This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m kicking off 2026 with an inspiring and forward-looking conversation with Jonathan Bowman-Perks MBE – leadership coach, former British Army Officer, author and host of the Inspiring Leadership podcast.

Jonathan’s career spans 20 years in the British Army, senior roles at PwC, IBM and Penna, and decades working with CEOs and leadership teams at the very top of global organisations.

In this episode, we explore Jonathan’s journey – from early lessons in humility and resilience to commanding under pressure, navigating major career transitions and ultimately finding his purpose as a coach, author and podcaster.

In this thought-provoking episode, Jonathan shares:
⚡ Why leadership in 2026 will demand adaptability, emotional intelligence and the ability to let go.
🎖️ How his time in the British Army shaped his leadership philosophy
🧭 Why great leaders don’t pretend to have all the answers
🚪 How career setbacks, restructures and closed doors pushed him towards entrepreneurship
📚 The story behind “The CEO’s Compass” and how leaders can navigate teams through turbulent times

Jonathan also reflects on his MBE, the mentors who shaped him and why inspiring leadership has never been more important in an age of uncertainty, AI disruption and global change.

Jonathan Bowman-Perks MBE:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanperks/
Website: https://jonathanperks.com/
Inspiring Leadership podcast: https://jonathanperks.com/podcasts/

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

This end-of-year episode is a moment to pause and reflect on some of our brilliant guest insights from the past 12 months – completely honest conversations about the entrepreneurial and leadership journey.

So many great insights – and we wish we had the room to include everyone. For this round-up episode, thank you to Bobby Dutton, Assim Ishaque, Zareen Roohi Ahmed, Emily Gill, Richard Barkey, Mindy Gibbins-Klein and Jenny Garrett for your gems and for making this episode a joy to put together.

From embracing imperfection and learning from mistakes, to knowing when to step back as a leader, their insights are a powerful reminder that business confidence is built over time, not overnight.

🙏 A huge thank you to ALL our guests this year for your brilliant contributions and insights including: Sandra Healy, Katharine Plunkett, Liz Sebag-Montefiore, Karl Pontau, Melitta Campbell, Dani Dufresne, Mark Goyder, Andrew Hill, Kate Handy, , Charles Skinner, Steve Ramona, Suvianna Grecu and David B Horne.

And thank you to everyone who’s listened and supported the podcast and also, to Charlotte Walter for her brilliant editing – and patience.

We’ll be back in 2026 with new guests sharing their stories and experiences ✨

Until then, you can catch up on all our 2025 episodes, including this highlights episode via Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts!

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk

This week on The Merri-Cast, I’m joined by the inspiring David B. Horne – founder of Add Then Multiply and Funding Focus.

In this episode, we explore his career, one that spans global finance, corporate leadership, and a mission to level the playing field for underrepresented founders.

From collecting newspaper payments as a boy in Canada to raising £60 million in funding for AIM-listed companies, David’s journey is full lessons and reflections for anyone starting and growing their business.

In this inspiring episode, David shares:
• How a paper round sparked his lifelong interest in business and finance.
• The story behind Add Then Multiply and his formula for helping entrepreneur’s scale.
• The shocking truth about funding inequality and what David is doing about it.
• The lessons he learned, both from successful exist – and ventures that didn’t go to plan.

David also talks about his two books, Add Then Multiply and Funded Female Founders, and how writing them gave him clarity, credibility, and a platform to advocate for fairer access to funding.

Tune in to hear David’s perspective on what it really takes to grow, scale, and sustain a business — and why the key to success is knowing when to let go.

David Horne:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-b-horne/
Add Then Multiply (Company): https://addthenmultiply.com/
Add Then Multiply (Book): Add Then Multiply: How small businesses can think like big businesses and achieve exponential growth
Funding Focus (Company): https://funding-focus.com/
Funded Female Founders (Book): Funded Female Founders: How to traverse the uneven playing field and secure funding to grow your business

Trevor:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormerriden/
Merriborn: https://merriborn.co.uk/
Email: trevor.merriden@merribornmedia.co.uk