Melanie Smith on running the UK's biggest events, Ocado/M&S and the benefits of walking hundreds of miles

NEC Group CEO Melanie Smith talks about why she has the best job in Britain, why private equity ownership is better than being listed on the stock market and more

Melanie Smith is the chief executive of the NEC Group, the owner of the NEC in Birmingham, the largest event venue in the UK. Before that, she ran Ocado's retail business with Marks & Spencer and started her career with McKinsey. Originally from New Zealand and from a family with little business background, Smith has fought her way to the top of the business world.

In this episode we cover the "extraordinary" Blackstone conference where Smith gets to meet and learn from other chief executives, why she has the best job in Britain, why private equity ownership is better than being listed on the stock market, the opportunities that HS2 will bring to the economy, the challenges of M&S/Ocado and why she walks hundreds of miles on her own in some of the remotest parts of the world.

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Author

Graham Ruddick

Date

06 January 2026