Leadership & facilitation.

I help people see through complexity and reach decisions they understand and can act on.

• Working directly and collaboratively with leadership Working directly and collaboratively with leadership teams to establish an agreed, shared direction.

• Design and facilitation of workshops that encourage discussion and bring different views out into the open.

• Providing direction and support to colleagues, clients and specialist partners.

• Mentoring people to develop their judgement,  confidence and responsibility.

Communication.

I turn complex thinking into clear, efficient language and effective, novel solutions.

• Developing positioning, messaging and storytelling grounded in thorough understanding.

• Writing and designing communication themes relevant to defined audiences and different purposes.

• Helping leadership teams articulate their direction clearly and explain the reasoning behind it.

• Translating agreed strategy into practical guidance that others can confidently implement.

Commercial understanding.

I understand that every recommendation needs to work within the realities of a business.

• Exploring the commercial context behind briefs, including customers, competition and priorities.

• Balancing ambition with available resources, practical constraints and common sense.

• Bringing first-hand experience of pitching for and winning work, retaining clients and running a business.

Turning strategy into action.

I’m as interested in doing something about a problem as I am in talking about it.

• Taking brand development from initial investigation through strategy to implementation.

• Translating strategic decisions into tactical execution.

• Coordinating specialist implementation partners and maintaining direction and consistency through delivery.

• Digging in when projects become difficult, helping to resolve problems and keep the work moving.

Technology & machine thinking.

Technology is integral to how I work today and always has been. I combine human judgement with machine thinking, using LLMs, automation and asset generation tools for research, analysis, exploration and production. I’ve spent much of my career learning, and becoming expert, in new systems and finding practical applications for them.

Workshops.

Designing and facilitating structured sessions that get people talking, explore different perspectives and help them reach clear, informed decisions.

Creative Director | M3.agency | 2021–2022

• Led and developed a creative team of five direct reports, helping different teams work together more effectively.

• Helped build the agency’s film, video and digital capability.

• Developed a new brand positioning to clarify the agency’s offer and distinguish it in the market.

• Mentored and championed a team member, building their confidence and supporting their progression to creative leadership when I left.

• Led successful pitches for a national TV campaign for West Midlands Safari Park and a place on Mazak UK’s agency roster.

• Delivered the UK launch campaign for the MG4 electric vehicle, which subsequently became the UK’s second best-selling electric vehicle, with more than 20,000 sold..

Creative Director | Superdream | 2016–2018

• Led a creative team of 16 direct reports across the UK and Australia.

• Worked directly with major and long-standing clients to understand their needs and provide senior creative direction.

• Took responsibility for strained client relationships, helping rebuild trust and improve the quality of the work.

• Helped win significant new business.

• Delivered a major new campaign for a dissatisfied flagship client. By October 2017, its website accounted for 65% of its leads.

Chief Creative Officer | Bareface | 2015–2016

• Led and developed a young creative team with four direct reports, combining leadership with hands-on delivery.

• Worked directly with clients to understand problems and resolve difficult relationships.

• Helped clarify the agency’s own offer and how it communicated its strengths.

• Delivered a distinctive campaign that generated an increase in leads beyond the client’s capacity to handle.

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

• Co-founded and helped run an independent agency for 12 years, growing it to a team of 20 and turnover approaching £1m within five years.

• Shared responsibility for business direction, people, client relationships and new business.

• Led substantial brand, advertising and digital projects for clients including Lend Lease, Subaru UK and Marketing Birmingham.

• Built long-standing client relationships and took responsibility when difficult situations needed senior attention.

• Led successful pitches against larger agencies, securing appointment as Subaru UK’s retained digital agency.

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

Earlier career | 1987–2003

• Progressed from junior artwork and design roles through studio management and client handling to Head of Design.

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