Fastest 50

Building high-performance teams with Steven Forrest

Welcome to The Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Podcast, where we sit down with entrepreneurs and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of growth in the UK and beyond. In this episode, hosts Alistair McDonald and Matt Cormack are joined by Forfusion CEO Steven Forrest. Forfusion is a Newcastle-based technology business that designs, delivers and manages mission-critical IT infrastructure for clients across the public and private sectors. Steven shares how Forfusion has built its reputation by staying true to a quality-first strategy. If you’re leading growth (or about to), you’ll get practical insight on: * How to build a technology business on a foundation of quality output rather than chasing revenue at pace * How to use apprenticeships and ex-military recruitment to build a diverse, high-performing team from the ground up * How to balance innovation with operational and financial risk when delivering complex IT infrastructure * How to grow through client expansion and referrals rather than aggressive outbound sales * How to maintain a strong culture and shared values as a business scales rapidly To find out more about Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 and how we support growing businesses, visit www.wardhadaway.com [https://www.wardhadaway.com/what-we-do/businesses/fastest-50/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=Steven] Connect with Alistair: Website: www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald [https://www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=Steven] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/] Connect with Matt Cormack: Website: www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/matt-cormack [https://www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/matthew-cormack/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=Steven] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mattcormacklawyer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcormacklawyer/] Connect with Steven: Forfusion: www.forfusion.com [https://www.forfusion.com] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steven-forrest/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-forrest/]

Forecasting business trends with Joanna Feeley

Welcome to the Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Podcast, where we sit down with entrepreneurs and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of growth in the UK and beyond. Host Alistair McDonald is joined by Joanna Feeley, CEO of TrendBible, to talk about leading through change. As the founder of a business that helps brands make sense of future consumer needs and behaviour, Joanna shares her take on growing a business with confidence. You’ll hear practical insight on: 1. Why looking ahead is a core part of effective leadership and how trend forecasting can help businesses plan for change 2. Why human judgment, creativity and different perspectives still matter in an AI-enabled world 3. What leaders can do to support decision-making in uncertain conditions 4. Why founders need to commercial, financial and people leadership skills as well as technical expertise 5. why every business leader now needs the ability to think ahead and interpret change with confidence To find out more about Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 and how we support growing businesses, visit www.wardhadaway.com [https://www.wardhadaway.com/what-we-do/businesses/fastest-50/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=Joanna] Connect with Alistair: Website: www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald [https://www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=Joanna] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/] Connect with Joanna: Website: https://joannafeeley.com [https://joannafeeley.com/] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-feeley/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-feeley/] TrendBible: www.trendbible.com [https://www.trendbible.com/]

Building legacy and resilience with Andy Carr and Paul Callaghan

Welcome to the Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Podcast, where we sit down with entrepreneurs and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of growth in the UK and beyond. In this episode, host Alistair McDonald is joined by Andy Carr and Paul Callaghan from Leighton, a North East based software development company, to discuss how regional businesses can scale whilst staying rooted in their values. If you’re leading growth (or about to), you’ll get practical insight on: 1. How Leighton’s history and legacy have shaped its success in a competitive industry 2. How to balance local, regional and global recruitment to acquire the right talent 3. How to build and maintain strong client relationships as your business grows 4. How to create an inclusive work culture that recognises team success and promotes a shared vision 5. How to prepare your business for challenges and why having the right people in place makes adapting easier From Leighton’s long-standing success and growth in the tech sector, Andy and Paul share how the business continues to adapt and evolve in a competitive industry. To find out more about Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 and how we support growing businesses, visit www.wardhadaway.com [https://www.wardhadaway.com/what-we-do/businesses/fastest-50/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=Leighton] Connect with Alistair: Website: www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald [https://www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=Leighton] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/] Connect with Andy: Leighton: www.leighton.com [https://www.leighton.com/] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andy-carr-52357442/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-carr-52357442/] Connect with Paul: Leighton: www.leighton.com [https://www.leighton.com/] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paulcallaghan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulcallaghan/]

Scaling a tech consultancy with Tom Lawson

Welcome to the Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Podcast, where we sit down with entrepreneurs and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of growth in the UK and beyond. Host Alistair McDonald is joined by co-host Jamie Gamble and Tom Lawson, Chief Executive of Opencast, to discuss scaling a people-first technology consultancy from the North East into a national business. Since becoming Chief Executive in 2020, Tom has led Opencast through a period of rapid growth, expanding the business from around 80 people to more than 500 colleagues across the UK. In this episode, he shares how culture, purpose and a strong focus on people have supported that growth, and why the North East continues to be an important base for building successful technology businesses. If you’re building or leading growth, you’ll hear practical insight on: 1. How to scale a business while keeping culture, purpose and people at the centre 2. How to build the right team and leadership capability as a business grows 3. How to create clarity of purpose and stay focused as markets and priorities change 4. How external advisors, peer networks and support systems can help leaders manage growth 5. How to think about long term growth in a fast-moving technology market, including the impact of AI To find out more about Ward Hadaway’s Fastest 50 and how we support growing businesses, visit www.wardhadaway.com [https://www.wardhadaway.com/what-we-do/businesses/fastest-50/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=Tom] Connect with Alistair: Website: www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald [https://www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/alistair-mcdonald?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=Tom] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/ [http://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-mcdonald-1a446a21/] Connect with Jamie: Website: www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/jamie-gamble [https://www.wardhadaway.com/our-people/jamie-gamble/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=Tom] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-gamble-719a5416/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-gamble-719a5416/] Connect with Tom: Website: opencastsoftware.com [https://opencastsoftware.com/] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/t0mlaws0n/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/t0mlaws0n/]

Trailer: The Fastest 50 Podcast

Welcome to the Fastest 50 Podcast, brought to you by Top 100 UK law firm Ward Hadaway. Throughout the series, we will be sitting down with entrepreneurs and business leaders who are rewriting the rules of growth in the UK and beyond. Find out more about the Fastest 50 Podcast: https://www.wardhadaway.com/what-we-do/businesses/fastest-50/the-fastest-50-podcast/ [https://www.wardhadaway.com/what-we-do/businesses/fastest-50/the-fastest-50-podcast/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=trailer] Find out more about Ward Hadaway: www.wardhadaway.com [ https://www.wardhadaway.com/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=trailer] Find out more about the Fastest 50 Awards: www.wardhadaway.com/what-we-do/businesses/fastest-50 [https://www.wardhadaway.com/what-we-do/businesses/fastest-50/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fastest_50_podcast&utm_id=firm&utm_content=trailer]