As a business leader of 20 years, I have gained leadership experience across the marketing, technology, and education sectors; from independent start-ups to global corporations.
I have led some of the UK’s leading digital marketing and communication businesses, including i-level (the UK’s first digital media agency), Mindshare (global media agency, part of WPP) and dentsu (global marketing network). I broadened my leadership experience in the education technology sector, leading Avado (a digital learning business), across Europe, South East Asia, and North America.
I have advised the leadership teams of fast-growing technology businesses such as the programmatic marketing business MiQ, the creative community company The People, and client AI platform, Kaizan.
I qualified from Henley Business School through the Professional Executive Coaching Certificate in April 2023. I am an associate member of the Association for Coaching.
Throughout my career I have been fortunate to be supported by amazing mentors and coaches, who have enabled me to sustain my growth as a leader and develop both business strategy and people cultures, that enable commercial success.
My purpose through coaching & collaborative consultancy is to help progressive leaders and teams to fulfil the potential of their ideas and create business success for their colleagues, their clients and society.
Led a pioneering digital team of 120 people, generating net profits of £4.6m, winning over 20 industry best-practice awards, and supporting a private equity sale of the business for £45m.
Led a team of over 350 media specialists managing £700m of media spend. Secured over £150m of new business over 3 years including clients such as Marks & Spencer, Jaguar Land Rover and Chanel.
Responsible for operational delivery across a UK network of 3,000 people in 24 business units, generating annual turnover of £2.1 billion across media, creative, content, talent & data services.
Led a global team of learning experience professionals delivering digital qualifications and corporate training solutions to over 36,000 active learners per year, across 104 markets
Working across rapidly growing industry sectors has provided me with significant experience of developing effective commercial strategy. I have led highly successful new business development strategies, winning high profile private and public sector tenders for market leading UK and global businesses - Sky, News UK, Unilever, BT, Chanel, Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer, Department for Education.
My commercial acumen is supported by extensive experience of product diversification and new product development to capitalise on emerging markets and changes in consumer, media, and technology trends. At i-level our progressive approach to product development was recognised with the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation.
Central to my personal purpose has been the fostering of open and inclusive cultures that attract, retain and develop the best talent.
At i-level we received recognition for our innovative and engaging culture in the Sunday Times 'Top 50 Small Companies to Work For', and through the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.
At Mindshare, I undertook a cultural change programme to drive greater integration between multi-disciplinary teams, fostering a culture of greater collaboration across media, content and data disciplines. This more collaborative way of working contributed to winning a Cannes Lion global advertising award for adaptive marketing with Kleenex.
At Avado, we developed a diverse and inclusive culture, with a progressive approach to supporting and educating all colleagues about diversity in all its guises. This people strategy led to Avado being recognised in the ‘Great Place to Work’ survey in 2022, and also gaining specific recognition as one of the Best Workplaces for Women, (Ranked 20 amongst Large UK employers). Avado was further recognised by the UK Business Culture Awards in 2021, for our communication and support for our people through the pandemic, as the winner of the ‘Culture in a Crisis’ Award.
Throughout my career I have championing projects that provide young people from diverse background, the opportunity to gain greater access to training and employment. I chaired the Fast Forward programme on behalf of the advertising industry charity, NABs; supporting young media & creative professionals to gain knowledge & experience of working in collaborative cross-functional teams.
At dentsu, I was the executive sponsor of early recruitment programmes to drive greater diversity and inclusion across the network's 24 businesses, through both recruitment and people initiatives. This commitment led to the launch of fortysix, a digital agency entirely staffed and led by young people, providing a different perspective on marketing to young digitally native audiences.
In 2020, we launched a new social enterprise proposition at Avado, to engage large UK corporations in the challenges of youth unemployment during the pandemic called FastFutures. Over 18 months, this national programme enabled over 5,000 young people from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds to gain work-ready skills for free on a 12 week digital course sponsored by businesses, such as AstraZeneca, BT and L&G.
I have led both buy and sell-side M&A, alongside fund-raising rounds with both public and private equity investors.
As part of the leadership team at i-level, we sold a majority stake in i-level to ECI for £45m in 2008.
From a buy-side perspective, I led the UK&I acquisition strategy at dentsu for three years, completing deals for programmatic media, content, and talent-led marketing businesses.
Originally from the North East, I now live in Twickenham with my wife George, our boys Rory and Murray, and an enthusiastic spaniel called Zola.
Between the dog walks and 'Dad's taxi', I love cooking, running, weight-training and golf. I manage an unhealthy obsession with coffee and micro-breweries, still harbouring ambitions of being a barista or brewer when I get older.
An avid sports watcher, I'm a regular at Harlequins rugby club, lifelong-long distance Sunderland supporter, and passionate follower of England cricket.