Performance People David Howden | The Underdog Mindset Behind a Global British Powerhouse
How do you turn three people and a dog into a 23,000-strong global business? For David Howden, Founder and Group CEO of Howden, the answer begins not in a boardroom but in childhood adversity. David lost his father aged seven and watched his family lose their home overnight - a moment that forged lifelong resilience and a hunger to build something of his own.
That experience would power a career in insurance defined by imagination, not paperwork. David explains how he came to see insurance not as a grudge purchase, but as the oil in the engine - or, in his words, the Tesla battery - that enables societies, businesses and individuals to take risks, innovate and grow. Today Howden operates in 56 countries, fuelled by a culture that has employee ownership at the heart of it, puts people first, and which welcomes mistakes as lessons rather than failures.
From empowering teams to build their own businesses to shaping grassroots change through ambitious partnerships across rugby, equine sports and Emirates GBR in SailGP. David talks culture, leadership, risk, global growth and why being the underdog matters. This is the story of an entrepreneur building a business to be proud of, and inviting others to build it with him.
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The Performance People podcast, in partnership with J.P. Morgan Private Bank, talks to high-performers in the world of sport and beyond, to bring defining moments, hard-earned insights and expert advice to everyday performance. New episodes every Tuesday.
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The views and opinions expressed on Performance People are those of the guests and hosts, and do not necessarily represent the views of ainslie + ainslie, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, or any affiliated organisations.
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