Barrie has spent thirty years working in global digital, media and communication companies, leading and inspiring their growth from all of the C-suite roles of Chairman, CEO, COO and CFO.
Most recently, Barrie was the Group Chief Executive of Creston plc and the Unlimited Group (a global communications group) stepping down in April 2017, following its successful sale at an attractive premium for shareholders and de-listing off the London Stock Exchange.
Barrie was Chief Operating and Financial Officer of Creston plc from 2004 to 2014 and was extensively involved in the growth of the group with its buy and build strategy, completing multiple acquisitions, investments, start-ups and strategic disposals.
Prior to Creston plc, Barrie was previously Chief Operating and Financial Officer for EMEA at Lowe and Draft Worldwide (part of Interpublic Group), having joined Lowe & Partners in 1998 as Chief Financial Officer for Lowe UK; and spent six years at Saatchi & Saatchi, where he held senior positions across Europe and North America.
Barrie’s extensive experience extends across:
- creating visions and strategies to unite teams and drive growth
- managing and growing companies in multiple disciplines via organic investment, acquisitions, start-ups, mergers, restructurings and fund raisings;
- advising clients across multiple industries on their marketing and communication solutions, customer experience and digital transformations;
- aligning talent with culture, values and incentive plans to accelerate growth …
…and his passion is building world-class businesses to create value.
Strategic input
We work with senior management teams to build and grow successful, profitable and uniquely positioned businesses. This advice can include challenging and developing the company’s vision, strategy, market positioning, service offering; and helping to unify the management team and company talent to achieve those plans and ambitions.
A connected network
All businesses thrive on a network of contacts, whether they are clients, industry peers, talent, new business intermediaries, M&A or corporate advisers. After working in multiple global organisations and with some of the best teams, advisors and clients in the industry, we can tap into our extensive network to maximise the connections to drive your success.
Independent advice, support & counsel
In today’s digital world, with its continuous transformational effects on business, management teams face multiple challenges on an almost daily basis. We will help with this fast paced change by providing experience and objectivity in the decision making process, so every challenge is turned into an opportunity.
The day-to-day management of a business is crucially important, but often it takes over resulting in the senior team acting tactically rather than thinking and planning strategically. Our independence from daily management ensures there is a Board focus on achieving the long term strategy and creating exceptional stakeholder value.
Mergers & acquisitions
M&A activity can take many forms: fund raisings to fuel organic growth, bolt-on acquisitions to add a new service offering or scale, or the sale of the company. In each of these scenarios, our experience will help generate maximum value, especially at the exit stage, when you need to ensure your business is positioned, structured and managed to exceed the potential buyer’s strategic and financial objectives.
Our role can stretch across the positioning of the business, to the selection of the buyer and assisting in the commercial negotiation. We will co-operate with advisers to maximise this once in a life-time moment in a seller’s life.
History & Achievements
Creston plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2001, as an insight-led communications company, with a buy and build strategy to create a world-class communications group to compete in the digital age. The company grew from £0 to over £100 million in turnover with c900 people through a mixture of acquisitions, start-ups, investments and partnerships. At the time of sale, it was profitable, debt free and with global offices servicing blue-chip clients across multiple industries.
Prior to sale, a new vision and strategy was executed to align the multiple group companies under a unified positioning, proposition and branding of the Unlimited Group. This new strategy evolved the business offering, drove collaboration and addressed clients’ ever-changing needs due to the increased complexity in marketing and its convergence with technology and data.
Achievements, included RAR 2016 “Holding Group of the Year under $1 billion turnover”.
Lowe Lintas – post its merger, awarded Campaign “Agency of the Year” and Ad Age “European Agency of the Year”.
Isabella Oliver Ltd – start-up global multi-channel retail brand, awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise 2010 and Drapers Award for E-tailer of the Year 2007.
Vanessa Knox & Partners LLP – start-up high-end retail brand, within two years profitable and sold online and via retail channels in over 11 countries including US, Far East and Asia.
Current clients
Current clients include:
- the Professional Business Services (PBS) Council, which advises government on key issues facing the professions.
- SThree plc as a Non-Executive director of the Board and a member of the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committee
Entrepreneur | Director | Leader
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