I recently went one-on-one with Kevin Gaskell. Kevin was previously the CEO of BMW UK and Ireland, EurotaxGlass’s, and Fairline Yachts.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Kevin: My career began in engineering, but I was quickly drawn to business. I joined Porsche at a time when the company was heading into serious trouble. Sales were collapsing, morale was low, and the brand had lost its way. I was appointed as a very naïve 32 year old Managing Director with the challenge of rescuing the company. Within five years, we had transformed the business, created a world-class culture, and moved from last to first in the national customer service survey. The brand was trusted again, sales were rebuilt, and the dealers operated with renewed confidence. In other words, customers were enjoying what we were providing. As a result, we created the most profitable Porsche operation in the world.
The Porsche experience taught me the power of focus and teamwork. Later, as Managing Director of BMW GB, I led a different style of revitalisation that resulted in a successful business accelerating to record growth and substantially improved customer satisfaction. It was achieved by inspiring the existing team and creating a culture where they could grow and flourish.
After fifteen years in the corporate world, I wanted a different kind of challenge and opportunity away from global giants, so I stepped away to build my own companies. I have founded and invested in 15 businesses across sectors from technology to gardening. Most have thrived, one failed, and a few are still fighting their way forward. Each one taught me something new. The greatest lesson I have learned is that resilience beats brilliance. You will have occasions where you fall over, but what matters is that you get up smarter.
Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?
Kevin: Clarity of purpose is absolutely essential. You need to know precisely why your business exists and what problem it solves. Then build a team of people who share that vision and are empowered to make decisions.
Scaling successfully is about discipline, not chaos. Put in place processes that allow success to be repeated, but never let the culture become mechanical. Your people must feel they’re part of something meaningful.
Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of marketing and branding?
Kevin: A brand is not a logo, it’s a promise. At Porsche and BMW, that promise was performance and precision, and every decision reinforced it. Smaller companies can apply exactly the same principle: say what you stand for and deliver it consistently.
Successful marketing begins with understanding the customer better than anyone else. When you truly empathise with their needs, you can communicate authentically and clearly. People don’t buy perfection; they buy trust.
Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?
Kevin: Integrity, clarity, and energy. You must be honest, communicate a clear direction, and bring the enthusiasm that inspires others to follow. Leadership isn’t about command, it’s about creating belief.
The best leaders listen. They value every voice in the room and encourage challenge. When people feel heard, they take ownership, and that’s when performance takes off.
Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Kevin: Step into the unknown. Growth never happens in comfort. Seek out projects that stretch you and expose you to new pressures.
And keep learning – from books, mentors, colleagues, and even your competitors. Leadership is not a certificate; it’s a lifelong apprenticeship.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Kevin:
- Set a bold vision. People rally behind ambition, not caution.
- Build teams of believers. Skills can be taught; attitude cannot.
- Move fast and learn faster. Momentum creates opportunity.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
Kevin: Hire people who care and then trust them to be brilliant. Create an environment where ideas are valued, failure is part of learning, and success is shared.
At Porsche and BMW, once the team believed that they could win, they were on the journey to winning. That sense of shared purpose is the magic ingredient in any high-performing team.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Kevin: “Don’t be afraid to let go and start again.” That line has shaped my life. Leaving a successful corporate career to start from scratch was daunting, but reinvention is never failure; it’s simply the next chapter of growth.
Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Kevin: I’ve seen ordinary people do extraordinary things in business, in sport, and even rowing across the Atlantic. What they all share is belief, teamwork, and relentless focus.
Extraordinary isn’t about genius or luck. It’s about ordinary people who refuse to quit, working together with passion and purpose until the impossible becomes inevitable.
