The Purposeful Strategist

Belden Menkus
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

I want to shift the discussion about organisational purpose from being about what organisations and leaders should do – to take a practical look at what they are doing – and what we can learn from that. We’re going to hear from business leaders across a range of industries how they think about purpose in their organisation - and in business more generally. We’ll explore how they make purpose a building block of their strategy and get their insider tips on the “how” of bringing purpose alive.

  1. 2d ago

    Prove Who You Are: Identity, Displacement, and the 123 Million People Whose Credentials Cannot Cross Borders

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Colin Walsh, founder and Board Chair of Civitas ID, about the foundational struggle for the world's millions of displaced people: the ability to prove their identity across borders, and the infrastructure needed to enable it. Colin's career in financial services, including as CEO of Varo Bank, taught him that some of the most difficult problems of exclusion are upstream of banking access, and lie in proving identity. He is tackling this problem with Civitas through building open-source digital public infrastructure for the roughly 123 million people currently living in a state of forced displacement. In their conversation, they discuss: Why identity is a foundational barrier for displaced people trying to access work, banking, healthcare, and education, and how documentation failures trap people in limbo. The structure of Civitas (a US nonprofit) and Etymos (a public benefit corporation): how the two organizations work together to serve both the public good and the private sector participants, banks, lenders, employers, whose engagement is essential to facilitating inclusion. Why technology is not the only factor: how Colin and his team stress-test ideas directly with displaced communities, why policy reform and advocacy matter as much as technology, and what genuine listening, as opposed to validation-seeking, looks like in practice. Kenya and Colombia as pilot markets, and what the contrast between the two markets reveals about pace, partnership, and the conditions that enable systemic change. Civitas ID: https://www.civitasid.org/ Etymos: https://www.etymosid.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 senior strategic advisory practice that provides strategic clarity for businesses with a public remit, where scrutiny is high, governance is complex, and the answers aren't obvious. His McKinsey training combined with more than 30 years working at Board and ExCo level gives him both the analytical rigour and the relational experience that complex, high-stakes leadership situations demand. Belden hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a weekly podcast. It explores how senior leaders bring purpose to life through strategy and reflects the same questions that drive the consulting work.

    38 min

  2. May 28

    Trust, Standards, and the Strategic Case for PR

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Sarah Waddington, Chief Executive of the PRCA, the world’s largest professional body for public relations and communications. She discusses what it means to represent the PR sector through uncertain times, and why the moment calls for a renewed understanding of what PR is and what it does. Sarah brings two decades of experience across agency leadership, governance, and industry development, and she discusses how she has reoriented the PRCA's mission and unify the membership body through changing times. In their conversation, they discuss: • Why public relations is not media relations or crisis management, but a strategic management discipline — and why that distinction matters enormously for how organisations use it and what they get from it. • What Sarah found when she stepped into the CEO role, and how she rebuilt confidence by renewing the vision, mission and values and making them the basis for every decision. • The PRCA’s two-pronged strategy: First, to increase understanding of what PR is and does, backed by a new industry definition. Second, to build a sector that is inclusive by default. • The AI and reputation challenge — why organisations that are not actively managing their brand narrative and monitoring for misinformation are exposed in ways they may not fully appreciate, and what a strategic PR adviser can do about it. • What drew Sarah to the role: her conviction, built over years of industry engagement, that PR has a larger contribution to make — not just to commercial outcomes, but to the wicked problems of fractured communities, damaged trust, and the narratives that either divide or bring people together. PRCA: https://www.prca.org.uk/ Menkus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/ Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/ Belden Menkus is the Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, a senior strategic advisory practice that provides strategic clarity for businesses with a public remit, where scrutiny is high, governance is complex, and the answers aren’t obvious. His McKinsey training combined with more than 30 years working at Board and ExCo level gives him both the analytical rigour and the relational experience that complex, high-stakes leadership situations demand. Belden hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a weekly podcast. It explores how senior leaders bring purpose to life through strategy and reflects the same questions that drive the consulting work.

    35 min

  3. May 21

    Growing Great Things Together: Culture, Acquisitions, and the Long Game in Professional Services

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Scott Heath, CEO of DJH, about what it takes to grow a professional services firm at pace without losing the culture that made it work in the first place. Scott joined DJH in 2003, and has led its transformation from a £4.5 million turnover business to one approaching £80 million in revenue across 16 UK sites. In their conversation, they discuss: Why culture comes before strategic fit in every acquisition decision — a lesson learned from a formative early experience when a cultural mismatch caused a team to walk out.The discipline of running lean: how managing the business tightly during early growth instilled principles that still govern how DJH operates today.How DJH used the first year of PE investment to build the operational platform — governance, technology, and client service infrastructure — before scaling further, and how that foundation now enables robust AI deployment and a specialist-led service model at scale.What Scott has learned about leadership as the firm has grown, particularly the shift from ‘doing’ to ‘listening,’ the power of ‘people-first’ values, and the importance of surrounding oneself with experts in their domain. DJH: https://www.djhaccountants.co.uk/ Menkus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/ Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/ Belden Menkus is the Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, a senior strategic advisory practice that provides strategic clarity for businesses with a public remit, where scrutiny is high, governance is complex, and the answers aren't obvious. His McKinsey training combined with more than 30 years working at Board and ExCo level gives him both the analytical rigour and the relational experience that complex, high-stakes leadership situations demand. Belden hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a weekly podcast. It explores how senior leaders bring purpose to life through strategy and reflects the same questions that drive the consulting work.

