions.

The Guardian reports that the UK housing market is going through a post-Covid-19 lockdown bounce-back, but signs are there according to surveyors and estate agents that any recovery may be short-lived.

Copper Connexions, a Berkshire-based firm which has supported the power generation industry since 2008, has successfully completed its ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 annual audits.

Barking Enterprise Centre has organised an online business forum aimed at helping entrepreneurs prepare for the challenges of the post-Covid-19 world.

Determined not to be fazed by the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, multi-faceted accountancy firm RfM Group has pressed ahead with plans to open a new Manchester office.

Jason Saunders co-founded TS Grale, an executive search and consultancy firm, back in April 2016. Still at the business to date in the role of managing partner, it is fair to say that leadership is no alien notion to him. Discussing his views on leadership further with the Leaders Council of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Saunders opens up on his idea of leadership being a journey to a destination which has various different routes, and outlines six key hallmarks of world-class leadership.

Manchester City Football Club have had their two-year ban from UEFA club competitions overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport [Cas].