Big Boss Interview

podcast.support@bbc.co.uk

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

#41 Barratt Redrow CEO: Bricklaying Robots & Echoes of 2008

May 27, 2026

David Thomas, the outgoing chief executive of Barratt Redrow, says bricklaying robots are already being deployed on commercial building sites and predicts a revolution in how homes are built over the next decade.Factory-built timber frames, off-site manufacturing and “brick-simulation” cladding are beginning to reshape the construction industry, reducing the amount of labour required on site and changing how developments are assembled. Thomas believes the biggest transformation will come beyo...

#40 Next CEO: The Crisis Facing Entry-Level Employment

May 25, 2026

Lord Wolfson, Chief Executive of Next and a Conservative peer, warns Britain is facing a crisis in entry-level employment. Applicants for every shop vacancy at Next have almost doubled from 10 to 19 in just two years — a trend he describes as “indicative of just how big the crisis is in youth unemployment.” Across retail and the wider economy, he says there has been “a dramatic fall in entry-level employment opportunities” as rising National Insurance and National Living Wage costs push up th...

#39 Amazon UK Boss: Make Work Experience Mandatory for Over-16s

May 21, 2026

Amazon's UK boss has called for work experience to be made mandatory for everyone aged sixteen and over, describing it as "the most transformative thing" he has seen for young people entering the workforce. John Boumphrey argues that the education system is not producing work-ready school leavers and that the blame should fall on the system rather than on young people themselves.The cost of living crisis and its effect on retail pricing is a constant theme. Just this week the govenment called...