Episode Details

Skilled at building profitable, scalable and purpose-driven businesses by delivering on his strong personal belief that anything is possible, global business leader, Brendan McGurgan is focused on making a positive and profound impact. With a commitment personally and professionally to achieving significant growth, Brendan is driven by his own purpose to inspire, connect and enable ambitious leaders of SMEs to scale with purpose.

KEY TAKEAWAY

"Are we being responsible here with how we're managing the resources that are finite? Scaling with purpose is about orientating yourself towards growth but doing it in a purposeful way making some positive impact, some social impact along the way."

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS*

Start with Why by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/351G232

Atomic Focus by Patrick McKeown - https://amzn.to/35dm6KP

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor - https://amzn.to/3qNwCR4

RESOURCES

Kiran Pereira - https://www.sandstories.org/about

Podcast interview – Brendan interviews Amy Rowlinson - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/amy-rowlinson-how-to-define-your-vision-and-purpose/id1566729230?i=1000536953101

Podcast interview with Patrick McKeown - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/patrick-mckeown-how-you-breathe-at-rest-and-during/id1566729230?i=1000545731269

Podcast interview with Sherry Coutu CBE - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sherry-coutu-cbe-the-importance-of-attracting/id1566729230?i=1000544276976 Podcast interview with Russell Brand and Wim Hof – https://podcasts.apple.com/my/podcast/70-heal-yourself-with-the-ice-shaman-with-wim-hof/id1212064750?i=1000431405119

ABOUT BRENDAN MCGURGAN

Brendan began his professional career as a chartered accountant with Coopers & Lybrand (PwC) aged 21. He qualified at 24 and joined the leadership team of a scaling software company. After four years in that role, he joined CDE Ireland as finance director. At the time, this was a small, locally focused Northern Irish engineering company. He became Group CEO at 32, and in his twelve-year tenure in the post, he led the company's scaling vision, transforming it into a large exporting business employing almost 700 people and achieving 25x revenue growth.

During his time as CEO, the company delivered almost £500 million ($750 million) cumulative revenue and £50 million ($75 million) cumulative profit from more than ninety countries. The company also generated considerable cash reserves and became a revered leader in its industry.

After retiring from CDE after 17 years, driven by his own purpose to inspire, connect, and enable ambitious leaders of SMEs to scale with purpose, he co-founded Simple Scaling with co-author Claire Colvin.

Brendan currently acts as a Non-Executive Director to CDE Asia (part of the CDE Group), a company he co-promoted in 2006. In 2019, he co-led the successful private equity funding round, which secured investment from IIFL, India's leading integrated financial services group, to support the company's future growth ambitions throughout the Asia region.

In 2016, he was awarded the Institute of Directors UK Young Director of the Year and Overall Direct