This week, Mike talks to Ryan Mendy.

Growing up in East London, Ryan Mendy went on to become an entrepreneur, investor and business ecosystem builder who has spent more than two decades at the intersection of capital markets, technology and high-growth companies.

Having held senior roles at Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and across the public markets, advising on IPOs, corporate transactions and growth companies in London and New York, Ryan later helped the founders of Zilch build the business from concept to the UK and EMEA's fastest-growing fintech unicorn. He also co-founded and co-chairs the Unicorn Council for UK Fintech, the market-first coalition of leading fintech founders and CEOs working to help make Britain the best place in the world to start, scale and list a fintech company.

In a wide-ranging and philosophical conversation, Mike and Ryan explore what really drives growth, why technology changes rapidly while human behaviour changes slowly, and what separates companies that ignite from those that genuinely scale. Drawing on lessons from capital markets, entrepreneurship and fintech, they discuss product-market fit, trust, incentives, fundraising, leadership and the enduring importance of removing friction from customers' lives.

Drawing on decades spent advising founders, CEOs and investors, Ryan also shares his perspective on why the UK consistently produces world-class entrepreneurs but retains too little of the long-term economic upside, the role of capital in building global champions, and why trust may be the most undervalued form of capital in modern business. From Amazon and NVIDIA to Zilch and the next generation of British technology companies, this is a conversation about growth, resilience, human behaviour and building businesses that endure.

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This week Mike talks to Anton Hanley

Anton Hanley is the founder of TLA, a business that grew out of the early online automotive marketplace AskAPrice.com, which launched in 2002 from humble beginnings in Wigan. In the podcast, Anton explains how the company quickly established itself as a dominant player in new car lead generation at a time when few dealerships or manufacturers fully understood the value of digital customer enquiries. Over the years, TLA evolved alongside the automotive industry, helping brands adapt to changing consumer behaviour, digital marketing demands, and the growing importance of data-driven customer acquisition strategies.

Mike and Anton discuss the rapid transformation taking place across the automotive sector, including fragmented digital customer journeys, increasing pressure on OEMs to improve marketing ROI, and the growing influence of AI on customer engagement. They explore how TLA operates at the centre of these changes, the realities of scaling a business in a structurally shifting market, and how the wider automotive ecosystem must evolve to keep pace with new technologies, consumer expectations, and emerging competitors.

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This week Mike talks to Jason Cranswick

Jason Cranswick is the founder of Cranswick Consulting, a boutique advisory firm specialising in digital transformation, customer experience and operational performance across the automotive sector. With more than 30 years’ leadership experience spanning OEMs, franchised dealer groups, automotive services and digital ventures, he has held senior executive roles including Chief Operating Officer at Marubeni Auto Investment UK and leadership positions with Audi, SEAT and online vehicle marketplace disruptors. Known for combining strategic vision with hands-on operational delivery, Jason has built a reputation for helping businesses navigate change, accelerate growth and develop high-performing teams across the UK, Europe and South East Asia.

Mike and Jason discuss the realities of transformation, leadership and performance in the automotive sector, drawing on Jason Cranswick’s 37 years of experience across OEMs, large dealer groups, digital disruptors and advisory roles. The conversation explores why many businesses struggle to bridge the gap between strategy and execution, the importance of capability, mindset and leadership alignment, and how customer experience must ultimately drive measurable commercial performance. Jason also shares his views on AI, digital transformation and the pace of change facing the industry, arguing that the businesses that succeed over the next five years will be those that effectively combine technology with continuous human upskilling, while maintaining the agility and curiosity needed to adapt to constant change.

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In this episode of Ignite & Scale, Mike Allen talks to Sam Baker.

Sam Baker is the Managing Partner of Mobility VC, a global venture platform focused on investing in the underlying infrastructure that enables the future of mobility. His career spans impact-driven work at Kiva, followed by co-founding and scaling a mobility platform operating in over 100 cities worldwide. At Mobility VC, he leads a highly international, operator-led team that combines investment with hands-on support, leveraging deep global networks to help companies expand, form strategic partnerships, and scale across markets.

