My first guest is my good friend Jo Whitfield, a retail executive I have worked with for nearly a decade and wanted on this podcast from the beginning.

We start with the human reality behind the polished surface of senior leadership. The so-called ‘soft stuff’ is usually the hardest work a leader will ever do, and the most important.

Jo then traces three moments that shaped her life and career, each one revealing the values that have anchored her decisions since. What surfaces are the quiet themes beneath a life spent at the top of big organisations and some great lessons in how to navigate the tough challenges.

Jo Whitfield is a Non-Executive Director at ASDA since April 2025. A qualified accountant, she chairs Asda's audit committee. Jo previously spent eight years with Asda and George from 2008, holding a number of senior leadership positions across the business. After this, she joined the Co-op, where she was Chief Executive of Food for five years from 2017 and was awarded the CBE in 2021 for her work during the pandemic. Until 2024 Jo was the CEO at Matalan, leading a business turnaround strategy and a refocus on value. Outside of her executive responsibilities, Jo’s activities are mainly focused on inclusivity, mentoring and networking. One of Jo’s key achievements was pioneering a network for the grocery industry called Grocery Girls. She is also a Non-Executive Director for Factory International.

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