This week Nick talks to Val Hamilton

Val initially trained as a teacher, travelling and working abroad in Copenhagen and later in Boston, where she began working with challenging adolescents. On returning to the UK, Val settled in London and transitioned into the private sector. After studying at Sheffield Business School, she became a personal and organisational development consultant in the City, working with major banks, insurance companies and legal firms to address complex people and cultural issues.

Nick and Val discus Val's latest book - Pirates, Punters, and Politicians: How the Bank of England Was Founded. Drawing on her background in English literature, organisational development and financial history, Val explains how her doctoral work uncovered surprising connections between dissenting religious communities, the rise of the novel, and the emergence of modern banking.

The conversation follows the life of William Paterson — the Scottish dissenter, merchant and adventurer who helped found the world’s first central bank. From treasure-hunting voyages and Caribbean trade routes to London’s coffee houses and taverns, they explore how risk, persuasion and political manoeuvring combined to turn an unlikely idea into a national institution. Together they unpack the theatre, storytelling and financial necessity that persuaded investors and the Crown to back the scheme, while highlighting the tension between entrepreneurial founders and the establishment figures who ultimately took control.

They also reflect on the harsher realities of the period — including slavery, war finance and imperial trade — and consider why Paterson’s contribution has often been overlooked despite his central role.

Val's Book Choice was
The Rise of the Novel: Studies in Defoe, Richardson and Fielding by Ian Watt

Read Val's other book
Daniel Defoe and the Bank of England: The Dark Arts of Projectors

Val's Music Choice was
Maggie May - Rod Stewart

This content is issued by Zeus Capital Limited (“Zeus”) (Incorporated in England & Wales No. 4417845), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) for designated investment business, (Reg No. 224621) and is a member firm of the London Stock Exchange. This content is for information purposes only and neither the information contained, nor the opinions expressed within, constitute or are to be construed as an offer or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities or other instruments mentioned in it. Zeus shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages, including lost profits arising in any way from the information contained in this material. This material is for the use of intended recipients only.

This week Nick talks Ian Schenkel

Ian is an award-winning commercial leader with a proven record of delivering triple-digit global growth and successful turnarounds for SaaS businesses. Experienced in securing major contracts across government and multiple regulated sectors, and trusted as an advisor on business growth and international expansion.

Nick and Ian talk through Ian’s unconventional path into tech and cyber security, starting with his early life on a farm in New Zealand and a series of sales jobs before moving to the UK and discovering software start-ups. Ian shares how he co-founded an early CRM business, made plenty of mistakes around B2C selling and pricing, and used those failures as learning experiences. From there, he built a career launching and scaling US tech companies across Europe, repeatedly growing small teams into multi-million-pound operations and navigating acquisitions. They explore the realities of start-up life — rapid pivots, hiring the right people, learning fast, and the difference between heavy corporate operators and “street-fighter” builders who can create traction from scratch.

The conversation also covers Ian’s later successes, including a mobile app business with his brother that exploded after being featured by Apple, and his current focus on cyber security, as well as how he helps companies fix failing regions, EMEA & APAC sales strategy and go-to-market execution.

Ian's book choices where:
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Priceless by William Poundstone

Ian's music choice was:
Telegraph Road - Dire Straits

This content is issued by Zeus Capital Limited (“Zeus”) (Incorporated in England & Wales No. 4417845), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) for designated investment business, (Reg No. 224621) and is a member firm of the London Stock Exchange. This content is for information purposes only and neither the information contained, nor the opinions expressed within, constitute or are to be construed as an offer or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities or other instruments mentioned in it. Zeus shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages, including lost profits arising in any way from the information contained in this material. This material is for the use of intended recipients only.

This week Nick talks to Brusk Korkmaz

Brusk Korkmaz has over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry, building a broad and respected career across civil engineering and labour supply. In 2008, he founded Hercules PLC, reflecting his strong entrepreneurial drive. Prior to this, Brusk held senior roles at leading organisations including MJ Gleeson, Black & Veatch, and Hochtief UK.

Nick and Brusk discuss Brusk’s journey from moving to the UK to study civil engineering at UCL to building a career across major UK infrastructure projects. Brusk explains his motivation for working in civil engineering, rooted in improving everyday life through essential infrastructure such as water, power and transport. After gaining experience at leading contractors, he founded Hercules in 2008 during the financial crisis, identifying a gap in the market for reliable, skilled and compliant labour supply. What began with water-sector projects grew steadily into a specialist business supplying over 25 trades across infrastructure.

The conversation then focuses on Hercules’ growth, its technology-enabled workforce model and its role in addressing skills shortages across UK infrastructure. Brusk outlines how the company uses digital tools to match qualified workers to local projects quickly, alongside a dedicated training academy that upskills and retrains thousands of people. Nick and Brusk also explore long-term infrastructure investment in water, energy and transport, the importance of compliance and workforce retention, and Hercules’ strategy of organic growth alongside targeted acquisitions. Together, they highlight how labour supply, training and technology combine to support the delivery of large, regulated infrastructure projects across the UK.

Brusk's Book Choices
Losing my Virginity by Sir Richard Branson
What it takes by Stephen A. Schwarzman

Brusk's Music Choices
Dancing in the Moonlight - Toploader
Don't Stop me Now - Queen

This content is issued by Zeus Capital Limited (“Zeus”) (Incorporated in England & Wales No. 4417845), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) for designated investment business, (Reg No. 224621) and is a member firm of the London Stock Exchange. This content is for information purposes only and neither the information contained, nor the opinions expressed within, constitute or are to be construed as an offer or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities or other instruments mentioned in it. Zeus shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages, including lost profits arising in any way from the information contained in this material. This material is for the use of intended recipients only.