What does it take to transition from managing a £1.5 billion division with 9,000 employees to leading a fast-growing SME? In this episode, Joshua O’Connor sits down with Beverley Winrow, the CEO of AC Electrical and former Chief Operating Officer of Technical Services at Mitie.

Beverley shares her incredible 22-year journey within the Facilities Management (FM) sector, detailing how she "cut her teeth" in the waste industry before rising through the ranks of a major UK PLC. She provides a masterclass in leadership, discussing the importance of emotional intelligence, the "gift" of feedback, and why she chose to leave the corporate giant for the autonomy of an SME backed by the Storskogen Group.

Key Takeaways

• The Power of People: Why HR and training roles are a "game changer" for future CEOs.
• Scaling Down to Scale Up: The motivation behind moving from a multi-billion pound corporate environment to an agile SME.
• The CEO’s Time Split: Beverley’s rule of thirds: 1/3 on growth, 1/3 on current clients, and 1/3 on the team.
• AI vs. The Trades: Why the built environment remains a human-centric industry despite the rise of AI, and how technology should be a "tool, not a replacement."
• Leading in a Male-Dominated Field: Practical advice on "owning your space," overcoming imposter syndrome, and the evolution of gender diversity in FM.
• The SME ESG Gap: Why sustainability needs to move up the agenda for smaller businesses before it becomes a crisis.

Notable Quotes

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Building Growth: From the Front Line to Private Equity CEO with Robert Guice

How do you take an unknown service business and turn it into a global leader? In this episode of the Air Supply Podcast, host Joshua O'Connor sits down with Rob Guice, a seasoned executive with two successful private equity exits under his belt, most recently as CEO of North American hygiene leader, Citron.

Rob’s journey is anything but typical. From leaving school at 17 to navigating post-apartheid South Africa at 29, Rob shares the moments that shaped his "build-it" mentality. He dives deep into the world of Private Equity (PE), offering a rare look at how to drive rapid organic growth in unglamorous but essential sectors like secure shredding and period dignity.

In this episode, we explore:

• The PE Muscle: What it’s really like to run a business under private equity ownership, how to align with investors, and why you should never talk about the "exit strategy."
• The Microscope & The Telescope: Rob’s framework for balancing big-picture strategy (where to play, how to win) with the granular data obsession required to execute.
• Creating Purpose in the "Unsexy" Sectors: How to recruit and retain top talent in service industries by transforming "drivers" into "security personnel" and "service delivery experts."
• The CEO’s Best Tool: Why Rob believes the most important work happens outside the office and why every leader should spend time on sales calls and service trucks.
• A Call to Business Leaders: Why modern, "de-layered" businesses are failing the next generation of talent and how we can bring back internal career development.

Whether you’re an aspiring executive or a seasoned leader, Rob’s advice is a masterclass in leading from the front and the power of "customer obsession."

Connect with Robert https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-guice-0a5b99/

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"Your birthright is not your destiny."

In this episode of the Air Supply Podcast, Joshua O'Connor sits down with Andy Baker, author of the new book In the Blink of an Eye. Andy’s life story is nothing short of cinematic: a journey from poverty in Portsmouth, UK and brushes with the law to becoming the CEO of a billion-pound revenue business and leading the largest employer in Africa.

Andy opens up about his youth involving street fighting and car theft, and the "epochal" courtroom moment that forced him to choose a different path. He shares how he rose from a 22-year-old general manager to an international executive overseeing 123,000 employees across 29 countries.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The "Scullery Maid" Principle: How Andy’s upbringing shaped his radical respect for every worker, from the office cleaner to the boardroom executive.
• Leading at Scale: The secret to managing 120,000 people (Hint: it involves burning the 400-page strategy manual).
• Business as a "Daily Fight": Why resilience and frugality are the two most underrated traits of successful leaders.
• The Power of Integrity: Why sticking to your principles is a long-term investment that pays off "in chunks."
• The Cavalry Charge: Understanding the link between competence and the confidence required to lead.
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Whether you are an aspiring leader or a seasoned executive, Andy’s insights on simplicity, human dignity, and resilience offer a masterclass in modern leadership.

• Book: In the Blink of an Eye (Available on Amazon)
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-baker-1a7a6b4a/

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