Dynamic, Ambitious & Results focused: Barry Leahey MBE. MD & Jonathan Bowman-Perks: Inspiring leadership interview

Barry Leahey MBE MD and Advisor.

At the age of 7 Barry watched Sebastian Coe break the 800m World Record at that point he knew he wanted to be the best at what he did, the journey of building resilience and courage to become a great Business leader had started. Barry is MD of Playdale Playgrounds, the UK’s leading Manufacturer of Outdoor Children’s Playground Equipment, he has led them into 49 countries covering 57% of the global population. Playdale and Barry have won multiple national awards in Export, Manufacturing and Leadership, personally receiving an MBE for services to International Trade and Exports.

In 2018 he was named IoD North West ‘Global Director of the Year’ as well as ‘Cumbria Businessperson of the Year’. He was recently made an Honorary Professor at Lancaster University Management School as well as featuring in The Telegraph’s Top 50 Most Ambitious UK Business Leaders and inducted into The Manufacturer Top 100 people in the UK Manufacturing Hall of Fame. He lives his Leadership top tip of ‘make every day count!”

He describes himself as follows on social Media:

Dynamic, ambitious and results focused Managing Director educated to MBA level with international experience in both blue chip and SME environments. Highly self-motivated and resourceful with a proven ability to develop, strengthen and inspire global teams in order to maximise company efficiency and shareholder profit. A track record in successfully engaging customers, suppliers and stakeholders to establish long-term successful partnerships.

Significantly experienced in turnaround managing P&L budgets, managing large, multi-disciplined teams and implementing cultural change to drive accelerated growth and profit. Equipped with a thorough understanding of the sales process and people psychology; able to leverage a genuine people focused management philosophy to motivate and empower teams and individuals to regularly exceed challenging objectives and targets.

As a volunteer: in 2018 became Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) – Honorary Teaching Fellow, Lancaster University Management School and active in CSR events personally raising in excess of £3,500 in 2018

Area’s of Expertise: TURNAROUND, LEAN MANUFACTURING, EXPORTING, SALES (Customer acquisition and retention), MARKETING (Digital and Traditional), FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & COST CONTROL, IMPLEMENTING POLICIES, STRATEGIC PLANNING, CUSTOMER AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, TALENT IDENTIFICATION / MANAGEMENT, STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

Specialties: Outgoing, dominant, task leader, driven, passionate, positive, inquisitive, competitive, assertive, systematic, precise, careful, adaptable, eager, active, demonstrative, emotionally stable, perfectionistic, bold, energetic, strong communicator who thinks on his feet, hard working, thorough, determined, persevering, enthusiastic leader, rapid organisational skills, effective and efficient time manager, articulate and competitive self starter, constantly strives to make improvements