Rich has a knack for helping people turn innovative ideas into tangible success. As a supportive partner for teams, and trusted adviser to senior leaders, Rich brings a refreshing approach to growth and innovation. Both pragmatic and imaginative, it’s rooted in the talent already in your organisation.

The first half of his career was on the inside of famous brand organisations - in marketing, proposition and product. Then followed a decade leading specialist innovation companies, working with teams across a range of sectors.

So he’s no stranger to a little reinvention.

Rich combines original insight and future direction, digital product and service design, with experience delivering in market - bringing together colleagues with diverse talents and experience.

He rolls up his sleeves - introducing agile innovation, lean startup principles, and design thinking skills - coaching teams to swiftly prototype and scale new products and services. Building confidence and capabilities.

A little bit obsessed with customers’ behaviour, and their real needs, Rich's approach ensures that new initiatives are not just innovative, but also commercially viable - spotting big opportunities in unexpected places, and turning £100 million pipe dreams into reality.

Those new products and services only work if people understand them, and are drawn to use them - if they stand out amongst all the everyday noise, if we communicate the benefits clearly.

Because asking customers to buy something new means asking them to change their habits and behaviour too.

I’ll never forget the old-fashioned focus groups when customers said, “I’ve got the internet at home, and I’ve got it at work - why would I want it on my phone?”
people aren’t great reporters of what drives their current choices, let alone good predictors of their future behaviour - give them something real to experience, and you’ll see how they really behave

Over 20 years Rich has led teams designing new services for a retailer to grow by £1bn… developed a digital subscription service to make public transport easier than cars in Manchester… created bold retail stores formats that seamlessly integrate the digital and physical experience… turned around a failing mobile internet service to become a £100m success… run a connected health hackathon in an East Berlin tower… shaped a medicine and activity tracker to keep cystic fibrosis patients healthier and costing the National Health Service less… launched the first Google Android smartphone live on Sky News alongside a ‘flashmob’ TV campaign… and designed digital banking that focused on life ambitions more than terms and conditions.

Along the way, he’s also ‘failed fast’ on a smart (but flawed) high-tech national dental practice chain, a digital music download store that Robbie Williams and Channel 4 couldn’t save, and a TV streaming service that almost nobody watched. The need, the model, the moment - they all have to be right.

His work has covered many of the challenges facing organisations today - including what humans do well vs what AI and machines do better… how to protect our health by nudging better ways to stay active and look after ourselves… how to make cities more sustainable and ready for the digital age… how to re-discover purpose in our brand and our work… or what loyalty and membership means in an era when consumers can ‘see inside’ your organisation and expect a say on its future…

Rich focuses on building the blend of diverse talents, skills and experience that makes a team succeed. And on what gets in the way of change.

Changing company processes or technology to create a new product or services is one thing - but we can neglect the human part: the changing job roles, the need for new skills, for new habits and behaviours - to design and deliver those innovations to customers.

That sparked further interest in behavioural science, and his developing professional skills in personal coaching. A member of the International Coaching Federation, in 2021-22 he completed foundation studies towards ICF accreditation, with further practical training continuing during 2022-24. As a trained coach, Rich doesn't just craft strategies for growth; he helps to build ambition, talent and confidence within teams.

His commitment to continuous learning and adaptation truly sets him apart from the pack. His broad studies in marketing, economics, behavioural science, design, data analytics and sustainability underpin his approach to innovation and growth strategy.

In 2018 Rich was invited to join the CBI’s Innovation Council, promoting agile innovation and design.

With enthusiasm for learning from other cultures, he has also spoken at live client events in the US, Netherlands, Germany, France - and visited almost 50 countries. 

For executives and founders feeling frustrated with the status quo, Rich is the ally you want when it's time to shift gears and accelerate change - leaving a lasting impact on both businesses and the people within them. He's the secret ingredient for leaders who've grown weary of off-the-shelf solutions, or dependence on big teams from outside - and are eager to tap into the latent potential within their own ranks.

Rich graduated from the University of Nottingham in 1997, specialising in European economics, international trade, health, public sector and environmental economics, with a dissertation on competition in digital television. He completed postgraduate studies with the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He joined the Boots Group Graduate Programme as Boots expanded into new health, wellbeing and digital services. He led teams at T-Mobile, Orange and EE, pioneering early smartphone, mobile broadband and content services. 

Whilst leading innovation consultancies for the last decade, his professional specialism in innovation, design thinking and behavioural insight has continued - with executive studies in sustainability leadership and management (University of Cambridge, London Business School), sustainable design (University of the Arts London), visual design (General Assembly), data analytics (General Assembly), behavioural science (University of Warwick / BIT), consumer neuroscience (UCL), coaching and facilitation (International Coaching Federation), finance (King’s Business School) and broadcast journalism (City St George’s, University of London).

A fan of big landscapes, creative design and bold architecture, Rich has been fortunate to travel to 50 countries, including running, cycling and motorcycling in Africa, Asia, Europe, North & Central America.
He’s an optimistic and inconsistent brewer, baker and barista. And a volunteer director for a local film festival. Recent illness and injury prompted an embrace of strength training and leading a local mental fitness group - because we need to make some strong moves to keep reinventing.