The Purposeful Strategist

Belden Menkus
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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

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. APR 9

    Opportunistic and Optimistic

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Mia Drennan, Founder and CEO of GLAS, about building a global financial services firm by reimagining a function that once sat inside banks. From launching with £6,000 after the financial crisis to administering hundreds of billions in assets today, GLAS has grown into a leading independent platform serving private credit, banks, and capital markets worldwide. In their conversation, they explore: • How the 2008 financial crisis created the opportunity for an independent loan agency model. • Why independence, proactivity, and execution became GLAS’s strategic edge. • How opportunistic expansion — from the UK to the US and Australia — shaped the firm’s growth. • What private equity backing changed (and didn’t) after a decade of founder-led scaling. • How technology, data, and AI are transforming back-office financial services — and why human judgment still matters. GLAS 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.

    32 min

  5. APR 2

    Running Lean, Thinking Long-Term

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Max Dubiel, co-founder of Redemption Roasters, a social impact coffee business working to reduce reoffending in the UK through training and employment. This mission-driven startup has grown into a multi-site retail and wholesale business, employing a significant proportion of prison leavers while operating in one of the UK’s most challenging sectors. Max shares how Redemption is navigating a pivotal moment — from rapid expansion to disciplined consolidation in response to a tougher hospitality market. He reflects on raising institutional capital, restructuring the business under pressure, and strengthening operational foundations, from cost control to hiring and management systems. Alongside this, he explains how the business has continued to deepen its impact, increasing the proportion of prison leavers in its workforce and expanding its wholesale and training model. In their conversation, they explore: • What it takes to balance profit and purpose in a volatile market. • The realities of scaling a bricks-and-mortar business under pressure. • Why disciplined hiring and management systems are critical to performance. • How investor alignment shapes long-term decision-making. • Where Redemption Roasters is focusing next and what sustainable growth looks like. Redemption Roasters MenKus & Associates Supported by Norman Broadbent Manager Tools 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.

    29 min

  6. MAR 26

    Trust, Strategy, Growth

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Francesca Lagerberg, CEO of Baker Tilly International, about leading a global professional services network in a rapidly changing economic and technological landscape. Baker Tilly International brings together independent firms across more than 140 territories, providing mid-market clients with advisory, audit, legal and tax services delivered by a global community of over 50,000 professionals. In their conversation, they explore: • How global networks balance independence with shared standards, strategy, and trust. • Why helping clients make well-thought-out decisions with imperfect information sits at the heart of Baker Tilly’s purpose. • The 18-month process of developing a new global strategy and why successful execution is so important. • How technology and AI are reshaping professional services, from automation to simulated learning. • The shifting expectations of clients in an uncertain economic environment and how advisors can deliver real value. Baker Tilly MenKus & Associate 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.

    35 min

  7. MAR 19

    Building a Mental Health Service from the Ground Up

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Barny Guthrie, CEO of Clinical Partners, about building and scaling a mental health provider at a time of rising demand and unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems. What began as a small operation run from a spare bedroom has grown into a large mental health provider, employing around 400 staff and supporting patients across NHS, private insurance and self-pay pathways. In their conversation, they explore: • How Barny’s own early experiences with mental health shaped his motivation to help reduce human distress. • The surge in demand for neurodiversity services. • Why strategy ultimately came down to one critical word: focus. • The operational realities of scaling a healthcare service while maintaining quality and trust. • How technology, governance, and continuous improvement are reshaping the delivery of mental health care. Clinical Partners 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.

    33 min

  8. MAR 12

    The Future of Family Law

    In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Ken Fowlie, Chair of Stowe Family Law, about scaling the UK’s largest specialist family law firm in an era where private equity discipline and accelerating technological change are major themes. With 400 professionals and nationwide coverage, Stowe has grown into a modern, institutionally backed platform while remaining anchored in a clear purpose: “When families break down, we help them move forward.” In their conversation, they explore: • What private equity really adds to a professional services firm beyond capital. • How to balance clients, colleagues, and shareholders in a people-first business. • Why client expectations in family law are shifting toward greater control and less adversarial resolution. • How AI may reshape legal tasks — but not the role of the trusted human adviser. • Why investing in data foundations is critical to staying agile in the next decade of legal services. Stowe Family Law 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.

    35 min
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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
    114
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Menkus & Associates
  • Show Website
    The Purposeful Strategist