Episode
Why Most Founder Exits Fail, and Why This One Took Eight Years to Get Right | Kirsty Dias, PriestmanGoode
- Podcast
- WHY DESIGN?
- Published
- Jul 22, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4530
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Summary
What happens to a business the year there's no bonus to hand out? In this episode of Why Design, Kirsty Dias shares the belief that sits at the heart of her work: that a creative business is built by giving people permission to take the slow, unglamorous route on the things that actually matter. Rather than train as a designer, Kirsty studied French, worked in theatre and ran exhibitions at the Barbican. That decision led her into PriestmanGoode as head of comms 25 years ago, and eventually into the Managing Director's seat of one of the world's leading aviation and rail design consultancies. This conversation isn't about aircraft seats. It's about what it actually costs, in time and attention, to build a business that outlasts its founders. Disclaimer: This episode includes a brief, personal reflection on the tax treatment of employee ownership for founders. It is not tax, legal or financial advice. Please seek independent professional advice before making any related decisions. What You'll Learn 🎯 Why running an aviation and rail design consultancy has nothing to do with holding a design degree 💡 How PriestmanGoode's business got stronger the one year it didn't pay a bonus 🛫 What actually happens between an airline's brief and the seat in front of you, from colour and material to a five year certification programme 🤝 Why Kirsty rates a stint on a bar or shop floor over a polished CV when she's hiring 🏫 How a deliberate, unglamorous investment in schools and internships built a team close to a 50-50 gender split 🔧 Why the design industry needs to explain its own career paths a lot better than it currently does Memorable Quotes “We became stronger as an EOT in the one year where we did not give a bonus.” “I worked in the hairdressers as a receptionist when I was at six…