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Anton Roe – How the best companies grow their own future leaders
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Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 64
Anton Roe – How the best companies grow their own future leaders
SUMMARY
Anton Roe first joined the fledgling MHR payroll software company as an apprentice, on a £27-a-week Youth Training Scheme. More than 30 years later, Anton is now the company’s CEO – and MHR software pays the salary of more than three million people across Britain.
In Episode 64 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, Anton tells Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi about his rise from tech trainee to strategic leader.
He passionately believes that chief execs are only as good as the teams of colleagues they build around them. Which is how the best companies nurture talented staff – and grow their own future leaders.
INTRODUCTION
• Anton Roe is Chief Executive at Nottingham-based HR, payroll and finance technology company MHR International.
• MHR manages human resources for companies, councils, universities and Government departments – including Admiral, Trailfinders, Companies House and the National Gallery.
• The company employs more than 900 people, has more than 1,400 customers and provides payroll services to more than three million people.
• Anton started at the company as an apprentice analyst, on a Youth Training Scheme, back in the 1990s.
• He was appointed Chief Exec in 2017 when the company’s turnover was £50m and it employed 600 people. Today turnover has increased to more than £134m – and in 2024 MHR took on a 900th staff member.
• In 2021 MHR was granted a prestigious Royal Warrant for the supply of Payroll and HR Systems to the Royal Household.
• In 2024 MHR was one of the Sunday Times’ 100 best places to work in Britain.
• MHR was founded by John Mills, in 1984, as Midland Software Limited. His daughter Jessica Mills was appointed Chairman in 2021.
LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS
1. Strong leadership means everyone understands what you’re trying to do…
“We’ve tried to make sure that what we’re trying to achieve and why it’s so important is absolutely crystal clear and people are on that journey with us.”
2. Good leaders tailor communication for different roles in the business…
“How we talk to a team of salespeople is not the [same] way we talk to a team of software engineers or consultants.”
3. You can build a successful career within one company by constantly evolving…
“If you’re prepared to move with the times, take on board new ideas, not be afraid of change… absolutely you can [build a career in a single company].”
4. Success in leadership depends on trusting and empowering your team…
“No manager, no matter how capable they are, can survive if they haven’t built a good team of people around them... All good business leaders surround themselves with people who’ve got skills they don’t have. No person is an island."
5. Effective problem-solvers understand the challenge…
“First port of call is to absolutely understand what the problem is before you rush to the solution.”
6. Successful leaders embrace continuous learning…
“I needed to push myself into areas that maybe I wasn’t necessarily comfortable with. Also not be afraid to accept that the skills I had were quickly getting out of date.”
7. Long-term investment creates stability and reduces friction in leadership decision-making…
“We reinvest 20 per cent of our turnover back into the business… my job is to make sure we spend that money effectively, but we’re constantly moving the company forward.”
8. Don’t be afraid to delay decisions if something isn’t ready…
“[On one occasion] I should have had a grown-up conversation about a software project not being ready to be released to customers, rather than worrying about hitting a date. I learned my lesson!”
9. Let passion for your industry fuel your leadership…
“I get excited by opportunities… AI is going to present so many opportunities for people to do so many things differently.”
RELATED LINKS
• Anton Roe is CEO of MHR International. The company website is here…
• Anton Roe’s LinkedIn profile is here…
• Anton Roe’s profile on business website The Org is here…
If you enjoyed this episode NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Anton Roe, listen to previous episodes with…
• the former VP of Manufacturing at Toyota Europe Marvin Cooke OBE
• the former CEO of e-commerce fashion retailer ASOS Nick Beighton
67 episodes
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