Management Today's Leadership Lessons
Jun 19, 2026 · 23 min · 11 segments
Shevaun Haviland is a born optimist – a trait it seems safe to suppose has helped see her through some tough – or as she jokes is the more characteristically understated British way of putting it…
Antonia Garrett PeelHostYou're well known as the Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, a role you've held since 2021.
But before that role, you worked for a wide range of private sector firms, including advertising behemoth WPP, the Walt Disney Company, and were a founding partner in startup digital innovation agency and venture builder Independence United.
How do you think these diverse experiences prepared you for leadership of the BCC?
hello it's great to be here yes indeed what you might see is maybe an eclectic combination of roles but i hope there is a golden thread there and my experience of running businesses big and small and a little time in government was definitely a great combination for running the british chambers of commerce in the way that it helped me understand a number of things so firstly from a big business point of view how corporates work how their risk profile is quite unique how you can use strategy to really move move organizations and it gave me a really strong grounding in running a corporate effectively and the WPP part of that was also about brand so research and brand strategy and the importance of a brand and telling a story.
Working for big business was fantastic, but I decided after having my second child that I wanted to go and run my own, which I'd always thought I wanted to do.
And actually I founded that business with a friend who I'd met on my first day and my first job ever back in 94.
So we're talking like mid-2000s, 2007, 8, but actually very quickly became a digital agency.
The client said, oh, what is this Facebook you talk of? And we said, oh, we think it's going to be big.
So it was absolutely fascinating and taught me not just about how hard it is to run a small business and the challenges of cash flow and the worries about money.
making payroll at the end of the month, things that really keep a lot of our members up at night at the Chambers of Commerce.
But also the ability to do everything from getting under the table and fixing your computer to pitching to giant companies.
So I would recommend anyone spend some time in a startup, even if it's not your own business.
You're well known as the Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, a role you've held since 2021.
But before that role, you worked for a wide range of private sector firms, including advertising behemoth WPP, the Walt Disney Company, and were a founding partner in startup digital innovation agency and venture builder Independence United.
How do you think these diverse experiences prepared you for leadership of the BCC?
hello it's great to be here yes indeed what you might see is maybe an eclectic combination of roles but i hope there is a golden thread there and my experience of running businesses big and small and a little time in government was definitely a great combination for running the british chambers of commerce in the way that it helped me understand a number of things so firstly from a big business point of view how corporates work how their risk profile is quite unique how you can use strategy to really move move organizations and it gave me a really strong grounding in running a corporate effectively and the WPP part of that was also about brand so research and brand strategy and the importance of a brand and telling a story.
Working for big business was fantastic, but I decided after having my second child that I wanted to go and run my own, which I'd always thought I wanted to do.
And actually I founded that business with a friend who I'd met on my first day and my first job ever back in 94.
So we're talking like mid-2000s, 2007, 8, but actually very quickly became a digital agency.
The client said, oh, what is this Facebook you talk of? And we said, oh, we think it's going to be big.
So it was absolutely fascinating and taught me not just about how hard it is to run a small business and the challenges of cash flow and the worries about money.
making payroll at the end of the month, things that really keep a lot of our members up at night at the Chambers of Commerce.
But also the ability to do everything from getting under the table and fixing your computer to pitching to giant companies.
So I would recommend anyone spend some time in a startup, even if it's not your own business.
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