Leadership

I’ve spent more than 20 years leading businesses, teams and projects.

• Co-founded and ran an independent agency for 12 years.

• Led teams in the UK and overseas.

• Mentored an art director who went on to take responsibility for creative leadership.

• Three-time Chair and former President of a respected networking group for media, marketing and advertising.

• Managed teams of various sizes including one with UK and overseas direct reports.

• Mentoring key players from startup to respectability, while building a global client portfolio.

Communication

Much of my working life has been about understanding complicated things and making them clear.

• Work directly with founders, owners, boards and leadership teams.

• Regularly present ideas, recommendations and pitches.

• Run workshops and conversations that help groups reach decisions.

• Write, present and communicate visually.

• Have won competitive pitches against much larger businesses.

Commercial experience

I know what it means to have to win work, keep clients, pay people and keep a business moving.

• Built a creative agency from scratch with two business partners.

• Helped run it for 12 years, including through the 2008 financial crash and recession.

• Won new business and built long-term client relationships.

Creative Director | M3.agency | 2021–2022

• Led and developed the agency’s creative work.

• Helped build its film, video and digital capability.

• Worked to bring different teams together more effectively.

• Team of five direct reports.

• Pitched for and won a national TV campaign for West Midlands Safari Park.

• Pitched for and won a place on the agency roster for Mazak UK.

• Created a relevant and different brand positioning for the agency.

• Nurtured, championed and bred confidence into a previously much maligned art director, ultimately handing the reins of creative directorship to them upon my departure. 

Creative Director | Superdream | 2016–2018

• Worked directly with major and long-standing clients.

• Stepped into difficult client relationships when they needed senior attention.

• Helped improve relationships and raise the standard of the work.

• Team of 16 direct reports: 12 in the UK; four in Australia.

• Part of a new business team with a prodigious hit rate during my tenure. 

Chief Creative Officer | Bareface | 2015–2016

• Helped lead and develop a young creative team.

• Worked directly on client problems and difficult relationships.

• Helped the agency get clearer about its own offer.

• Combined leadership with hands-on work.

• Team of four direct reports.

• Delivered a novel creative campaign for a challenging client, resulting in a significant uplift in leads.

Partner & Co-owner | One Black Bear | 2003–2015

Co-founded the agency and helped build and run it for 12 years.

• Shared responsibility for the business, people, clients and new business.

• Built long-standing client relationships.

• Won major pitches against much larger agencies.

• Led substantial brand, advertising and digital projects.

• Helped steer the business through the 2008 financial crash and recession.

• Clients included Subaru UK, Marketing Birmingham, Visit Birmingham and Business Birmingham.

• From nothing to approaching £1m turnover and a 20-strong team in five years.

• Ran a successful pitch against London-based and local, notable competition to win the contract to be Subaru UK’s retained UK digital agency.

Earlier career | 1987–2003

• Worked my way from junior artwork and design roles through design, studio management and client handling to Head of Design.

• Along the way I helped launch the Subaru Impreza in the UK, worked in award-winning agency teams and designed the original Rightmove identity.