This is the first episode of our Leadership Series, sponsored by PwC, in which we will be diving deep into what it really takes to be a CEO.

Steve Hare is a businessman and CEO of Sage Group PLC, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll tech for small and mid-sized businesses. With over three decades of experience in the industry, Steve shares with Jake and Damian his insights into the business world, including the benefit of being older in business, how to face the challenges of being CEO and the key advice he would give young entrepreneurs.

Prior to Sage, after achieving his career ambition of reaching CFO below the age of 40 (one of the youngest in the FTSE 100), Steve was asked to leave 18 months later. Although this was one of the lowest moments of his career, Steve shares with Jake and Damian the invaluable lessons he took away from this experience. They discuss how to hire good people, the ‘Waiter Test’ and how crucial a “team comes first” culture is.

Thank you to PwC for sponsoring this special CEO Series. PwC’s purpose is to build trust and solve important problems, and their global strategy - The New Equation - is bringing this to life for their clients, people and society. By combining technology with human ingenuity, passion and experience, PwC works with organisations to deliver more intelligent, sustained outcomes.