The Purposeful Strategist – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Lindsey MacDonald, CEO of Magic Breakfast — a national charity working to ensure children at risk of hunger start the school day with a nutritious breakfast, ready to learn and thrive. What began more than two decades ago with bagels delivered from the boot of a car now supports over 350,000 children and young people across 1,000+ schools in England and Scotland, combining direct provision with advocacy to tackle child morning hunger at scale.

Lindsey explains how Magic Breakfast is navigating a pivotal policy moment, as government moves toward universal school breakfast provision. She reflects on the organisation’s dual role — delivering food while shaping the systems that will ultimately sustain access — and why the “magic” lies not just in nutrition, but in belonging, wellbeing, and school community. From operational innovations like the Magic Menu to the charity’s long-term Nourishing Futures strategy, she shares how the organisation is evolving to meet growing demand without losing focus.

In their conversation, they explore:

• How breakfast provision impacts attainment, wellbeing, and whole-school outcomes.

• The shift from “schools can” to “schools must” — and what it means in practice.

• Why stigma-free, universal access is critical to success.

• How Magic Breakfast is balancing delivery, research, and advocacy.

• What it takes to scale impact while systems — and organisations — evolve.

Magic Breakfast

MenKus & Associates

Supported by Norman Broadbent

Belden Menkus is the Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, a London-based advisory firm working with CEOs and senior teams to align strategy with purpose. Drawing on decades of experience in strategy consulting, leadership, and organisational transformation, he helps mid-sized firms—particularly law firms and membership bodies—tackle complex decisions and unlock long-term value.

Belden hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a podcast exploring how business leaders bring purpose into strategic action. His work is marked by intellectual clarity, a collaborative approach, and a commitment to practical results. A strategic thinker with wide intellectual range, blending business acumen with curiosity and cultural literacy. He brings a distinct mix of consultant, historian, and explorer of ideas.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Marina Stenos, Managing Partner of FINN Partners’ Global Education Practice. Marina has spent her career working at the intersection of education, public affairs, and strategic communications—supporting foundations, school systems, universities, philanthropies, and education organisations as they navigate complexity, reform, and change.

Marina shares how education clients can modernise without losing the trust or expertise of the people they exist to serve. Drawing on work ranging from the updating of US science standards to advising education providers and institutions around the world, she reflects on why large-scale change requires disciplined communication, protection of process, and deep respect for educators and communities. She describes why access to learning remains one of the most powerful levers for human potential and how storytelling and representation shape how we see ourselves.

In their conversation, they explore:

• Why education is a system built on trust and how that trust can be protected during change.

• What “protecting the process” means in large-scale, high-stakes education reform.

• Why alternative pathways and lifelong learning are reshaping what it means to be educated.

• How AI and misinformation are changing the role of communication in education.

• Why education remains one of the most important drivers of social and economic mobility.

FINN Partners

MenKus & Associates

Supported by Norman Broadbent

Belden Menkus, Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, works with CEOs and senior leaders to align their strategy and purpose. Working with organisations where leadership is shared rather than centralised, Belden's work is defined by intellectual clarity, collaboration, and a commitment to practical results. Drawing on his experience at McKinsey & Company and decades spent advising complex organisations, he supports mid-sized institutions—particularly law firms and membership bodies—as they navigate strategic inflexion points and build enduring value during periods of uncertainty.

He is a public speaker and strategic thinker with a wide intellectual range, bringing together business insight, historical perspective, and cultural curiosity—combining the instincts of a consultant with those of a historian and an explorer of ideas. In addition to consulting, he hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a weekly podcast discussing how business leaders themselves bring purpose into real strategic action.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Anthony Osijo, CEO of Bboxx, a data-driven super platform that transforms access to essential services across Africa. From clean energy and cooking to e-mobility and smartphones, Bboxx connects millions of people to the infrastructure that powers opportunity and improves quality of life.

Since joining in 2022 to lead the company through a strategic reset, Anthony has guided Bboxx into a new phase of sustainable growth—expanding across multiple African markets, strengthening partnerships with governments and investors, and embedding advanced technology and AI into its operations. Drawing on over two decades in global finance, he shares how commercial discipline and purpose can work hand in hand to create scalable impact.

In their conversation, they explore:
• How Bboxx’s “super platform” model integrates technology, finance, and community partnerships.
• Why bridging the gap between impact, change, and financing is essential for lasting development.
• The importance of structuring purpose-driven ventures for financial sustainability.
• How subsidies and partnerships with governments in Nigeria and Rwanda are expanding access.
• The multiplier effects of energy access—from education to agriculture and healthcare.
• Why Anthony believes in creating “impact credits” for saving lives.
• How redefining what success looks like can unlock new models of growth and inclusion.

Find more about Bboxx here: https://www.bboxx.com/

MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Belden Menkus is the Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, a London-based advisory firm working with CEOs and senior teams to align strategy with purpose. Drawing on decades of experience in strategy consulting, leadership, and organisational transformation, he helps mid-sized firms—particularly law firms and membership bodies—tackle complex decisions and unlock long-term value.

Belden hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a podcast exploring how business leaders bring purpose into strategic action. His work is marked by intellectual clarity, a collaborative approach, and a commitment to practical results. A strategic thinker with wide intellectual range, blending business acumen with curiosity and cultural literacy. He brings a distinct mix of consultant, historian, and explorer of ideas.

