Episode 1 of Personable features Ruben Gnanalingam, the CEO of Westports & Owner of QPR Football Club.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:27 Ruben’s experience growing up in Malaysia
1:01 Why did Ruben want to attend school in the UK
2:13 Benefits of attending UK boarding school
3:06 Time at the London School of Economics
4:10 Why join Westports & his experience working different roles in the company & working with his former bosses
7:17 Why leave Westports and create his own company
8:30 What did his incubator look for?
11:05 Scoping out good vs bad founders
13:33 Big mistakes made at the incubator
16:30 What impacted Ruben’s decision to go back to Westports
18:28 How did Ruben gain respect
21:28 Experience leading an IPO & what would he do differently leading an IPO now
24:28 Finding & managing good people
26:48 Relationship with his father
29:19 Difference in leadership style between Ruben & his father (G. Gnanalingam)
30:48 Why get into sports?
32:08 Ruben’s 1st involvement in football
34:38 Why basketball?
37:07 How to build a brand
39:38 Buying QPR
41:15 Eliminating QPR’s toxic culture & how other CEOs can do the same
45:25 When did Ruben realise something had to change?
46:59 What are the plans to make the club more sustainable?
50:29 Differences between managing a UK v US-based football club
53:27 How the successful owners of LAFC became involved in the club
55:12 How does Ruben spend his time
58:22 What are Ruben’s goals moving forward?
59:10 Outro
Episode 1 of Personable features Ruben Gnanalingam, the CEO of Westports & Owner of QPR Football Club.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:27 Ruben’s experience growing up in Malaysia
1:01 Why did Ruben want to attend school in the UK
2:13 Benefits of attending UK boarding school
3:06 Time at the London School of Economics
4:10 Why join Westports & his experience working different roles in the company & working with his former bosses
7:17 Why leave Westports and create his own company
8:30 What did his incubator look for?
11:05 Scoping out good vs bad founders
13:33 Big mistakes made at the incubator
16:30 What impacted Ruben’s decision to go back to Westports
18:28 How did Ruben gain respect
21:28 Experience leading an IPO & what would he do differently leading an IPO now
24:28 Finding & managing good people
26:48 Relationship with his father
29:19 Difference in leadership style between Ruben & his father (G. Gnanalingam)
30:48 Why get into sports?
32:08 Ruben’s 1st involvement in football
34:38 Why basketball?
37:07 How to build a brand
39:38 Buying QPR
41:15 Eliminating QPR’s toxic culture & how other CEOs can do the same
45:25 When did Ruben realise something had to change?
46:59 What are the plans to make the club more sustainable?
50:29 Differences between managing a UK v US-based football club
53:27 How the successful owners of LAFC became involved in the club
55:12 How does Ruben spend his time
58:22 What are Ruben’s goals moving forward?
59:10 Outro