The Agency Advisor Nominees
Running an agency can be a lonely job. When the pipeline dries up, a hire doesn’t land or the numbers stop making sense, most founders don’t reach for a framework. They ask someone they trust.
This list is a record of who those people are. Every advisor here was nominated by someone who has worked with them, learned from them or been backed by them.
Agency founders are rarely short of advice. What they’re short of is advice from people who understand agency life, and a way to tell who is worth listening to.
At Gray Matters we spend our days helping founder-led agencies build a stronger story and a more reliable growth engine. We see how much difference the right advisor makes, and how often founders find them by chance or word of mouth. This list is our attempt to make those recommendations easier to find.
Why we created it
How the list works
This is a list of recommendations, not an endorsement from Gray Matters. Quotes are taken from nomination submissions and lightly edited for length and clarity. Advisors are listed in order of nominations received.
camilla honey
CEo & co-founder jfdi
“She and her team have worked with over 2,000 agencies, helping them fill their pipelines and build sustainable new business machines.”
rachel raphael
consultant & co-founder
“She is clear, real and has ‘been there’ so can give advice that is actionable and realistic all whilst being thorough.”
Aaron Hutchinson
The Hutch Consultancy
“Thanks to Aaron’s sales training we have won hundreds of thousands of pounds of new business and changed how we think and act when it comes to selling.”
Paul Muggeridge-Breene
CEO, thrive
“He helps navigate challenges in a practical and calm way, challenges me when I need it and helps me keep focused on the things that really matter.”
simon akers
founder, archmon
“He’s been both a fractional agency strategist and a consultant for 5+ years and has developed a really interesting skill set and body of work that straddles media planning, growth strategy and business planning.”
sam walker
business consultant
walkr projects
“I have worked with Sam for years and she has been great.”
beth tiplady
recruitment consultant
hays
Beth has consistently tackled common recruitment barriers with honesty, expertise, and genuine care.”
kelly molson
kelly molson consulting
“Kelly flies the flag for small agencies who want profit, sustainable growth and a lifestyle they love.”
georgina gray
walk with me coaching
“Georgina is a phenomenal leadership coach - she keeps the entire team going and sane!”
“Their advice has been honest, practical, and genuinely encouraging, helping me grow in confidence as well as in my career.”
Amy Alderdice
business efficiency
bees
“Trusted NED to some of the best agencies in the UK, M&A for major networks, PE and private companies, growth advice to those looking to exit.”
andrew bloch
founder
Andrew Bloch & Associates
rob quinn
head of creative industries, BAND
“Worked within, led and owned agencies for 20 years before transitioning to co-launch BAND in 2020, an advisory and accountancy firm for the creative industries.”
“By providing an impartial view of client relationships, I help agency leaders understand how clients really experience their business and where opportunities and risks may be hiding.”
Remeny Armitage
Founder
Brilliant and Human
“Bringing a unique POV to the space from 14 years in marketing procurement and driven more capability and confidence for dozens of agency leaders and their teams.”
Stuart Dunk
MD & Founder
Don’t Forget to Look
andy west
MD
Westofcenter Ltd
“Andy is a trusted thought partner who helped us strengthen the fundamentals in our agency.”
jo rogers
Founder, Client Success Matters
“I have now spent the last 3 years with over 30 agencies supporting them in training & development of their teams as well as auditing and setting up their client services function.”
Phil Edelston
Leadership Coach
Phil Edelston Coaching
“As a former founder of an agency I bring both trained coaching experience but also lived experience of scaling an agency.”
Clive Goldstein
Ned / Board Advisor
Clive Goldstein Ltd
“After 19 years as a founder MD I wanted to offer my experience to other agency founders and leaders.”
“Mike provides clarity on what numbers to look at, what to ignore and most importantly what changes need to be made to see improvements.”
Mike Almandras
MD
Empowered Finance
“John’s experience as a two-time agency founder, agency CMO, Non-Exec Director and adviser gives a much sharper commercial perspective than most fractional CMOs.”
John Lyons
Fractional CMO & NED
Human Hatstand
