About us
Graham Horner, Director
"I get my buzz from helping clients buy into a clear vision and showing them how to get there. I think like a customer and translate customer behaviours and motivations into business strategy. My mantra is 'inspirational but achievable' - words are important but ultimately pointless unless real actions follow and transformational programmes are actually delivered."
With Masters degrees from Cambridge University and the University of British Columbia, and a high profile career spanning over 20 years, Graham’s specialism is Marketing. From his early roles in customer data and loyalty, he has progressed to hold Executive and Board-level positions in sectors ranging from FMCG to media and travel, working for a diverse set of organisations, including multinational corporates, private equity-backed SMEs and family-owned businesses.
The common thread throughout all Graham’s roles is customer-centric change. He has led teams and programmes where innovation and disruption in Brand and Marketing are core to wider business transformations. Organisational alignment, acute commercial awareness and deep integration with other teams such as Technology, Product and Sales have been integral to success. Examples from his career include launching the UK’s first ever on-pack loyalty programme for Coca-Cola; introducing a digital subscription model for The Telegraph; rebranding a children’s charity to Go Beyond (formerly CHICKS); and rapidly scaling a private equity-backed luxury travel brand, Scott Dunn.
Graham's instinctive ability to think clearly and strategically, married with years of experience in executive delivery and his adaptability to different business types and products, have led him to consulting. He has the credibility, together with an honest, plain-talking approach, to help clients wishing to to take their Marketing to the next level.
Married with 3 children and living in West Sussex, Graham spends his spare time sea swimming, running over the South Downs, pottering at his beach hut and plotting future travels.
Here’s what colleagues and clients say about Graham:
“Graham is great at getting people behind an idea and creating a vision that everyone aligns to”
“Graham has a canny ability to cut through any politicking or unnecessary bureaucratic fog with plain talking”
“Graham’s communication style is brilliantly effective. It is concise and authentic”
“Graham is able to focus and look at the big picture yet at the same time implement the detail”
“Graham is able to take a pragmatic and long-term view of a business and map out the areas of core focus that can move a business forward”
See Graham's Linkedin profile:
Kirsty Lord, Director
"I am at my best when I am helping businesses make sense of their data. I love identifying what they have and what is missing, structuring it so it is useful and extracting the insights that can drive real business change."
After graduating from Cambridge University, Kirsty started her career in Management Consultancy at LEK, working with clients in the Retail and Transport sectors and honing her Excel skills. From there she moved into a strategy role at Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), managing their respiratory R&D portfolio. After 10 years, she decided to set up as a Consultant and has helped clients with various data-led strategy projects. She has continued her relationship with GSK, now working with the corporate team managing their annual review of charitable giving globally.
In addition to her business consulting role, Kirsty is an elected County Councillor for West Sussex. Now in her fifth year, she is leader of the opposition and sits on various scrutiny committees and is heavily involved in the fields of governance and budget accountability.
When not working, Kirsty enjoys gardening and pursuing her goal of reading one book a week. A geographer by education, she loves a map and will always try and squeeze one or two into her consultancy projects.
Here's what colleagues and clients say about Kirsty:
"Kirsty is super-intelligent but has no arrogance. She wants what's best for her customers, not herself"
"Kirsty listens and offers insight and recommendations grounded in research and data. She is expect at sifting the anecdotal from the accurate."
"Kirsty is brilliant at manipulating complex data and using it to tell a story. We wouldn't be where we are without her expertise."
See Kirsty's Linkedin profile:
