In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Helen Drayton, CEO of Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP, a full-service UK and international law firm with more than 300 years of history. With offices across the UK, Europe, and Asia and FY25 revenue of £120 million, the firm is focused on purposeful growth, guided by its ambition to become ‘the most human law firm.’

Helen shares how she is leading the firm through evolving client expectations, all while keeping people, values, and sustainability at the core of the firm’s decision-making. Helen also shines light on how the firm is thoughtfully integrating AI and aligning its three-year strategic plan around what clients truly value.

In their conversation, they explore:

· How ‘the most human law firm’ became the organising ambition for Penningtons’ strategy and culture.

· The role of Project Alaska in defining the firm’s values and identity.

· Why strong foundations –brand, collaboration, innovation—drive sustainable commercial performance.

· How the firm is integrating AI to support quality, sustainability and client value.

· Why authenticity, accessibility, and trust sit at the heart of Helen’s leadership.

· How the firm is shaping its long-term strategy following the Thomas Cooper merger.

Penningtons Manches Cooper: https://www.penningtonslaw.com/

Menkus & Associates website: https://www.menkus.com/

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Belden Menkus, Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, works with CEOs and senior leaders to align their strategy and purpose. Working with organisations where leadership is shared rather than centralised, Belden's work is defined by intellectual clarity, collaboration, and a commitment to practical results. Drawing on his experience at McKinsey & Company and decades spent advising complex organisations, he supports mid-sized institutions—particularly law firms and membership bodies—as they navigate strategic inflexion points and build enduring value during periods of uncertainty.

He is a public speaker and strategic thinker with a wide intellectual range, bringing together business insight, historical perspective, and cultural curiosity—combining the instincts of a consultant with those of a historian and an explorer of ideas. In addition to consulting, he hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a weekly podcast discussing how business leaders themselves bring purpose into real strategic action.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks with Douglas McCormick, Chief Executive Officer of Pegasus Group — one of the UK’s leading independent multidisciplinary development consultancies, bringing together planning, design, environment, infrastructure, and heritage. Since stepping into the role in 2024, Douglas has guided Pegasus through a period of strategic growth, building scale and capability while preserving what makes the firm distinctive: its boutique feel, deep expertise, and exceptional people.

Douglas shares how Pegasus is expanding its services, strengthening its influence across the built environment, and growing client relationships that endure beyond any single individual. He reflects on the challenge of balancing creative ambition with commercial discipline, and how clarity of purpose acts as an anchor for decision-making.

In their conversation, they explore:

• How to scale a thriving specialist consultancy without losing its character or values.
• Why purpose must define strategic boundaries, investment choices, and behaviour.
• How to balance design creativity, client ambition, and return on investment.
• Why “people buy people” — and how culture, trust, and listening sustain growth.
• How to create places people love to be in, from community spaces to service stations.
• The role of courage, generosity, and assertive conversations in leading through change.

Pegasus Group: https://www.pegasusgroup.co.uk/

MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Belden Menkus, Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, works with CEOs and senior leaders to align their strategy and purpose. Working with organisations where leadership is shared rather than centralised, Belden's work is defined by intellectual clarity, collaboration, and a commitment to practical results. Drawing on his experience at McKinsey & Company and decades spent advising complex organisations, he supports mid-sized institutions—particularly law firms and membership bodies—as they navigate strategic inflexion points and build enduring value during periods of uncertainty.

He is a public speaker and strategic thinker with a wide intellectual range, bringing together business insight, historical perspective, and cultural curiosity—combining the instincts of a consultant with those of a historian and an explorer of ideas. In addition to consulting, he hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a weekly podcast discussing how business leaders themselves bring purpose into real strategic action.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist, Belden Menkus speaks withJim Islam, Chief Executive Officer of OneFamily, one of the UK’s leading financial mutuals. With a 50-year history and 1.5 million customers, OneFamily exists to inspire better futures—helping individuals and families build long-term financial resilience through inclusive savings, investment, and protection products.

Jim shares how OneFamily has reinvented itself while staying true to its founding purpose—diversifying its offerings, investing in technology, and redesigning customer experiences to make long-term financial products more accessible for new generations. He reflects on the challenge of leading transformation in a sector built on trust and long time horizons, and why collaborative strategy, people-centred innovation, and cultural alignment are essential to sustainable change.

In their conversation, they explore:

· How mutuals and purpose-led organisations are experiencing a cultural resurgence.

· Why deeply collaborative strategy-building creates genuine buy-in during transformation.

· How people-centred process design can drive innovation across an entire sector.

· The role of financial institutions in enabling social mobility and long-term resilience.

· How to adopt new technologies, including AI, without compromising customer trust.

· Why a possibilist mindset is essential for leadership in periods of uncertainty and change.

One Family: https://www.onefamily.com/

MenKus & Associates: https://www.menkus.com/

Supported by Norman Broadbent: https://www.normanbroadbent.com/

Belden Menkus, Managing Director of Menkus & Associates, works with CEOs and senior leaders to align their strategy and purpose. Working with organisations where leadership is shared rather than centralised, Belden's work is defined by intellectual clarity, collaboration, and a commitment to practical results. Drawing on his experience at McKinsey & Company and decades spent advising complex organisations, he supports mid-sized institutions—particularly law firms and membership bodies—as they navigate strategic inflexion points and build enduring value during periods of uncertainty.

He is a public speaker and strategic thinker with a wide intellectual range, bringing together business insight, historical perspective, and cultural curiosity—combining the instincts of a consultant with those of a historian and an explorer of ideas. In addition to consulting, he hosts The Purposeful Strategist, a weekly podcast discussing how business leaders themselves bring purpose into real strategic action.