What makes a truly great leader? In this insightful episode, Mark Francis sits down with Ben Farrell MBE, CEO of CIPS, Chairman at the Forces Employment Charity & The Invictus Games Foundation Programme Board, to explore the principles of leadership, emotional intelligence, trust, and influence.

Drawing from his distinguished military career, including service as a Colonel in the British Army, and his leadership experience in global organizations, Ben shares powerful lessons on mission leadership, emotional connection, empowerment, and building high-performing teams.

In this conversation, Mark Francis and Ben Farrell MBE discuss:

• The difference between leadership and management
• Why emotional connection is the foundation of effective leadership
• Lessons learned at Sandhurst and in military service
• How fear and confidence spread through teams
• The power of mission leadership and empowerment
• Leading global organizations across cultures and countries
• Building trust and developing future leaders
• Awakening organizational potential and driving change
• Creating purpose-driven workplaces that inspire people
• How great leaders measure success

Ben also shares fascinating stories from Iraq, his experiences leading internationally, and how his leadership philosophy continues to shape organizations around the world.

Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, executive, manager, military professional, or someone passionate about personal growth, this episode offers practical leadership insights that can be applied in any environment.

Guest:
Ben Farrell MBE
Chairman at the Forces Employment Charity & The Invictus Games Foundation Programme Board

Connect with Ben Farrell MBE on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-farrell-mbe/

Host:
Mark Francis

Topics Covered:
Leadership Development, Emotional Intelligence, Mission Leadership, Team Building, Organizational Culture, Military Leadership, Executive Leadership, Business Growth, Employee Engagement, Leadership Mindset, Management Skills, Professional Development, Strategic Leadership, Global Leadership, Procurement Leadership

#MarkFrancis #BenFarrellMBE #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #MissionLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessLeadership #Management #TeamBuilding #MilitaryLeadership #PersonalDevelopment #OrganizationalCulture #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipPodcast

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team

Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/
Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com
Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.

In this inspiring episode, Mark Francis sits down with Shola Kaye, Communication and Empathy Keynote Speaker, author, former investment banker, IT consultant, professional singer, and internationally recognized expert on empathy, leadership, communication, and workplace culture.

Shola shares her remarkable career journey, from teaching and corporate consulting to building a successful career as a professional singer and becoming one of the world's leading keynote speakers on empathy and inclusive leadership. Together, Mark and Shola explore how courage, curiosity, emotional intelligence, and authentic communication can help individuals unlock their potential and create greater impact in their careers and organizations.

The conversation dives into the power of empathy in leadership, overcoming introversion, building confidence, developing presentation skills, speaking with influence, and creating psychologically safe workplaces where employees feel heard, valued, and empowered.

Key topics discussed:

* The role of empathy in effective leadership
* How introverts can build confidence and influence
* Communication skills for leaders and professionals
* Emotional intelligence in the workplace
* Moving from small talk to meaningful conversations
* Building psychologically safe and inclusive teams
* Public speaking, presentation skills, and audience engagement
* Career reinvention and personal growth
* The importance of courage, curiosity, and compassion
* How to create more engaged and productive workplace cultures

Shola also shares practical insights from her books, including strategies for developing stronger communication skills, navigating difficult conversations, and becoming a more empathetic leader. Her unique perspective combines years of corporate experience, performance expertise, and leadership development to help professionals communicate with greater confidence and impact.

Whether you're a leader, manager, entrepreneur, HR professional, speaker, or someone looking to improve your communication and leadership skills, this conversation is packed with valuable lessons and actionable insights.

Subscribe for more interviews featuring leadership experts, business professionals, authors, keynote speakers, and industry leaders sharing strategies for personal growth, communication excellence, workplace success, and professional development.

Connect with Shola Kaye on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sholakaye/

#MarkFrancis #SholaKaye #CommunicationSkills #EmpathyLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #PublicSpeaking #PresentationSkills #WorkplaceCulture #InclusiveLeadership #LeadershipPodcast #ProfessionalDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #EmployeeEngagement #BusinessLeadership #ConfidenceBuilding #CareerDevelopment #PsychologicalSafety #CommunicationTraining #LeadershipSkills

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team

Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/
Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com
Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.

Mark Francis speaks with Lycia Lobo, Chief Operating Officer at the Design Museum, about building a high growth cultural organisation through people first leadership, strong operations, and long term vision.

In this conversation, Lycia Lobo shares how the Design Museum balances daily operations with strategic growth, how teams stay aligned across multiple functions, and how leadership, rhythm, and collaboration shape the visitor experience.

She also discusses the museum’s evolving exhibitions, commercial transformation, digital development, and the importance of trustees, volunteers, and cross functional teams in driving sustainable impact.

Mark Francis and Lycia Lobo explore how the Design Museum continues to grow as a global hub for design, while staying focused on culture, community, and future focused innovation.

Chief Operating Officer
the Design Museum

Connect with Lycia Lobo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lycia-lobo-67a2272b/?originalSubdomain=uk

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team

Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/
Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com
Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.

In this episode of Who's Your Captain, Mark Francis sits down with Victor Mraz, Chief Operating Officer of Diverse Logistics & Distribution LLC, to explore what it really takes to run and scale a complex final mile logistics business.

Victor breaks down how leadership in logistics goes far beyond operations. From managing large frontline teams and contractor networks to ensuring customer experience at every doorstep, the conversation dives into how culture, trust, and structure drive performance at scale.

A major theme is servant leadership, where leadership exists to support the frontline teams, not the other way around. Victor explains how this mindset, combined with clear principles like the Three Cs: customer service, capacity, and compliance, creates consistency across hundreds of team members and multiple markets.

