The Decision Economy
proposition and building a business that creates value even when conditions remain unsettled.
At the centre of that effort sit customers and people. “It sounds incredibly simplistic, but it’s really customer and people.” Serving customers well and building teams capable of delivering consistently becomes the foundation for resilience and growth. Judgement calls that create advantage Unpredictability has raised the stakes on decision- making. Even with data and experience, the risk of making the wrong call feels heightened. Vince points to hiring as a live example. “The rational thing to do would be don’t hire anyone, just wait.” Against a backdrop of policy uncertainty and external instability, caution is the default response. However, Vince describes taking a more deliberate and opportunistic position. “Let’s go fishing. Let’s see what we can find in this current challenging market.” That approach has surfaced a higher calibre of talent than might normally be expected, creating an opportunity to strengthen the business for the next phase. “We have had a disproportionate level of quality available.” The judgement lies in whether those hires can help the business navigate forward. In this case, the answer was yes, supported by contingency planning if conditions shift. Impact on IPO appetite and investment decisions Vince sees the current decision-making climate having a direct impact on appetite for IPOs and major investment moves, although he is clear that this varies by sector. “I think a lot of it is sector specific,” he said. “You’re looking for the perfect storm if you are looking to do an IPO.” Right now, he believes those conditions are largely absent. Ongoing geopolitical events and day-
EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVES
“Yes, it is very volatile, but you can’t change that. All you can do is drive up more market share through a laser focus on what you can affect.” Decision-making, in this context, blends commercial discipline with customer empathy. Alongside that sits a hard focus on cost, margin and operational choices. “We are starting to see suppliers hit us with surcharges now,” he said. “So are we going to absorb that? How long can we do that for? What are the alternatives?” The emphasis is on making deliberate choices about where to act and what to prioritise. Vince’s approach is to concentrate energy on the areas where decisions still move the dial. Building resilience through ambiguity Looking back over the last decade, Vince describes a period defined by repeated shocks. “We’ve had three generational events in one. The financial crash, Brexit, COVID and now this.” Rather than easing, that level of disruption has become a persistent feature of the operating environment. As a result, leaders must become comfortable operating with uncertainty rather than waiting for stability to return. “You have to get more comfortable with continual ambiguity.” Not all business models are able to withstand that level of pressure, and Vince is realistic about the consequences. At the same time, he is clear that many businesses continue to perform strongly, even under these conditions. “What it really highlights is where you have to win on every functional area of the business.”
Vince Gunn Interim CEO of
BathroomsbyDesign Connect on LinkedIn
Background Vince Gunn is Interim CEO of BathroomsbyDesign, with extensive experience leading UK consumer and retail businesses through periods of structural change, cost pressure and market disruption. His perspective comes from years of leading businesses and making decisions about people, customers and performance in real operating environments. For Vince, the defining feature of the current environment is volatility, and it sharpens focus on what can be controlled and acted upon. “The key word really is volatile. It is very volatile,” he said. That volatility has sharpened how he makes decisions, pushing a clear focus on what can realistically be controlled and influenced. “It’s about what you can control and affect.” Drawing on long held principles around accountability, Vince emphasises the importance of concentrating leadership attention on the levers that genuinely matter. External events, geopolitical shocks and macro uncertainty form the backdrop, but they do not define the agenda. Instead, his focus is on shaping a compelling customer
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