After working as an actor, Oliver Towner made a sharp career pivot in 2021 when he took over the family business – a funeral directors established in 1875 by cabinet maker Frederick Edward Towner. Guided by strong family values and a commitment to building a sustainable future, Oliver here shares his vision for the next era of funeral care and his philosophy on leadership. He also plays an active role in SAIF, with a particular focus on developing the profession’s pathway to net zero. The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves.

Continuing our focus on the next generation of industry leaders, in this episode we welcome Daniel Devall to the podcast, Managing Director of Devall & Son Family Funeral Directors in Nuneaton. In 2006, Daniel followed in his parents' footsteps and began the third generation of Devalls to join the funeral industry. By the age of 18, he was arranging and conducting funerals and went on to complete his NAFD diploma in funeral directing in 2011. Daniel became Managing Director of the family business in 2018, and he hasn't looked back since as he set about building on the foundations already laid. The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves.

In this episode of The View, we're joined by Ross Hickton, Managing Director of Hickton Family Funeral Directors. Ross has always been a prominent member of SAIF, and it was a significant milestone recently when he took over the reins as National SAIF President from Declan Maguire. As he said himself, Ross wasn't even born when the organisation was created, so in this episode we'll hear how the youngest leader of SAIF to-date sees the future and the way to tackle it. The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves.

In this episode of The View, we welcome onto the podcast Emily Houghton, Director of Operations at Rosedale Funeral Home in Norfolk and Suffolk. Emily started working in the funeral profession at the age of 19 in London, and has now been in the industry for over 20 years. She has held various positions throughout her career, from funeral arranger to funeral director, to working as an area manager. She says she has been lucky enough to be able to experience first-hand all elements of the funeral profession, so she has a wealth of experience she can draw on.The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves.

There may never have been so much regulatory change in the industry as we're seeing at present, so who better to discuss the likely changes and potential outcomes for the sector than the NAFD's Director of External Affairs. Rachel Bradburne spearheads most of the external engagement on behalf of the association with government, press and cross party initiatives. She joined the funeral sector in January 2021 and is responsible for the NAFD policy and lobbying activity UK-wide, including all political liaison and cross-sector engagement. Rachel and her team shaped the sector's activities through the pandemic, working directly with the Cabinet Office as part of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat. During this time, the funeral sector was also subject to a period of intense change, which included the implementation of regulation by both the Competition and Markets Authority, the CMA and the Financial Conduct Authority. Here she sits down with Malcolm Flanders for a frank and fascinating chat. ––––– The View is brought to you by Golden Leaves, and hosted by Malcolm Flanders. You can find many more conversations on the show page, with key industry figures from the NAFD and SAIF, along with a plethora of funeral directors including those behind The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Every years funeral directors across the nation are frustrated by the SunLife 'Cost of Dying' report, which doesn't seem to truly capture what it promises. So this year, The National Society Of Allied And Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) has aimed to address this with a new report titled 'What is the real average cost of a funeral in the UK in 2024?' In this episode, Dec Maguire – both National and Scottish president of the society – discusses the report with host Malcolm Flanders. They look at the methodology behind the project, the hidden impact of direct cremation, and the interesting generational changes in how we approach end of life.

Our current focus on multigenerational funeral firms this week takes us to Douch Family Funeral Directors in Dorset, UK. The family business was founded in 1910 by Frederick Charles Douch and grown by his eldest son, Jack. A talismanic figure not only for the company but in the wider Dorset area, Jack played a key role as a telegrapher on the wartime destroyer Bramham, before becoming a prominent batsman for Wimborne Cricket Club. It's Jack’s grandson Nick – our guest this episode – who heads up the business today, maintaining its well-established reputation and strong relationships with other funeral directors. ––––– The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves. You can find many more conversations in the on the show page, with key industry figures from the NAFD and SAIF, along with the funeral directors behind The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

This week on The View we welcome Tim Purvis, owner, chairman and director of William Purvis Funeral Directors to the show. William Purves is a business that is family owned and goes back five generations, based in Edinburgh but extending into the North East of England. William Purves prides itself on delivering a caring service for all families across its locations, but also has a strong connection to the Royal Family, and among other topics in this episode we hear what it was like to provide the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves.

As part of our current focus on industry leaders of multi-generational funeral firms, in this episode we welcome Jeremy Field of CPJ Field to the podcast.CPJ Field is a 300-year-old business founded in the 17th century. The board of directors features five family members, and ten generations of the family have been involved with the business, which is currently led by Jeremy alongside his siblings Charlie and Emily. We hear how they approach the management of such a large but ultimately family-owned business, and examine the changing trends of funerals over the many generations. The View is hosted by Malcolm Flanders and brought to you by Golden Leaves.

Terry Tennens has been CEO of trade association SAIF since 2016 and is committed to ensuring the views of the independent funeral directors are heard throughout the UK. He has been at the forefront of supporting the sector through the numerous challenges of the last few years and remains a firm advocate of navigating change to ensure all members can be the best they can be in this competitive market.  In this episode, we're going to hear Terry's thoughts and views on how the sector is responding to the various challenges and what the big things are that he will be focusing on in the short and medium term.

Andrew Judd is Chief Executive of the NAFD, being appointed by the association's governing body in December 2022. He is a former member of the NAFD Executive Committee, President of the NAFD Western Counties Area Federation and Operations Director for Dignity PLC. Besides operating at a senior level for many years in the industry, Andrew has also been a funeral director himself and knows what it's like to help families in their time of need and provide the service that is required. In this episode, host Malcolm Flanders catches up with him to reflect on the past year in his new role, the big challenges facing the industry right now, and how he sees its future.

In the first episode of The View, we sit down with industry legend Howard Hodgson, CEO of Memoria.  A fourth generation funeral director, Howard took over the family business in 1975 and went on to lead an expansion that culminated in the sale of his 546-branch group. He has also served as CEO of Ronson PLC and is now the founder and CEO of Memoria, the fastest growing crematoria company in the UK. He has written four books, including a biography of His Majesty King Charles III.