An interview with our new Chair: Richard Ingleton

One relationship where synergy is incredibly important is between a business and their chair. As someone who offers advice to the senior leadership team and helps shape the direction of the organisation, the coordination between these two parties is essential for business evolution. 

We’d like to take this opportunity to introduce our new chair, Richard Ingleton. Richard joined us officially in December and comes with a wealth of experience and knowledge. 

Richard has vast experience as a chair and non-executive director for both start-ups and large corporates. He specialises in transformation, helping leadership teams to grow their business by understanding the brand and its customers’ needs. Combining product, process, channels, capability, data and technology, Richard has a proven track record of achieving sustainable profit growth both in the UK and internationally. 

What excites you most about your new role as Chair at Yard? 

It’s a business that is in the right time and place to grow: Yard has some exciting offers and people that are expert in what they are doing. 

How does Yard align with your vision and mission? 

The businesses that do best start with a good group of people and from that, customers get well served with good offers. It seems to me that Yard is like this but can certainly get better. 

What are your strengths and specialisms? 

I think that’s for others to judge, but I’ve worked in big companies and in start-ups and I always enjoy it most when we’re clear on how we are going to grow and then have the plan and the people to support it. 

How do you generate great ideas? 

Most of the best business ideas come from active listening, particularly to experts and customers.  You then have to take the risk that always comes with something new, give it your best shot, but stay critical as you get into it – because most good ideas evolve into something better. 

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from a mentor? 

That depends upon what the topic is, so there isn’t a single piece of advice that works for all people and in all situations, but perhaps the closest one is to ‘treat people how you’d like to be treated yourself.’  That’s usually hardest when there is conflict or difficult situations to deal with, but that’s also when it works best. 

What do you do to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader? 

Stay curious, keep learning and don’t for a second think you know everything. 

How do you measure success? 

Again, it depends. In business though, it generally means growth, and growth of profit margins in the long term. This makes a business strong and that helps the people in it. 

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? 

I spend a lot of time drawing; I work as an artist for a local charity and sell commissions of pen and ink buildings to support the charity.  You’ll find some examples on my Instagram. I also like to exercise, to read and to play sports suitable for older people (mainly golf). 

Tell us a fun fact about you.

My great great grandfather was in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussauds.  I’ll leave you to speculate who and why… his surname though was Marwood.  Don’t worry though, it doesn’t run in the family.