The discussion also covers how the business has achieved sustained organic growth, improved employee retention, and built structured career development paths using tools like the nine box performance and potential model. Victor shares how frontline tenure has grown significantly by focusing on development and progression rather than just hiring and replacement cycles.

There is also a strong focus on real world execution. From training delivery teams on soft skills and customer communication, to handling customer issues in real time using structured language techniques, Victor explains how operational excellence and customer experience are tightly linked.

The episode also explores modern leadership tools, including how AI driven scheduling and task management helps prioritize work, adapt calendars dynamically, and improve decision making across a fast moving organization.

Finally, Victor reflects on long term vision and legacy, emphasizing the importance of building future leaders and shaping industry standards, not just growing revenue.

Guests:
Mark Francis
Victor Mraz

Connect on LinkedIn: Victor Mraz LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-mraz/

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team

Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/
Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com
Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.

Mark Francis speaks with Sue Day MBE, Director of Women’s and Para Football at The Football Association, about the rapid rise of women’s sport, leadership across rugby and football, and what it takes to build a sustainable future for the game.

Sue shares her unique journey from elite rugby player and England captain to senior leadership roles at KPMG, the RFU, World Rugby, and now the FA. The conversation explores how women’s football is growing at grassroots level, the importance of schools and coaching development, and how the Lionesses’ success is inspiring the next generation.

They also discuss the long-term vision for women’s football, including the ambition around the 2035 Women’s World Cup, the need for investment, and how communication, culture, and role models shape the future of the sport.

A powerful conversation on leadership, legacy, and building systems that give equal opportunity for women and girls in sport.

Sue Day
Director of Women’s and Para Football
The Football Association

Connect with Sue Day on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-day-1b043210/

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team

Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/
Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com
Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.

Mark Francis sits down with Bonita Norris, Motivational Speaker at BONITA NORRIS LTD, for a powerful conversation about resilience, self belief, leadership, motherhood, mental health, and climbing Mount Everest at just 22 years old with no previous mountaineering experience.

Bonita shares the emotional story behind becoming the youngest British woman to summit Everest at the time, how she overcame an eating disorder, and why success comes from small consistent steps rather than overnight transformation. From surviving the death zone on Everest to becoming an award winning speaker, author, and mother, Bonita opens up about fear, failure, ambition, and finding strength in unexpected places.

In this inspiring episode, Mark Francis and Bonita Norris explore goal setting, teamwork, trust, personal growth, resilience, public speaking, parenting, mental health, and the lessons the mountains can teach about life. Bonita also reflects on Sherpa culture, human connection in the AI era, and why curiosity and courage matter more than talent.

A deeply honest conversation packed with life lessons, motivation, and perspective for anyone chasing big goals or navigating personal challenges.

Connect with Bonita Norris on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonita-norris-keynote-speaker-15191869/

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team

Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/
Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com
Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.

What does it take to lead a successful family business into a new era of growth, innovation, and long term success?
In this episode of Who's Your Captain?, Mark Francis speaks with Paul David Munnelly, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Munnelly Group, about taking over a highly respected family business and building the next chapter with confidence.
Paul shares how Munnelly Group has embraced cultural transformation, expanded into new markets, invested in people, and created a clear long term vision through Target 2030. He explains how strong leadership, innovation, collaboration, and talent development are helping the company grow in a changing construction industry.
The conversation also explores succession in family business, creating future leaders, attracting top talent, and why staying still in business is the biggest risk of all.
In this episode:
Paul David Munnelly leadership journey
How Munnelly Group is evolving for the future
Family business succession done right
Building culture through trust and collaboration
Innovation in the construction industry
Developing future leaders and retaining talent
Why long term vision drives sustainable growth
Leadership lessons for CEOs and entrepreneurs
If you are a business owner, leader, entrepreneur, or part of a family run company, this episode offers practical insights on growth, leadership, and legacy.
Featuring:
Paul David Munnelly - Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Munnelly Group
Hosted by Mark Francis
Connect with Paul David Munnelly on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldavidmunnelly/

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.

In this episode of Who’s Your Captain, Mark Francis sits down with Steven Meersman, Founder Director of Zenobe Energy Limited, to explore one of the most important shifts happening in global energy today.
Steven shares the story behind Zenobe Energy Limited, from its early days connecting batteries to the UK grid to becoming a major force in electrifying transport systems across multiple countries. What started as a bold idea between three co-founders has now grown into a business operating at the intersection of renewable energy, battery storage, and electric mobility.
Mark Francis and Steven Meersman discuss how Zenobe Energy Limited is helping solve real-world infrastructure challenges, from stabilising energy grids to enabling electric bus fleets and reusing second-life batteries in powerful new ways. Steven also breaks down how the company works closely with transport operators, including Big Bus Tours, to make electrification practical, scalable, and financially sustainable.
The conversation goes deeper into leadership, decision-making, and what it takes to scale a mission-driven business. Steven reflects on building high-performing teams, raising capital step by step, and the importance of combining engineering, finance, and operational expertise to drive meaningful change.
Key themes include renewable energy innovation, battery storage systems, electric bus infrastructure, grid stability, and the future of electrification across transport and heavy industry. Steven also shares insights from expanding Zenobe Energy Limited into international markets including Australia, Europe, and North America.
This episode offers a clear look at how long-term thinking, disciplined execution, and strong leadership can turn a complex energy challenge into a global opportunity.
Host: Mark Francis
Guest: Steven Meersman, Founder Director Zenobe Energy Limited

Connect with Steven Meersman on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevencgmeersman/

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team

Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/
Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com
Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.