Blair West

Some deals take 16 weeks. Damon closed his in four, and he credits one thing. Trust.    In this snippet from the High Growth Leadership Podcast, Damon Smith, CEO of Waste Managed, shares the reality of completing a deal at breakneck speed and why the bond between a CEO and CFO can make or break it.   "You have to have the confidence in your team that Chris and I can leave the business and start doing what we need to. That bond - the humour, the trust, the long walks around Newcastle asking ‘what if?’ - that was key.”   For Damon, scaling and exiting successfully wasn’t about hierarchy; it was about partnership. A leadership team that could challenge, adapt, and laugh through pressure was what kept the deal and the business on track.   🎧 Watch the full episode now on YouTube & Spotify. https://lnkd.in/eYaHzPZJ

Mark Dale is partnering up with Reeves - The Pension Specialists, a leading financial advice firm, as they are searching for a Head of M&A to join the team. Contact Mark now to chat about the opportunity. 📧 [email protected] 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eBxFSQBP

True leadership is finding balance between ambition and control. In this snippet from the High Growth Leadership Podcast, Rachel Jones, former CEO and now Non-Exec of SnapDragon Monitoring, reflects on the relentless pressure of managing cash runway while scaling a business. “Cash runway was always what was uppermost in my mind as a CEO. Now, as a NED, it’s nice not to be the one awake at 2 a.m. doing spreadsheets.” Rachel shares how easy it is for founders to become reactive under investor pressure, pushing harder, faster, when what’s really needed is balance and control. It’s an honest insight into the mental weight of leadership and the shift that comes when you step back from the CEO seat. 🎧 Watch the full episode now on YouTube & Spotify. https://lnkd.in/eFdTkvnv

Forget hiring the finished article. Hire people hungry to grow.   In this snippet from the High Growth Leadership Podcast, Rory McKeand, CEO of TSG, explains how behavioural mapping and mentoring have reshaped the way they attract and develop talent. “We now recruit mainly for will and the ability to learn. Then we put every new starter, and even those joining mid-career, through advanced training and mentoring.” For Rory, the right behavioural profile matters more than a perfect CV. He looks for people who thrive on collaboration, want to engage with clients, and have the curiosity to keep learning, knowing that technical skills can be taught, but mindset can’t.   It’s a model built on potential, not perfection, and one that keeps TSG’s culture strong as the business scales.   🎧 Watch the full episode now on YouTube & Spotify. https://lnkd.in/eigVe-_f

Nigel Spurr is partnering up with Ward Group Investments, a private investment company specialising in building a high-quality property portfolio, as they are searching for a Head of Finance to join the team. Contact Nigel now to chat about the opportunity. 📧 [email protected]  🔗 https://lnkd.in/e4ZqqRAy

Jason Hogg is partnering up with Nixon Hire, as they search for a Financial Accountant to join the team. Swipe through the carousel to explore the opportunity in more detail, or reach out to Jason directly to discuss. 📧 [email protected] 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNH248wV

We’re proud to share that the Blair West team took on the Tyne Marathon, walking over 40km from Hexham to Newcastle Quayside in support of the Community Foundation North East 💪 It was an incredible team effort (and a very long day on our feet!), complete with two of the Blair West dogs joining in on the fun as well as a few unexpected wrong turns along the way, but we still made it back to Newcastle with mostly smiles all around! We’re thrilled to be 80% of the way to our fundraising target, and it would be amazing to get that number even higher. Every donation helps the Community Foundation continue their vital work supporting communities across our region 💙 You can support our efforts here: https://lnkd.in/e74ASTsF

Nine years. 150 people. 106 countries. Zero outside investment. In this snippet from the High Growth Leadership Podcast, Mark Edmondson, CEO and Co-Founder of Inflo, explains why he chose to scale without raising capital, and why belief in his leadership team was the biggest growth engine of all. “If you have a plan everyone’s inspired by, that you believe will disrupt the market, and you don’t need capital, why would you raise it?” For Mark, the answer was clear: an aligned, home-grown senior leadership team that shared the vision to disrupt the accountancy industry. Their commitment gave Inflo the confidence to stay independent and execute at pace, without external pressure shaping the journey. For founders, this is a reminder that funding isn’t always the answer. Sometimes the most powerful investment you can make is in your people, your culture, and the clarity of a shared vision. 🎧 Watch the full episode now on YouTube & Spotify. https://lnkd.in/e3AG4eUJ

Optimism isn’t a nice-to-have for founders; it’s the fuel that keeps you pushing ahead when things feel stuck. In this snippet from the High Growth Leadership Podcast, Victoria Lynch, Founder of Additional Lengths, reflects on the early days of launching her business when growth was slower than she hoped. “I could see the trend coming. I was ahead of the curve. So it was just a case of banging that drum, and keeping on banging it, until it got into people’s minds.” For Victoria, it wasn’t about waiting for the market to catch up. It was about holding onto her vision with 100% optimism and turning every setback into a reason to push harder. That’s what being a founder demands: knowing when you’re ahead of the curve and having the resilience to stick with it until everyone else sees what you saw from the start. 🎧 Watch the full episode now on YouTube & Spotify. https://lnkd.in/eZzFywkU

Camille Thompson is working with Buston & Maughan Group to appoint a HR Manager. Join a 90‑strong business specialising in heating, kitchen, and bathroom upgrades across social housing, B&M served over 11,500 properties last year. With Foresight Group now investing via a minority deal, the business is scaling via acquisition-led growth, alongside new leadership appointments.  Read more about their recent investment: https://lnkd.in/eSTmENQv Or reach out to Camille to learn more about the HR Manager role. 📧 [email protected]