1284 managing director George Oliver was joined by Mike Sassi to talk newsroom leadership at the Real Entrepreneurs Club.

More than 100 people attended the busy event at the Crown Plaza hotel in Nottingham in October as George led a fireside chat with Mike about lessons from his career.

Mike is Honorary Visiting Professor at Nottingham Business School, interviewing national and international guests for its Business Leaders podcast.

He had a 30-year career in the media, editing three regional daily newspapers, including as Editor and Publisher of the Nottingham Post from 2013 to 2019.

Mike has worked as a journalist in newsrooms around the UK and was a member of the Editors’ Code of Practice Committee for ten years.

The committee writes the code that is enforced by the independent press regulator IPSO.

He is a Director of independent television company Notts TV and has a BSc in Marketing from the University of Lancaster.

George spoke to him for 30 minutes about his career, lessons from the newsroom, and how EQ outweighs IQ in leading people.

George said: "I've known Mike since he took me on as reporter and gave me my first shift on the newsdesk of a big regional newspaper.

"Our paths diverged then came back together in 2016 when I became editor of the Leicester Mercury and he was editing our neighbouring Nottingham Post.

"He's been a boss, mentor, and friend for more than 15 years and it was a pleasure to talk to him about his career."

The evening included networking, a three-course dinner, and the headline interview.

The Real Entrepreneurs Club launched in 2016 to provide investors and entrepreneurs with the opportunity to meet new business contacts in a relaxed environment.

It has since grown to three dinners each year, an annual awards event, and a twice-yearly magazine.