Fastest 50 – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to The Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Podcast, where we sit down with entrepreneurs and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of growth in the UK and beyond.

In this episode, hosts Alistair McDonald and Lesley Fairclough are joined by Mark Thompson, Managing Director of Ryder Architecture, to discuss how to scale without compromising your values or culture

If you’re leading growth (or about to), you’ll get practical insight on:

1. How to step into change and set a clear strategic direction
2. How a clear strategic framework and annual planning keep the team aligned as the business scales
3. How to expand into new markets while protecting standards, culture and momentum
4. How moving to an Employee Ownership Trust changes decision making, accountability and long-term resilience

From Newcastle to London, Hong Kong and Vancouver, Mark shares the thinking behind Ryder’s growth and the leadership habits and support that keep it sustainable.

To find out more about Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 and how we support growing businesses, visit www.wardhadaway.com

Connect with Alistair:

Website: https://www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/

Connect with Lesley:

Website: https://www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/lesley-fairclough/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-fairclough-0795295/

Connect with Mark:

Ryder Architecture: https://www.ryderarchitecture.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-thompson-8a6a8319/

Welcome to The Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Podcast, where we sit down with entrepreneurs and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of growth in the UK and beyond.

Host Alistair McDonald is joined by Raman Sehgal, founder of ramarketing and Lead Candidate, to discuss scaling at pace and taking a North East based business into international markets.

If you’re building or leading growth, you’ll hear practical insight on:

1. How to cope when scaling exposes cracks in people, process and systems, especially when growth arrives faster than you planned for
2. How to approach international expansion
3. How to identify and use advisors properly as you scale
4. How to think about deals and investment, including what it means to sell a stake and bring in private equity backing

To find out more about Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 and how we support growing businesses, visit www.wardhadaway.com

Connect with Alistair:

Website: https://www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/

Connect with Raman:

Website: https://www.ramansehgal.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramansehgalus/

ramarketing: https://www.ramarketingpr.com/

Lead Candidate: https://www.leadcandidate.com/who-we-are

Welcome to the Fastest 50 Podcast, brought to you by Top 100 UK law firm Ward Hadaway. Throughout the series, we will be sitting down with entrepreneurs and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of growth in the UK and beyond.

Find out more about the Fastest 50 Podcast: https://www.wardhadaway.com/what-we-do/businesses/fastest-50/the-fastest-50-podcast/

Find out more about Ward Hadaway: www.wardhadaway.com

Find out more about the Fastest 50 Awards: www.wardhadaway.com/what-we-do/businesses/fastest-50

Welcome to The Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Podcast, where we sit down with entrepreneurs and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of growth in the UK and beyond.

Host Alistair McDonald is joined by co-host Jamie Gamble and Tom Lawson, Chief Executive of Opencast, to discuss scaling a people-first technology consultancy from the North East into a national business.

Since becoming Chief Executive in 2020, Tom has led Opencast through a period of rapid growth, expanding the business from around 80 people to more than 500 colleagues across the UK.

In this episode, he shares how culture, purpose and a strong focus on people have supported that growth, and why the North East continues to be an important base for building successful technology businesses.

If you’re building or leading growth, you’ll hear practical insight on:

1. How to scale a business while keeping culture, purpose and people at the centre
2. How to build the right team and leadership capability as a business grows
3. How to create clarity of purpose and stay focused as markets and priorities change
4. How external advisors, peer networks and support systems can help leaders manage growth
5. How to think about long term growth in a fast-moving technology market, including the impact of AI

To find out more about Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 and how we support growing businesses, visit www.wardhadaway.com

Connect with Alistair:

Website: www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/

Connect with Jamie:

Website: www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/jamie-gamble

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-gamble-719a5416/

Connect with Tom:

Website: opencastsoftware.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/t0mlaws0n/