Business Series Ep 5: John Gilley | Building Cultures Where People and Performance Thrive

Stephen McDonnell sits down with John Gilley, CEO of Kent, for a raw and inspiring look at leadership and building a culture that scales. From his roots in Cobh, County Cork, to leading billion-dollar projects across Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, John reflects on how Irish values, family influence, and a relentless drive for growth shaped his journey.

He opens up about leading through the chaos of COVID, the loneliness of the CEO role, and the tough lessons learned through Kent’s major acquisitions and cultural transformation. Packed with humility and real-world insight, John shares how to create belonging in fast-growing teams, empower people to lead, and stay grounded while driving global success.

Join us to explore:

• Leading through loneliness (the unseen side of being CEO)
• Why culture comes before strategy in every great business
• Empowering teams by letting go of control
• Building psychological safety that drives real performance
• Balancing ambition with family, values, and wellbeing

The Leadership in Business Series is presented by Live Unbound, a global leader in high-performance coaching, team effectiveness, and culture transformation.

Please email stephen@liveunbound.com if you have any questions about what we discussed today.

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