Alternatively Speaking
Alternatively Speaking — the new podcast from Grant Thornton that dives into the healthy tensions redefining modern business.
Each month, we unpack the real trade-offs leaders grapple with: strategy vs. risk, purpose vs. performance, ambition vs. sustainability. Through candid conversations and practical insight from industry experts, we help listeners cut through the complexity, challenge assumptions, and discover smarter, more alternative ways to lead.
If you’re ready for deeper thinking, sharper decisions, and perspectives that push the conversation forward, this is the podcast for you.
Alternatively, Grant Thornton.
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Episodes
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
This is Alternatively Speaking. The Grant Thornton podcast where we explore the healthy tensions that shape modern business.
In this episode, host and broadcast journalist Samantha Simmonds is joined by entrepreneur and investor Piers Linney and transformation leader Carolyn Hicks to ask: can purpose truly drive profit, or does one come at the expense of the other?
They discuss the clash between short-term financial pressures and long-term values, why embedding purpose into strategy - not bolting it on - could be the difference between thriving and falling behind, and how shifting consumer expectations and talent priorities are forcing businesses to rethink what success really looks like.
Our guests for this episode are:
Piers Linney, Entrepreneur and former Dragon's Den Investor
Carolyn Hicks, Head of Business Transformation and People Advisory
Enjoyed the episode? Visit our website to listen to future episodes of Alternatively Speaking:
https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
This is Alternatively Speaking. The monthly Grant Thornton podcast where we explore the healthy tensions that shape modern business.
In this episode, host and broadcast journalist Samantha Simmonds is joined by experts in areas of policy, business, and entrepreneurship to explore whether the government can truly deliver for business without compromising its broader responsibilities.
Guests for this episode include:
Helene Reardon-Bond CBE, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Sir Keir Starmer
Jo Fairley, co-founder of Green & Black's
Kevin Coates, Partner at Grant Thornton UK
Enjoyed the episode? Visit our website to listen to future episodes of Alternatively Speaking:
https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/