That’s why we focus on what matters. Ideas. Relationships. Results. No egos. No trophy-hunting. No added nonsense. The result? Simpler, clearer, better work. And the ‘Friends’ in our name? It’s not spin, it’s how we do business.
Leadership team
Simon’s career in the industry began in London in the early 1990’s. He cut his teeth in client service working in advertising, integrated marketing and brand consultancy before making the leap into agency ownership.
Brand planning was something that he enjoyed as he ventured into agency ownership, but he’s never lost sight of how important relationships are in business world and his M.O. of always being helpful and giving without expectation has helped to create a positive and successful culture at Mr B & Friends.
As CEO, he is ultimately responsible for the success and performance of the agency but is still delighted to roll his sleeves up and get stuck in to client projects.
Founder & CEO
Kate has managed the creative team at Mr B & Friends for the past seven years, and sits on the Board of Bristol Creative Industries, acting as the membership body’s brand advisor. She is also a hands-on art director and copywriter.
Before this, she spent 20 years in the design and advertising industries in London, as Head of Art for AGA Advertising (now Gravity Global) and Creative Director at brand agencies Finisterre and Philosophy. She estimates she has worked for clients in roughly 30% of the FTSE 100, plus Central Government and not-for-profits such as Cancer Research UK, NCT, RSPB, and the V&A.
Creative Director
Adam heads up the Mr B Strategy and Planning team, ensuring that simplicity and clarity sit at the heart of our strategic offer.
With over 20 years experience in brand, marketing and design, Adam is a natural problem solver with a knack for turning strategic business challenges into clear, inspiring ideas that make a real difference to our clients’ businesses. Working hands-on alongside his fantastic team, he is a passionate advocate for the power of brand, helping organisations of all shapes and sizes realise the significant benefits of a brand-led approach.
Strategy & Planning Director
Having spent over a decade creating compelling brand stories for the likes of Guinness, Unilever, Principality Building Society and IHG Hotels & Resorts – Harriet knows exactly how to make your audience sit up and take notice.
As a creative copywriter, Harriet loves coming up with big ideas and bringing them to life with carefully crafted copy. Transforming customers into loyal fans and employees into brand advocates. She’s always eager to get stuck into the next brief, kick-start the collaboration process and make words work harder.
Head of Copy
Peter has an extensive background in financial services, marketing, sponsorship and operational management.
For most of his career he fulfilled a number of key functions for Nationwide Building Society – the world’s largest building society – from retail operational management through to spearheading the organisation’s marketing communications, which included all above and below-the-line media, their digital marketing and also their flagship sponsorships of the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland football teams, the Football League, Football Conference as well as the Mercury Music Prize.
Since then Peter has held a number of Chairman positions for a variety of companies where he provides advice and guidance on strategic direction, corporate governance and operational management.
Chairman
Steve has spent 28 years leading and creating branding programmes for many household and worldwide names including IHG Hotels & Resorts, BBC, SSE, Virgin, PepsiCo and Diageo.
He is also a partner of CXCo a customer experience consultancy and Noble Digital Performance a joint venture with a US based digital agency. Having led creative teams in the UK and New Zealand, Steve is responsible for the culture and creative product of Mr B & Friends. His approach is to create brands that are agile, adaptable and transformational for any business – creating commercial growth and internal energy.
Executive Creative Director and Partner
With 13 years in London and Bristol agencies, Chris is responsible for bringing ideas to life and making them look, feel and sound original and compelling.
With a rounded background in digital, campaign, brand and motion design, he loves to get under the skin of the brief as well as get hands on and deliver the final result with the whole team.
His career to date has included product launch campaigns for Sony and Microsoft, brand identities for Bristol City FC and Bristol Bears, campaigns for HP and Bristol Airport, and global internal engagement programmes for hotel giant IHG.
Associate Creative Director
James has spent eighteen years in marketing and advertising in London, Sydney and Bristol working in big multinational agencies like Ogilvy and DDB and also creative independents like Isobel and Mr B & Friends.
He’s been lucky to work with some of the world’s biggest brands, developing strategic and creative work from TV and cinema to direct mail and leaflets for clients including Ford, McDonald’s, Volkswagen, Audi, Diageo, Kraft, Storck, GlaxoSmithKline, Kia, Accsys and Lloyds.
He also enjoyed 8 years in hospitality when he first moved to Bristol and is the founder and owner of three sustainable restaurants and venues, the Assembly Bakery and the Harbourside Market.
Senior Client Partner
Brand is business critical. And it’s most effective when it performs across every touchpoint within your organisation. Here’s how we can help.
Great work takes a meeting of minds. Would we suit your organisation and appetite?
We stand by the fact that a strong brand can bring real, long-term commercial value to your organisation. We can show you how.
The chance of a free creative pitch delivering you the right answer is a lottery win.
It can mask shallow thinking – we prefer a more human approach.
We aim for simple, memorable creative solutions, elegantly and painlessly delivered.
The goal may be serious, but the journey should be fun. The ‘friends’ in our name stands for something important to us – rewarding relationships.
