Simon Says

In Season 2, Episode 6 Simon talks to Nick Wheeler. Nick Wheeler first had the idea for Charles Tyrwhitt shirts - to make the best shirts, using only the finest materials, at great value, with unbeatable service - whilst studying Geography at Bristol University in 1986;. He used his middle names - Charles Tyrwhitt – more anonymous (and better sounding!) than “Nick Wheeler shirts” The first brochure was a one-page leaflet with 8 shirts and 8 ties. The product range has developed from just shirts and ties to suits, shoes and a full casual offering. Today the business is a multi-channel retailer and a leading British brand. The company grew rapidly to sales of £220M in 2018, but then hit Covid… Charles Tyrwhitt’s mission today remains true to Nick’s founding principles - to provide quality and value, and to deliver them to the customer with unrivalled customer service. Nick is also a non-executive director of The White Company. He is married to Chrissie Rucker, founder of the White Company. They have four children and live in Oxfordshire. Nick was awarded an OBE for services for retail in December 2017.

In season 2, episode 5, Simon talks to Nick Jenkins. After graduation, Nick spent eight years trading sugar in Moscow for Glencore. In 1998 he returned to the UK to study for an MBA at Cranfield, after which he started Moonpig.com, the personalised greeting card retailer. By 2011 the business had over 5 million customers and Nick sold a majority of his holding to Photobox. Nick now divides his time between the charity sector and investing in early stage businesses which led to him joining the panel of BBC2 Dragons’ Den in 2015 and 2016. He now has a portfolio of 19 angel investments, mostly in ed-tech, med tech and e-commerce.

In Season 2, Episode 4, Simon talks to Stepan Galaev. Stepan Galaev identified the growing demand for portfolio management services in the angel investment community while working on the investment portfolio of renowned UK angel investor – Nick Jenkins. After several years of deep-diving in the venture capital environment, he saw an opportunity to build a multi-family office that would cater to individuals with similar business ethics, and the strong belief that investing in young ventures can deliver both social and economic returns.

In S2 Episode 3, Simon talks to Anne Skare Nielsen. Anne is one of Scandinavia's - in fact the world's leading futurists. With her great interest and knowledge in radical change and transformation of thinking, she is in high demand as a lecturer and provocateur all over the world. You see her very often in the media. Among other things, she has been on DR's popular radio program 'The Philosopher, the Author and the Woman of the Future', and has been a TV host on the program 'NewScience' on TV2 News.

Season 2 trailer by Simon Squibb

In season 2 episode 2, Simon talks to Hugh. Hugh Thomas is the NYC-based CEO and Founder of Ugly Drinks. Ugly is a flavored sparkling water brand, now available in over 15,000 stores globally and with offices in both the UK and US. Ugly believes in an omni-channel approach to business, and has built its business online as well as in traditional retail. Before starting Ugly, Hugh worked at Vita Coco in Europe, leading bra

In season 2, episode 1, Simon talks to William Reeve. William is CEO of fast growth technology business Goodlord, a role he's held since 2018. Alongside this, he's non-Exec Chairman of Nutmeg and non-Exec Director at Dunelm PLC. William is a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded Fletcher Research, LOVEFiLM.com, and Secret Escapes. He is also an experienced angel investor.

In episode 60, Simon talks to Pippa Murray. Pip Murray, 32, is the Founder of Pip & Nut, an award-winning food brand that launched to market in January 2015. Over the last five years, she’s been shaking up the healthy food and drink sector with her range of naturally nutritious nut butters and recently launched nut butter cups. Pip & Nut is now the fastest growing nut butter brand in the UK and is a certified B corporation. As a self-confessed peanut butter addict, Pip had the inspiration for the brand after searching, unsuccessfully, in the supermarkets for a range of peanut butters that were free from palm oil. With no options available, she started making her own natural range of products in her kitchen with her blender, before trailing them at Maltby Street Market. Today Pip & Nut can be found in over 5,500 stores around the UK and Ireland. Her mission for the brand is to help people love food that loves them and break down the perception that choosing a ‘better for you’ option has to feel like a sacrifice. Amongst other accolades, Pip was most recently named in the Evening Standard Progress 1000, London’s Most Influential People 2019 and the ‘Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the Natwest Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

In episode 59, Simon talks to Nick Telson. Nick co-founded DesignMyNight 10 years ago. Coming from a marketing background at L’Oreal, where he launched 2 brands in the UK, he grew DesignMyNight into 8 million views a month website with three ground-breaking B2B hospitality systems with over 15,000 customers. DesignMyNight was acquired by The Access Group in November 2017. He now hosts a top 10 global business podcast, Pitch Deck and has founded a new spin on venture for startups; Horseplay Ventures - a Startup Playground, where he has already invested in 25 startups in the UK and US.

In episode 58, Simon talks to John Elkington, Co-Founder & Chief Pollinator at Volans. John is one of the founders of the global sustainability movement, an experienced advisor to business, and a highly regarded keynote speaker and contributor, from conferences to advisory boards. In 2008, The Evening Standard named John among the ‘1000 Most Influential People’ in London, describing him as “a true green business guru”, and as “an evangelist for corporate social and environmental responsibility long before it was fashionable”. In 2009, a CSR International survey of the Top 100 CSR leaders placed John fourth: after Al Gore, Barack Obama and the late Anita Roddick of the Body Shop, and alongside Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank. John has addressed over 1,000 conferences around the world. He was a faculty member of the World Economic Forum from 2002-2008. He has served on over 70 boards and advisory boards. John has won numerous awards and is the author or co-author of 19 books. The 20th book was published in April: Green Swans: The Coming Boom in Regenerative Capitalism (Fast Company Press).