
Enter the Boardroom 170. Julian Metcalfe OBE: founder of Pret and Itsu - why most boards fail founders
Julian Metcalfe OBE is the founder of Itsu and Pret. Alongside these, he is also founder of the Metcalfe Food Company and NED at Knoops Chocolate. Tune into this episode to here about: Why traditional ideas of good governance frustrate Julian (01:26) Why it’s important that board members are willing to be unpopular (04:54) One key lesson Julian would pass on to his successor (07:14) The actual purpose of boards (09:22) How obsessive quality control built and sustained Pret and Itsu (12:33) The Pret ritual that kept the whole business honest (14:12) The counterintuitive Pret rules that built a loyal customer base (14:58) The short–termism trap that's killing most boardrooms (18:19) How to balance the focus vs. choice dynamic (25:24) Why two 24 year olds gave away 30% of Pret for free (27:56) The detail behind Itsu's most affordable product (31:31) How Julian would describe his approach to building successful companies (35:15)⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(40:10)
Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: podcast@nurole.com
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom
