IN THEIR OWN WORDS, TOP BOSSES WHO BACK THE UK
LORD DEIGHTON CHAIRMAN, HEATHROW AIRPORT (76,600 STAFF)
‘The appetite from Chinese airlines and businesses and tourists to come into London is huge. That’s just business waiting for us to tap. And the other big emerging markets are the same. A big part of the expansion we hope to achieve will be going to the non-EU markets. They will be key for us to be successful in to make Brexit work.’
SIR JAMES DYSON FOUNDER, DYSON (3,500)
‘I’m enormously optimistic. Looking outwards to the rest of the world is very, very important because that’s the fast-growing bit.’
JAMES YEOMANS FOUNDER, HOP STUFF BREWERY (30)
‘You have to take advantage of any opportunity you can. The pound falling was happy days for us. Brexit is a tremendous opportunity. I’m of the opinion that where there is change there is opportunity. This is a really strong trading country. It always has been and it will be in the future. The demand for British products around the world is not going to go away. I’m incredibly optimistic, I just wish we could hurry up and get on with it.’
NEIL KUSCHEL UK VICE-PRESIDENT OF SALES, DHL EXPRESS (43,500)
‘Exports outside the EU are growing at four times the rate of those inside the EU. It’s a big world out there. There is no such thing as no deal in my mind. It just means World Trade Organisation rules and that is not as scary as some people have been making it out.’
JES STALEY CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BARCLAYS (46,400)
‘I don’t believe the European finance system will leave the City of London. There are all sorts of reasons why I think the UK will continue to be the financial lungs for Europe.’
RAHUL KALE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DIRECTOR, TYPHOO (250)
‘We are a very positive organisation, we see plenty of opportunities. We are selling a British brand and a British lifestyle – and there is always going to be demand for that, Brexit or no Brexit. Britain is known for quality, for reliability and there is a lot more we can do. There’s a great future for British businesses. Brexit does not change the game. Our largest market is North American, the United States and Canada, so trade with them is very important to us.’
SANJEEV GUPTA OWNER, STEEL GIANT LIBERTY HOUSE (4,500)
‘There is a great opportunity for steel and engineering in Britain and I think, if anything, Brexit will deepen that desire and that opportunity. Everything in life which is a challenge is also an opportunity – everything has two sides to the coin – and I see Brexit as a push to British industry to be better. If you take the automotive industry – half of the supply chain is imported: as we become an independent, freestanding country in our own right, we will want to have security of supply, which will be an opportunity to invest and grow.’
TIM MARTIN FOUNDER, WETHERSPOONS (37,000)
‘Hammond is much too gloomy. He’s acting like a blocker in these negotiations as a result of his negative approach.’
ROBERT WALTERS FOUNDER, HEAD-HUNTERS ROBERT WALTERS (3,000)
‘I’ve not seen any job creation of any significance at all in Frankfurt or Amsterdam or Dublin or Paris. A lot of people don’t want to move.’
ADAM MARSHALL DIRECTOR-GENERAL, BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
‘We are very positive about our future because we know we have great companies, whether we are in the EU or not. But if that future is not built on a bedrock of confidence in our businesses, we will fail. I think British businesses have that confidence in spades.’
ELIZABETH GOOCH CHIEF EXECUTIVE, TECH FIRM EG SOLUTIONS (68)
‘If you are trying to implement a change, you’ve got to get on with it. We all have to get behind Brexit and make it happen, whether we like it or not. For us, we’ve always had sales outside the EU right from the word go. We only see the opportunity in the wider world.’
PAUL LINDSEY CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD FIRM ELLA’S KITCHEN (62)
‘We just need to get on with things and plan for every eventuality. British entrepreneurs are good at being nimble and innovating and so that’s what I think we’ll do. We need to be confident and concentrate on what we can control – this country has brands that are world-leading and that will continue to be the case.’
DR NIK KOTECHA CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MORNINGSIDE PHARMACEUTICALS (81)
‘Brexit is a great opportunity for businesses. We have been complacent over the years and relied on the EU too much. So I’m really excited. It’s good we’ve got trade ministers out there, looking at places outside the EU.’
JULIANNE PONAN CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD FIRM CREATIVE NATURE (10)
‘In terms of exports the fall in the pound has been incredibly beneficial. It has opened a lot of new markets for us. The pros outweigh the cons and what people need to remember is that with exports, you’re going to be generating more revenue in future as well. Imports will come back eventually.’