CEO reveals the secret ingredient to his progression and ambitious growth plans

We talk to one of Gloucestershire’s newest CEOs about why he believes a £70m turnover is possible, how he’s readied himself for his role, and why people remain paramount in a business driven by tech.

Dear readers,

I hope you’ve had a good week.

Today we bring you two main stories - about changes of leadership and growth - and your job (which won’t be very hard as we’ve spelt it out) is to spot the common factor that’s made both possible for both firms.

There are no prizes, we’re afraid. Other than the pleasure of reading each, of course!

But first, a story about a business I had the pleasure of working closely with in a previous life, and one of those firms you just feel deserves its good work to be championed. And it has been

Any business that has tackled the assault challenges that lead to B Corp status will no doubt tip their hat to this Stonehouse business - and understand the joy evident in the picture that accompanies the story.

Unfortunately all that copy means putting anything else onboard would break our email system - so we’ve had to refrain from the usual diary dates and briefing notes!

Today’s main story is paywalled too, part of our effort to do right by our growing membership, which all helps pay for what we do.

Best regards,

Andrew.

Andrew Merrell (editor).

For every person you refer to The Raikes Journal’s email service you get points towards a free membership allowing you to see beyond our paywalls. Please do sign up (free or otherwise), send the referral link to a friend or colleague, and help us grow.

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Celebrating success - Gloucestershire’s latest B Corp

Praise has been heaped onto the latest Gloucestershire business to win B Corp status, the sought-after accreditation awarded to firms that achieve a demanding range of ethical and environmental standards.

Victoria Petkovic Short, co-chair of BLocal Gloucestershire, which represents the growing army of ethical businesses in the county, said the achievements of Stonehouse-based online learning solutions firm Nimble Elearning were to be applauded.

“I think, with Nimble, that brings the total of B Corps in Gloucestershire to about 55,” said Petkovic Short. “It is a massive achievement by Nimble, and not easy for smaller firms. It shows a commitment to social values here in Gloucestershire – but it’s a status that also has a big impact financially for a business as well.

Certified B Corporations™ (B Corps) are described as leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Nimble was assessed by the nonprofit B Lab™ across five key areas: Governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. Achieving B Corp certification requires a minimum score of 80, but Nimble Elearning far exceeded it, scoring 102.

“We’ve always believed that business can be a force for good,” said Neil Hyde, managing director of Nimble Elearning. “B Corp certification reinforces our long-standing values – ensuring we stay accountable to our people, planet, customers and community.”

Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, said: “Welcoming Nimble Elearning is an exciting moment for the elearning industry. B Lab UK and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased that Nimble Elearning is paving the way for a new way of doing things.”

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The secret formula helping drive growth at Gloucestershire law firm

News that Camella Cephas would be taking over as managing partner at law firm WSP actually broke back in May. But Cephas (pictured above, left) actually officially took the reins this month (July) and is now in situ as successor to long-standing managing director Judi Bonham, who joined the firm in 1998.

Head of commercial property, Amy Leivers (pictured above, right), who has been with WSP since 2017, has also now stepped up to deputy managing director.

We focus on the moves here because it fits with our main article below, also about how a county business nurtured and brought through one of its own - and the benefits of doing so.

If you read closely, you'll notice some common factor that made the moves possible for both firms - the business that helped develop its future leaders. We also thought it of note that both WSP and Prima Healthcare, the subject of our main story, were able to announce significant growth in the same breath too.

The smooth handover from Bonham to Cephas hides years of planning that began with the former’s own personal development journey with leadership development specialists QuoLux (the same firm that worked closely with Prima’s Dan Hodgson too).

For Bonham it was not just about ensuring a business that has been around for 260 years continued to thrive, but a dawning realisation that investing in the leadership skills of its staff team even while she was in charge was key to creating the vibrant, purpose-driven culture she wanted.

“Investment in people brings depth of experience, knowledge, as well as new ideas and confidence to take them forward - all of which are important for a strong structure and growth,” said Bonham, who took over from Peter Mardon as managing director in 2015. Mardon being another graduate of the QuoLux programmes.

Cephas’s own journey through the same programme was key to her being singled out for the ultimate leadership role. Which means it’s been a busy few years since she joined WSP Solicitors in 2020, becoming a board director and head of children and care law in 2022.

“Our vision is to be a high-performing, forward-thinking firm nurturing a culture of continuous learning, one that challenges us to grow, not just in size or turnover, but in impact, building stronger relationships with our clients, each other and modernising how we work,” said Cephas.

Bonham, who has been with the firm since 1998, will remain with WSP Solicitors as a board director and children’s law solicitor with a continued focus on learning and development, as well as maintaining close relationships with her clients.

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CEO reveals the secret ingredient to his progression and ambitious growth plans

We talk to one of Gloucestershire’s newest CEOs about why he believes a £70m turnover is possible, how he’s readied himself for his role, and why people remain paramount in a business driven by tech.

By Andrew Merrell.

I meet Dan Hodgson in his office, upstairs at the Waterwells Business Park-based headquarters of the firm he now steers – to discuss his first six months at the helm, and his plans for Prima Healthcare Group to grow significantly by 2030.

Hodgson became chief executive officer of the business (formerly Prima Dental) at the start of this year, a firm already established as one of Gloucestershire and the UK’s export success stories, as well a leader in its field.

That field being precision engineering. To be more exact, it’s the manufacture of dental burs - those rotating pieces of metal dentists wield to keep our teeth healthy.

We’ve left out the turnover figure he thinks the business is capable of achieving, but even so, a target of £70 million is impressive enough.

Accounts published this week show a turnover of £44.8 million for the year ending 31 December 2024, up from £37.9m.

It speaks volumes of his ambition. For a new CEO coming into the business it might all sound a little enthusiastic so early in his reign, but Hodgson has been with Prima 18 years - a large chunk of that responsible for selling its product worldwide - and he knows it inside out.

His enthusiasm is infectious. We chat about his priorities currently, how he developed himself ready to hit the ground running in his new role, how he’s already changing the culture of the business and developing its leaders of the future, and he name-checks the county firm of experts that has been key to both of those.