Sam explains that Mobility VC differentiates itself through a bottom-up, relationship-driven investment approach focused on resilience, long-term collaboration, and practical value creation rather than chasing trends. The firm primarily backs B2B mobility solutions that form the “behind-the-scenes” infrastructure of the sector, helping companies internationalize, access strategic partners, and navigate complex markets. He emphasizes the importance of founder resilience, realistic growth expectations, and leveraging diverse investor networks rather than rapid geographic expansion alone. The discussion also highlights a shift in venture strategy toward capital discipline, downside protection, and more flexible investment structures, including later-stage and hybrid deals. Sam underscores that successful outcomes often stem from long-term relationships with founders, adaptability in working with corporates, and a focus on meaningful, sustainable progress over short-term hype.

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In this episode, Mike talks to Ben Chodor

Ben Chodor is the CEO of CallRevu, a communications intelligence platform used by thousands of dealerships to turn everyday customer interactions into actionable insight and revenue growth. With a background spanning SaaS, digital media, and communications at scale, he is known for a pragmatic, results-driven approach that aligns product, customer needs, and data to deliver measurable outcomes. Ben focuses on building high-performing teams, maintaining operational discipline, and executing a clear, customer-centric strategy that supports sustainable, long-term growth.

In this episode, Mike and Ben discuss how a pivotal shift in Ben's thinking reframed communication from a support function into a direct driver of revenue, and why many dealerships still underestimate where deals are actually won or lost. Despite the industry’s push toward digital transformation, Ben argues that conversations—especially phone calls—remain the highest-value moment, revealing true customer intent in ways dashboards and CRMs simply cannot.

Ben discuss CallRevu approach and how it bridges the gap between raw data and meaningful action, highlighting the difference between reporting what happened and understanding why it happened. Ben shares his perspective on the future of AI, voice, and conversational intelligence, where real-time intervention will replace static reporting and help recover missed opportunities instantly. He also breaks down what true ROI looks like for dealers, from improved conversion rates to missed call recovery, and what separates top-performing operators—those who treat communication as a managed, strategic asset. Ultimately, the conversation reinforces a simple but powerful idea: the biggest opportunity in automotive isn’t more data, but better use of the conversations already happening every day.

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This week episode of Ignite & Scale Mike Allen talks to Neil Shah

Neil Shah is a senior leader at the London Stock Exchange, where he works closely with ambitious tech and tech-enabled businesses from early scale through to global leaders. He focuses on how companies access capital, scale effectively and navigate strategic options, giving him a front-line view of what separates high-performing founders from the rest across the UK tech sector.

Mike and Neil discuss what separates the best founders from the rest, drawing on Neil’s experience working with scaling tech businesses across the UK. They cover how top entrepreneurs think about capital, move from hustle to systems, and evolve as leaders as their companies grow. The conversation also explores common mistakes, how founders are navigating uncertainty, and what it takes to build and scale in today’s UK tech environment.

Follow and Connect with Neil - https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilshahuk/

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In this episode of Ignite & Scale, we explore how customer insight is reshaping the automotive industry.

Mike Allen welcomes Scott Gairns, Managing Director of Sophus3, who shares his experience working with leading automotive retailers and OEMs to turn fragmented customer data into actionable insight.

With the industry undergoing rapid transformation — from electrification to digital retail and evolving ownership models — understanding the customer is no longer optional. It’s a competitive advantage.

Scott Gairns explains that the real opportunity lies in unifying fragmented data to create a clear, actionable view of the customer—unlocking gains in profitability, retention, and lifetime value. As the sector undergoes major disruption from electrification, digital retail, and new business models, those who embed data into decision-making will gain a decisive edge. Ultimately, success isn’t driven by technology alone, but by leadership, culture, and a commitment to using customer insight as a core strategic capability.

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From Ford Britain to the Future of Automotive — with Andy Barratt

Andy Barratt spent nearly 25 years at Ford Motor Company, rising to Managing Director of Ford Britain — a business responsible for 450,000 vehicles annually and $14 billion in revenue. Since then, he's held senior leadership roles across the Middle East and now advises organisations on transformation and growth.

In this episode, Andy shares hard-won lessons from leading one of the UK's most important businesses through Brexit and Covid, his experience transforming automotive retail operations in the Middle East, and his unfiltered view on where the industry is heading next.

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