Nottingham Business School Business Leaders · 2026-03-17 · 28 min
Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast Episode 78 SUMMARY Matthew Blain - Putting people first in a performance-driven world Matthew Blain is a senior HR leader whose career spans some of the UK’s most recognisable institutions - and one of the most demanding ownership environments in business. In Episode 78 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, he reflects on more than two decades of leadership with AstraZeneca, Boots, JD Wetherspoon and University College London. As the current HR Director at private equity-backed Exemplar Health Care, he tells Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi about leadership in the age of AI, the realities of private equity ownership and why HR should sit at the centre of any creative organisation. Matthew also reflects candidly on the mistakes that shaped him - including a pivotal early-career moment that changed how he thought about leadership. He says: “Leadership is a service. You’re in the service of your team.” INTRODUCTION • In 1996 Matthew Blain completed his first degree at Nottingham Trent, a BSc in Business and Quality Management.
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