Swim Against The Tide Podcast: Ep008 – Neil Bartholomew, KCOM

Leadership and Personal Growth

In this conversation, Neil Bartholomew, MD of KCOM’s retail division, shares his journey from a working-class background in South Yorkshire to leading a telecommunications company. He discusses KCOM’s rich history, its evolution in the broadband market, and the challenges it faces from larger competitors as the markets open up.

Neil emphasises the importance of customer experience, innovation, and adaptability in a rapidly changing industry. He also reflects on his management style, the significance of purpose-driven leadership, and the need for continuous learning and development in both personal and organisational contexts to really make a difference.

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The idea behind Swim Against The Tide podcast is to meet founders and leaders of businesses who have launched and operate in competitive markets, taking the bigger, more established players head on. It is about exploring what drove them, how their brand stood out, what they had to do to win and what lessons they have learned that they can share with the listeners to hopefully inspire them to take their own journey.

The show is presented by Steve Henry, Co-Founder of the specialist marketing group Audience Collective. Steve has enjoyed a 30-year career in advertising helping 100s of brands win and grow. He is passionate about telling these stories and sharing their journeys, both good and bad, to help the next generation learn and encourage them to one day start their own challenger brand.

If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email satt@thisisaudience.com and we will be in touch.