James Hirst, Managing Director, The Brecks Company Ltd. At Brecks we want to lead a plant-based food movement, making plant-based eating affordable for all consumers.
Biography
With a background in farming, James founded Brecks in 1992 in North Yorkshire. Since that time, Brecks has been focused on delivering high quality plant-based products to both businesses and retail, with a number of different applications in numerous industries. A pioneer in plant-based technology, James is passionate about making plant-based eating accessible on a global scale.
Q&A
What defines a successful leader?
Someone who can consistently see the bigger picture, delivering clear direction to the team even in uncertain times.
Culture and talent are important to any company’s success. How do you engage and inspire your workforce?
By giving the team the autonomy to make decisions independently, based on their knowledge and experience in their business area. You recruit for experience, so use it!
Innovation and disruption are reshaping industries every day. What do you see as the number one game-changer facing businesses today?
There’s a new generation of consumers, who think so differently to previous generations. They will interact with brands and companies on their terms and businesses who can embrace this, rather than feel threatened by it, will ultimately succeed.
Challenges abound in today’s fast-changing business environment. What keeps you up at night?
The speed of change in the plant-based market in which we operate. It’s unparalleled and so requires a unique approach to meet the challenges we face.
Why did you join Bloomberg Breakaway?
To gain inspiration from like-minded people. In business you learn by talking to people facing the same challenges as you and so Bloomberg Breakaway is the perfect opportunity to do this.
Even CEOs need downtime. How do you recharge?
With a bowl of Honey Monster Puffs cereal! It’s a brand within the Brecks stable which is an icon to an entire generation!
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