Colin Fyfe, CEO of the Hinkley & Rugby Building Society talks about how they serve customers that can be underrepresented by larger organisations, what external support they had in their work on purpose, and how they demonstrate their purpose – not just talk about it. 

Learn why RYA Chief Executive Sara Sutcliffe is putting inclusion and the environment at the heart of their new strategy. She talks about the journey she and her team went on to develop a fundamentally different strategy that shouldn’t come as a big surprise to their staff and key stakeholders.

In this episode, I’m joined by Stephen Mann, CEO of the IFoA, the Institute and Facility of Actuaries. Steven and I explore why they felt they needed to explicitly define their purpose and the role that newly defined purpose has had in creating connection and change. Please join me for an episode full of provocative points of view and practical advice. 

https://actuaries.org.uk/

linkedin.com/in/stephenajmann

In this episode, I’m very pleased to welcome Sarah Turner, CEO of Angel Academe, the UKs most active and longest-established female-focussed network of angel investors. Sarah describes the problem she wanted to fix, why she chose a business as her platform for doing something with a big philanthropic element, how they contributed to changing the conversation around gender in tech startups and startup funding, and what her long term ambition is. Join me for this informative and practical episode. 

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus is joined by Simon Mitchell, CEO of KERB, a business redefining what it means to grow with purpose in the hospitality industry.

Simon shares how KERB has evolved from a London street food collective into a dynamic ecosystem of food halls, incubators, and partnerships across the UK, US, and Europe. KERB has opened new locations this year in Canada Water, Berlin, and Spitalfields, while strengthening its social impact—donating over £1 million to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds start their own food businesses.

This conversation explores:
• How KERB balances commercial success with social enterprise roots.
• The lessons from international expansion and why no two KERB sites are the same.
• How community and customer feedback guide their next phase of growth.
• Why authenticity and partnership—not solely ‘landlordship’—define KERB’s model.
• New frontiers for impact, from food waste and supply chains to sector-wide advocacy.

Simon offers a candid, forward-looking perspective on how to scale without losing the flavour, community, and fun that make KERB unique.

Learn more about KERB’s story and locations here: https://www.kerbfood.com/

Menkus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Belden Menkus is the Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, a London-based advisory firm working with CEOs and senior teams to align strategy with purpose. Drawing on decades of experience in strategy consulting, leadership, and organisational transformation, he helps mid-sized firms—particularly law firms and membership bodies—tackle complex decisions and unlock long-term value.

Belden hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a podcast exploring how business leaders bring purpose into strategic action. His work is marked by intellectual clarity, a collaborative approach, and a commitment to practical results. A strategic thinker with wide intellectual range, blending business acumen with curiosity and cultural literacy. He brings a distinct mix of consultant, historian, and explorer of ideas.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Sarah Walton, Managing Partner of Weightmans LLP, one of the UK’s leading national law firms. With 1,700 colleagues across ten offices, Weightmans is on a journey from a UK Top 50 to a Top 30 firm—driven by its purpose to “see the possibility—for our clients and our colleagues.”

Sarah shares how she’s leading the firm through growth, innovation, and cultural change while keeping people and purpose at the heart of every decision. For example, they cover the launch of CyExcel, an innovative US-based cyber services business, and Weightmans’ embrace of AI and generative technologies. She discusses how Weightmans is evolving to meet client demand, expand internationally, and stay ahead in a rapidly changing legal landscape.

In their conversation, they explore:
• How “see the possibility” became the firm’s purpose and a guiding lens for strategy.
• Why culture and collaboration sit at the centre of Weightmans’ success.
• How they are using technology and AI to drive both internal efficiency and client innovation.
• The importance of strong leadership teams and long-term succession planning.
• What it means to lead with integrity, trust, and curiosity in today’s profession.

Weightmans’ website: https://www.weightmans.com/

Belden is the founder and Managing Director of MenKus & Associates, a consulting and CEO advisory firm that helps leaders fully activate their organisation’s potential to succeed. MenKus and Associates helps top teams develop purposeful strategies and then turn their intentions into action and results. Their approach is to be a strategic catalyst and thought partner, creating alignment, clarity and action.

Menkus & Associates website: https://www.menkus.com/

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus is joined by Richard Corderoy, CEO of The Oakland Group, a consultancy helping organisations achieve more with their data.

Since Richard’s last appearance in 2022, Oakland has achieved B Corp certification, joined the UK Government’s G-Cloud 13 framework, been named “Best Consultancy in the UK,” and been acquired by Softcat plc. Richard reflects on how the firm has navigated this transformation while keeping purpose and culture at the core.

This conversation explores:
• Why cultural alignment made the Softcat acquisition a natural fit.
• Why Oakland decided to move on from B Corp while still using its principles to shape Oakland’s decisions about clients, culture, and social issues.
• Why moments of challenge reveal more about leadership than smooth growth.
• The role of AI in consultancy and where human connection still creates value.
• What it takes to prepare the next generation of leaders.

Richard offers a candid, values-driven perspective on leading through change and staying true to purpose.

The Oakland Group: https://weareoakland.com/

Belden is the founder and Managing Director of MenKus & Associates, a consulting and CEO advisory firm that helps leaders fully activate their organisation’s potential to succeed. MenKus and Associates helps top teams develop purposeful strategies and then turn their intentions into action and results. Their approach is to be a strategic catalyst and thought partner, creating alignment, clarity and action.

Menkus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/