Helping SMEs Do Business Better.
Need someone to lead a commercial project for three months?
Need a day a month of experienced advice?
Need to build commercial strategy or sustainability capability into your team?
Need a very specific problem fixed?
30 years of commercial, marketing and sustainability experience, for as long as you need it.
Doing Business Better
Commercial performance
Understanding where the business makes money, where margins are being lost and which priorities will make the greatest difference.
Strategic marketing
Clarifying which markets and customers to pursue, whether the proposition remains relevant, and what marketing and sales need to do differently.
Sustainability
Understanding which sustainability expectations affect the business from customers, procurement, supply chains and regulation and turning them into practical action.
I bring these three areas together because they are increasingly connected. Better commercial decisions depend on understanding customers, markets, future risks and changing expectations.
A clear plan for what to do next
If you are not sure where to begin, I can start with a 30-day assessment of business performance, strategic marketing and sustainability.
The assessment gives you:
A clearer view of where the business is performing well and where it is losing ground
An understanding of which customers, markets and propositions matter most
An assessment of the sustainability demands affecting the business
Clear priorities for what to stop, start and change
No long-term retainer. No open-ended consultancy. Just a focused review and practical next steps.
My background is in commercial strategy, strategic marketing and running businesses, alongside more recent work and training in sustainability and responsible business.
Commercial realignment and proposition restructure | B2B Content. Reworked the commercial model and proposition, growing revenues to £6m and improving operating margin by £900k.
Commercial strategy and customer sustainability | Retail Marketing & Logistics. An 18-month advisory engagement covering customer RFP requirements, sustainability positioning and commercial strategy across internal teams.
Strategy and commercial audit | Global Online Publishing. Reviewed and repositioned the commercial model and value proposition for the next phase of the business.
Sustainability strategy and commercial roadmap | SA Brain. Developed a practical sustainability strategy that gave the leadership team a clear foundation and pathway for moving forward.
Responsible business workshop | German National Tourist Board. Ran a workshop exploring what sustainability means for marketing and how it can become part of a credible customer proposition.
Selected Track Record.
About Me.
I am a Commercial Director with more than 25 years’ operational and board-level experience in commercial strategy, strategic marketing and running businesses.
I am a former Managing Director of Ultima Media, where I led a major business turnaround, rebuilding the publishing and events proposition, operating model and core capabilities, and managing the business through the pandemic back to profitability.
I also led Archant Dialogue through its transition from contract publisher to content marketing agency. Earlier in my career, I held corporate roles including Commercial Director at BBC Worldwide and Marketing Director at Universal Pictures.
More recently, I have focused on helping businesses understand the commercial implications of sustainability, changing customer expectations, supply-chain demands and future risks.
I am a Future-Fit Accredited Advisor, and combine the Future-Fit Business Benchmark with practical commercial, marketing and operational experience.
Credentials
MBA · FCIM · Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership · Carbon Literacy Facilitator · Future-Fit Accredited Advisor · Course Director, CIM Sustainability & Marketing
Contact
Berkshire · Surrey · Thames Valley
Some Recent Client Testimonials
“I've worked with Gavin for the past two and a half years and have found him to be a truly inspirational leader. His expertise in running businesses (and turning them around!) is second to none. I have learned more from him about business strategy, commercial awareness and people management in the past two years than I have during my entire 17-year career in publishing.
CEO, Dialogue Content Agency
“What really sets Gavin apart is how well he gets both the sustainability world and the commercial one. That mix meant we ended up with a strategy that wasn’t just ‘nice to have’ but something people could get behind and deliver. He brought our teams along for the ride and helped us talk to clients about it in a way that felt honest, inspiring, and practical.
He made a big difference to our journey. I’m really glad we had him on board and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking to do sustainability properly." November 2024
-Group Managing Director, Retail Marketing & Logistics Company
“Gavin combines commercial thinking with practical sustainability expertise. He focuses on what sustainability means in real business terms rather than theory or ESG reporting.
He provided clear, actionable advice and a coaching style that helped us rethink how we approached the challenges we were facing. He also delivered a written strategy document that gave us a practical foundation and pathway for moving forward.
It was a strong mix of commercial clarity, practical sustainability insight and hands-on support.” May 2026
-Nick Payne, Managing Director SA Brain
"We had a brilliant workshop with Gavin – lots of fantastic insights and a whole new perspective on sustainability and marketing in a sustainable world."
-German National Tourist Board
