Work | Who I work with
It starts with a chat
The relationships I build rarely start by choosing from a menu of my services (which is good because I've never written one!) They almost always start with a mug of tea and a chat. And, if we agree there's a role I can play, then we can shape it in a way that suits everyone. All my current roles started this way. Here's who I'm working with at the moment.
School of Communication Arts
Trustee
The School of Communication Arts is recognised as the world’s most successful advertising course. The advertising industry agreed that the UK needed an elite school for nurturing the very best creative talent, but that it should also be inclusive. Its a social enterprise, supported by over 100 agencies and spearheaded by their Dean, the brilliant Marc Lewis and in my role as trustee i am there to support, connect and get more people involved in this brilliant school, whether its mentoring, sponsorship or hiring great talent.
Wonderful
Advisor/Mentor
Wonderful are an innovative, fun and clever digital agency, based in my neck of the woods in beautiful Kent. Using creative marketing and technology, they take complex business problems and deliver wonderfully simple solutions. My kind of people! They have helped the likes of Hyundai, STA Travel, Save The Children, GE health and KLM.
DADI Awards
Chairman
The DADI Awards, the Drum Awards for Digital Industries is a global competition & awards ceremony organised by The Drum, that recognises those who have been producing the most effective digital strategies over the past year. I have been Chairman for over 12 years and select the 40 strong panel of judges each year.
ForrestBrown
Advisor/Mentor
ForrestBrown are the largest specialist R&D tax credit consultancy in the UK and they work with some of the most prominent digital agencies as well as hundreds of fast-growing start-ups. They are a fantastic supporter of the industry and better still their expert team are down to earth, practical and fun. They simplify the R&D process and do all the hard work.
Green Square
Non-Exec Advisor
Green Square is a corporate finance and advisory practice with unrivalled practical experience of growing and selling media, technology and marketing communications businesses. It gives impartial and valuable advice to creative, marketing and digital agencies considering a future sale.
Brand42
Consultant/Mentor
Brand42 is an award-winning creative agency that delivers effective design solutions across all platforms. They bridge the gap between branding, creative and digital outputs, ensuring that brands tell compelling and coherent stories across all channels. They also make a mean cuppa and have proper dunking biscuits in the office!.
Special Projects
Acquisitions
I am often asked to act as a conduit between agencies wishing to acquire or merge with interactive agencies. Examples include CTI Digital to Paperhat group; eightandfour to Cubo Group; Blue Barracuda to FCB and Start Design to set up Hometown (now Truant).
BRIT
Mentor
The conduit for inspiration and challenging the lives of Young People facing Adversity through the country's very best Advisors and most inspirational figures. Phil Packer MBE chose the 2012 Olympics as his inspiration to walk 2012 miles around the UK raising funds and spreading the word for BRIT.