Former Ketchum & Omnicom Leaders Launch Advisory Firm

(MENAFN- PRovoke) LONDON - Former Omnicom leaders David Gallagher, Mark Hume and Dave Scott have launched an advisory firm to support agency leaders and boards with strategies for growth and business improvement.

Folgate Advisors will offer services including giving agency founders guidance on growth, profitability, culture and leadership, as well as support for investment, sale and other partnerships. It will also advise service buyers and procurement teams on agency selection and performance management, and offer M&A support for buy- and sell-side parties.

The name of the agency comes from Folgate Street in East London, where the trio spent 15 years leading the UK and international operations for the global Ketchum network and later for Omnicom PR Group (OPRG).

Gallagher (pictured, centre) was with Omnicom for 26 years in the US and internationally, culminating as CEO for Ketchum Europe and president of OPRG. In 2021 he left the group to form his own agency advisory firm and to support investment activities for US-based Next Practices Group.

Hume (right) worked at Ketchum and Omnicom for more than 33 years, in commercial, operational and leadership roles for all markets outside the US, leaving earlier this year as international president and COO. His experience includes acquiring, merging and growing businesses in the marketing communications sector, as well as mentoring leadership talent.

Scott (left) was at Omnicom for nearly 27 years, based in the UK and Germany. He spent the last 20 years supporting and growing agencies in all regions globally as international CFO for Pleon (part of BBDO) and then Ketchum, including the global CFO role during 2022.

Gallagher said:“For the better part of two decades, we guided Omnicom agencies through a period of dramatic growth and transformation, and while we're not taking full credit for the successes of the Ketchum and OPRG networks, we do have some hard-earned experience we want to bring to agency founders and communications leaders.”

He told PRovoke Media:“I wanted to get back into the agency advice space with people I like and trust, to help leaders fulfil their own potential, meet the needs of people and clients, and keep investors and shareholders happy – I feel good about the power of what we have to offer.”

And he added:“Organisations and brands are investing more than ever in communications activity, but the business of running an agency or agency relationship is complex, evolving rapidly and for a lot of leaders under pressure to deliver growth and profitability, it can be demoralising, even dehumanising. We want to bring back the optimism and humanity that drives sustainable success.”

Scott told PRovoke Media:“I had the most successful decade of my career working closely with David and Mark. Within the big networks you get exposed to a huge amount but are often pigeonholed on where you can add direct value to the business. We have a huge amount of local, regional and global experience we can bring to an agency – together have pretty much a century of experience.”

Scott said Folgate would“help businesses to crack intractable problems” in a tough market:

“The pandemic left teams pretty fragmented, and lead generation and conversion are hampering businesses at the moment. It's not just about new business but also development and next steps, whether agencies should deepen or broaden their speciality and how to remain profitable in the process. It can be frightening, and we will take the fear away.”

Hume added that among the perennial issues for owner-led businesses was the question of succession, including how to expand leadership and whether to sell to outside buyers or employees:“These are complex decisions we've had a lot of experience of and where we can bring our skills to help leaders work out a path. We can help business owners look round corners ahead of some of those challenges.”

Hume also told PRovoke Media that the founders' relationship was key to how they would work with clients:“We're a very supportive group. We don't know everything but aim to create a partnership of like-minded people who just want to solve business issues, learn, develop and grow, and have fun doing it. We want to be easy to work with and get results for any business, from small owner-led agencies to big groups and even clients.”

The firm is already working with three agency clients in the UK and one in the Middle East. The founders are intending to add other advisors to create a global offer, and is in discussion with potential partners in Asia and North America.

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