Following our September 2026 Employee Ownership – Virtual Knowledge Share, Michael Hodgson the People and Culture Director at Loadhog, and featured speaker of our event, tells his journey of joining an employee owned business and how the opportunities he received on his leadership journey informed his approach to supporting others.
This interview forms part of Stephens Scown’s Employee Owners Knowledge Sharing series, where we invite leaders, trustees and employee owners to share practical insights on employee ownership.
What first attracted you to Gripple and employee ownership?
I’d recently graduated from university and was looking for graduate programmes. I was initially drawn to some of the quirks of the business at the time; the fact they rang a bell when they got an order, hit a buzzer in their R&D department when they wanted to discuss a new idea, and the EO structure, which I knew very little about; all these things contributed to a sense it was a business I wanted to work for.
How did GLIDE shape your leadership journey?
It’s the most significant development experience I’ve ever had! I went from working in a role managing comms in the business, with one direct report, to being responsible for a board of 50 people, representing 1000 employee owners across our business. It allowed me to develop priorities and agenda for my 5 years in the role, develop my understanding of the business, work across regions and cultures, understand the mechanics of the businesses in far more detail, and be involved in projects which shaped, developed and supported people. It was an unbelievably varied and enriching experience.
What were your priorities as GLIDE Chair?
The headlines were; improve communication and engagement with GLIDE, so improve the regularity of communications, the channels we use and the amount of insight we share; develop the elected representative role through more structured and regular training so we raise the level of the board while also ensuring the role is an aspirational development opportunity; create opportunity for our members to enjoy the benefit of dividend income; regionalise elements of the board so we brought more effective challenge across all areas of our business, and continue to profile the sector to new and interested parties. I think we made good progress in every area!
Why is transparency vital in employee-owned businesses?
Your owners need to understand what’s going on in the business. It’s their right and our responsibility so we need to share as much insight as is possible. It’s also an integral part of how you drive the culture and subsequent growth of the business. We want to equip people with insight so they feel energised to challenge, offer their ideas, and help to shape the business – that’s a massive part of how we grow.
How can junior employees demonstrate leadership early?
I think you should be looking for cultural alignment first. Your leaders set the tone for the culture so you need people with an inherent understanding of your cultural principles leading people. I think you’re looking for people able to demonstrate a desire to lead and influence without formal responsibility, so role modelling the way, communicating proactively, having difficult conversations, supporting their colleagues. We try to ensure there are lots of opportunities to ‘lead’ in our business, in different ways. Leading on a charity activity, leading a CI event, taking part in employer brand events, becoming a GLIDE rep; these are good examples of how our people can practice leadership behaviours in different ways.
How do you create a shared ownership culture?
Having EO governance that works and is understood is a big starting point. Having the business’s key performance principles weaved into the governance ofthe EO structure ensures there’s clarity on what matters and what doesn’t. You need leaders living and breathing EO, without exception for it to be felt across the business. You also need a model of EO that creates opportunity, delivers value and allows everyone to participate. The other element is really profiling and celebrating success, and taking opportunities to reinforce the impact and opportunity being employee owned represents.
What should businesses prioritise for employee ownership success?
Being clear on the purpose of the business and the way your employee owners drive its success! Being intentional around how you prioritise people; develop them, trust them, allow them to make mistakes, allow them to say what they think constructively and with the business at heart. Crucially, don’t compromise your cultural principles or how you hold people to account on the behaviours that make the business what it is.
Next steps
The biggest of thanks to Michael for sharing his experience with such honesty, to help and inspire others. Stephens Scown hosts the Employee Ownership – Virtual Knowledge Share monthly to help create a community space for employee owners, and those looking to transition. If you are interested in joining future sessions, please visit our Events page.