CEO Today UK Awards 2021

13 CEO TODAY UNITED KINGDOM AWARDS 2021 Automotive Manufacturing What are the main business lessons you’ve taken from the pandemic? I am used to handling crises and one lesson you learn quickly is not to panic, to think things through, draw out the possibilities and then provide clear objectives and strong leadership so the team can react and take a clear lead on the way forward. The pandemic has accelerated many aspects of working that are positive, particularly people’s work-life balance. Online meetings are now routine and save huge amounts of time, however, the ability to influence and take tough decisions online is a skill that needs to be developed. How are you preparing for business post-COVID-19? Sir Winston Churchill was credited with saying: “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. Radical has certainly been busy preparing for the post-COVID-19 crisis. Having finally resolved all the legacy issues that beset Radical, in January 2021, I confidently moved our strategy to become marketing and sales led and product-driven. We have rebuilt both our marketing and sales teams with top talent during 2020 and invested in developing our ERP and CAD systems to enable better information flow across the world. We have engaged external agencies who will collaborate with our brand to produce a stronger image that will enable us to continue our growth trajectory in markets where we don’t have a presence yet. We are actively developing Radical’s online series. We are emerging from COVID-19 in a much stronger position than the one we were in before the first lockdown. It was a high-risk strategy that has certainly paid off. If I had to face the same type of crisis again, I would do the exact same things I did over the last year! What excites you about the future of Radical Sportscars? What’s on the company’s agenda for 2021 and beyond? What is not to like about sportscars? The cars are exciting and our customers are a brilliant, eclectic mix of passionate racers who enjoy their sport to the full in some of the most beautiful parts of the world. Our team is young, with 30 being the average age, and they all have an amazing potential to develop their skills. The investment in the company we made last year has positioned us for the next three years when we plan to develop the Radical brand to reach an audience not currently engaged or perhaps unaware of the Radical cars and experiences. Our dealer partners are the jewels in Radical’s crown, and the plan is to continue looking for new partners in locations where we currently have no presence - India, South America, and South Africa included. Can you add a few words about this award and what it means to you? I am passionate about my job and do not always pause to reflect on what has been achieved, often under very difficult circumstances. This award gave me that opportunity and it has come at the perfect time, not only for what we have achieved at Radical but, in some small way, what Radical has contributed to UK plc and other economies around the world during a period of unprecedented uncertainty.