    32 min

  4. May 14

    Leadership Means Improving The System

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Patrick Heath-Lay, CEO of People’s Partnership, about how the organisation behind The People’s Pension has grown into one of the UK’s largest workplace pension providers, and what it takes to build a system that works for millions. They explore the organisation’s transformation from its roots in the construction industry, the impact of automatic enrolment, and how a not-for-profit, profit-to-member model shapes decision-making at scale. In their conversation, they discuss: • What a master trust pension is and how it works in practice. • How legislative change forced a strategic reinvention of the organisation. • Balancing commercial discipline with member outcomes in a purpose-driven business. • Why the pensions system must work for those who don’t actively engage with it. People’s Partnership: https://peoplespartnership.co.uk/ MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/ Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/ Belden Menkus is the Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, a senior strategic advisory practice that provides strategic clarity for businesses with a public remit, where scrutiny is high, governance is complex, and the answers aren't obvious. His McKinsey training combined with more than 30 years working at Board and ExCo level gives him both the analytical rigour and the relational experience that complex, high-stakes leadership situations demand. Belden hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a weekly podcast. It explores how senior leaders bring purpose to life through strategy and reflects the same questions that drive the consulting work.

    39 min

  5. May 7

    Reframing The Energy Transition

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax, about leading through the complexity of the energy transition and what it takes to operate in a system under growing pressure. They explore the strategic choices required as demand for electricity accelerates, the realities of managing a more volatile, renewables-led system, and how the narrative around energy is evolving beyond net zero. In their conversation, they discuss: • Why flexibility is critical in a system increasingly shaped by intermittent wind and solar. • How Drax’s strategy has evolved from multiple growth bets to a clearer focus on generation and volatility. • The challenges of grid constraints, misaligned incentives, and building infrastructure at pace. • How rising demand, particularly from AI and data centres, is reshaping the energy landscape. • Why leaders must do more to communicate the value of energy and rebuild public trust. Drax: https://www.drax.com/ Blueprint for Business: https://www.blueprintforbusiness.org/ 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.

    33 min

  6. Apr 30

    Engineering a Safer World

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Ruth Boumphrey, Chief Executive of Lloyd’s Register Foundation, about how the organisation is working to “engineer a safer world” — using data, partnerships, and long-term investment to drive impact at scale. They explore the Foundation’s evolving strategy, its shift towards locally led decision-making, and the role of evidence, including the World Risk Poll, in understanding and reducing risk and harm globally. In their conversation, they discuss: • What safety means in practice across infrastructure, people, and systems. • How a charity can operate with a business mindset to drive change. • Why better data is essential to tackling global risk. • The importance of having difficult conversations in safer outcomes. Lloyd’s Register Foundation 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.

    38 min

  7. Apr 23

    Building a “Sky of Social”: Inside the Creator-Led Media Economy

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Alistair Gosling and Ben Brown, co-founders of Wavelength Network, about building a media business for a world where platforms, creators, and algorithms shape how content is produced, distributed, and monetised. Drawing on backgrounds spanning global TV networks, consulting, music, and the creator economy, they reflect on how the traditional broadcast model is giving way to a more fragmented, creator-led ecosystem, and what that means for talent, brands, and audiences. In their conversation, they explore: How media consumption has shifted toward algorithm-driven, “lean back” experiences.The difference between creators and publishers — and why both matter in today’s ecosystem.Why many creators struggle to capture long-term value despite large audiences.How Wavelength combines owned distribution, creators, and brand partnerships to build scale.The emergence of new formats, from micro-content to creator-led IP, and what comes next for the industry. Wavelength 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.

    38 min

  8. Apr 16

    Building a Specialist Firm

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with James Maxey, Founder and CEO of Express Solicitors, about building one of the UK’s largest specialist personal injury firms in a market shaped by regulatory change, fragmentation, and increasing institutional investment. From starting with just 22 clients in 2000, Express has grown into a 900+ person organisation handling around 45,000 live claims — combining scale with a tightly integrated, client-focused operating model. In their conversation, they explore: • How to build and scale a specialist law firm in a fragmented, competitive market. • Why in-sourcing key parts of the value chain, from barristers to medical reporting, drives both quality and control. • How regulatory change has reshaped the personal injury landscape, and how to respond strategically rather than reactively. • What private equity enables beyond capital, including succession planning and accelerated growth. • Why training, process, and performance standards are central to delivering consistent client outcomes at scale. • How to balance efficiency with quality in a system where better legal work can materially change client outcomes. Express Solicitors 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.

    41 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

I want to shift the discussion about organisational purpose from being about what organisations and leaders should do – to take a practical look at what they are doing – and what we can learn from that. We’re going to hear from business leaders across a range of industries how they think about purpose in their organisation - and in business more generally. We’ll explore how they make purpose a building block of their strategy and get their insider tips on the “how” of bringing purpose alive.

Information

  • Creator
    Belden Menkus
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    119
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Menkus & Associates
  • Show Website
    The Purposeful Strategist

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