People | Magnus Consulting

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Richard Ablett

PARTNER

With 20 years of marketing and business transformation experience, Richard has solved complex marketing challenges for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Adidas, Coca-Cola, Universal Pictures, American Express & Jaguar Land Rover.

He has previously held senior roles with WPP, iCrossing, and Brilliant Noise. Richard brings a wealth of experience in transforming marketing teams and global brands to improve performance.

Favourite song: Copacabana (Barry Manilow)

RICHARD’s INSIGHTS

Building Marketing Capabilities To Accelerate Growth

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Bright Oparaji

AI & DATA PLATFORM ENGINEER

Bright specialises in harnessing AI to make market research faster, smarter, and more actionable. With expertise in machine learning, NLP, and data engineering, Bright develops solutions that streamline research processes and transform complex data into clear insights.

Across projects, Bright has designed systems that automate data extraction, cleaning, schema generation, and insight delivery, enabling clients to make informed decisions more efficiently. By blending technical skill with a deep understanding of market research workflows, Bright ensures that AI adds real value at every stage of the research process.

At Magnus, Bright brings this expertise to client engagements, building scalable AI pipelines and innovative tools that enhance how market insights are generated, interpreted, and applied.

Sophie Read

JUNIOR ANALYST

A recent Graduate from Durham University with a First Class honours degree in Marketing and Management, with a placement year at Pfizer, Sophie is well-versed in digital marketing, asset creation and campaign optimisation.

Working in Pfizer Vaccines’ Omnichannel team, Sophie worked on a portfolio of 7 brands, including a priority launch brand, gaining invaluable insight into different brand lifecycles and subsequent strategic direction. During this time, Sophie became the ‘Metrics Lead’, utilising data and insights to optimise own-channel website and email campaigns, as well as leading the integration of third-party media campaigns. Sophie brings her marketing knowledge and analytic proficiency to Magnus in her role as a Junior Analyst.

Favourite song: Getaway Car – Taylor Swift

Kim Bennett

ANALYST/ RESEARCHER

Kim specialises in uncovering customer, competitor, and commercial insights to support strategy development and client growth. With a strong foundation in primary research and a deep understanding of B2B marketing, Kim is the go-to person for translating data into actionable recommendations.

Having worked across the marketing industry, Kim has gained extensive experience as the trusted resource for all things research, from benchmarking and market mapping to creating buyer personas and interpreting survey data. At Magnus, Kim brings this expertise to client projects, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis to deliver clear, meaningful insights that drive decision-making.

Favourite song: Don’t stop me now – Queen

Rachel Akehurst

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

With over 20 years in marketing operations and project leadership, Rachel has built a career out of making complex things run smoothly. She’s led everything from product launches and omnichannel campaigns to large-scale operational change, and she does it all with a blend of calm, clarity, and a strong focus on outcomes.

She’s held senior roles at Bristol Myers Squibb, Ogilvy, MOI Global, McCann and DDB, where she’s driven digital strategy, process transformation, and high-performing delivery across global teams. Her breadth of experience gives her a unique ability to connect people, platforms, and priorities to create meaningful results.

Throughout her career, she’s helped deliver strategic and digital programmes for brands including Vodafone, Oracle, Nokia, Mastercard, SAP, Adobe, and Virgin Atlantic. At Magnus, she plays a key role in evolving the firm’s operational backbone—supporting growth, innovation, and consistently excellent delivery for clients.

Carol Howley

PARTNER

Carol Howley is a board-level marketer with a proven track record of scaling tech companies and driving transformational growth in global markets. With expertise in go-to-market strategies, brand positioning, and operational transformation, she has held leadership roles at Exclaimer, Canonical/Ubuntu, and Skyscanner, delivering exceptional growth, revenue, and market leadership. She is currently a Partner at Magnus supporting CEOs and investors unlock value through strategic GTM, marketing and scaling high-performing teams.

At Exclaimer, Carol doubled ARR to £80M through innovative marketing strategies, company repositioning, and award-winning partnerships. At Canonical, she redefined commercial and marketing strategies to exceed revenue targets, while at Skyscanner, she spearheaded a global rebrand project and supported revenue growth through innovative product launches and customer engagement.

Carol is a sought after speaker, an advisor for a number of B2B businesses, leads the global CMO track for Pavilion UK, and supporter of DEI initiatives including mentoring female leaders in technology and channel. Outside of work, Carol enjoys skiing, hiking, and travelling with her family.

James Roberts

Strategist

James is a B2B marketing strategist who has vast experience in account-based marketing, helping organisations navigate and understand complex buying groups and decision-making units. By deeply understanding how different stakeholders make decisions, he creates targeted strategies that connect with the right people at the right time, driving customer acquisition, retention, and sustained pipeline growth.

He has partnered with leading B2B organisations including ADP, VMO2B, Expleo and Freshworks, bringing expertise across sectors such as SaaS, Telecommunications, Payroll Solutions, Life Sciences, and Technology. His strategic thinking has been recognised through two industry accolades, including ABM Campaign of the Year 2024 and Best Use of ABM 2024 at the UK Agency Awards.

Beyond his professional achievements, James managed a Saturday league football team for three years, reinforcing his belief in the power of effective collaboration, strong leadership, and teamwork in achieving ambitious goals.

Favourite song: Motion (Ty Dolla $ign)

Nikki Gatenby

ADVISOR

Having run and owned agencies in London, Paris and Brighton for over 25 years with a track record of taking them global, Nikki is a non-exec director, cognitive behavioural coach and author on the subject of engagement, particularly focused on achieving ‘better business on purpose’.

With a background spanning multiple sectors from automotive to FMCG, airlines to retail, finance and travel, Nikki brings leadership skills focused on marketing services and technology products. This, hand in hand culture expertise – as her last company was nominated as one of the best places to work in the UK for 8 years running – Nikki is adept at building high performance teams and high impact organisations.

Having exited her last business in 2019, Nikki is now a strategic advisor to multiple boards, focused on making other good companies, great.

Favourite song: A little party never killed nobody (Fergie)

Ed Mellor

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

Ed is a classically trained and seasoned researcher with 25 years of experience. He learnt his trade at Kantar before moving to Ipsos MORI where he was Head of Research Excellence. In this role, he was responsible for defining, designing, executing and reporting research programmes for a range of blue-chip clients. He has spent the last 4 years consulting and advising research agencies and clients operating in a range of sectors including FMCG, automotive, technology, insurance and finance.

Ed’s expertise encompasses the full portfolio of research methods and techniques – utilising both primary and secondary data sources – to answer business questions. A strategic thinker with a keen eye for detail, he excels in interpreting and distilling complex data into clear, concise, and compelling insights.

Favourite song: Tubthumping (Chumbawamba)

Charlotte Davis

INSIGHTS MANAGER

Charlotte focuses on researching audiences, channels, markets and organisations to identify key trends and insights that inform the work of the strategy partners. She gathers vast quantities of information and analyses data to understand, from the outside-in, the ‘who, what and why’ of any audience. As well as exploring a wide variety of industries, she gets to learn about what it’s like working in a fast-paced environment!

After graduating in 2019, she briefly worked in the FinTech sector and gained exposure to the daily operations and business development of a start-up. She’s also been a tennis coach, so knows the importance of strategy to help player development and the benefit of creating positive environments.

Favourite song: Take On Me (A-ha)

CHARLOTTE’s INSIGHTS

The Growth Function: Rethinking Sales & Marketing

Defining growth through Customer Lifetime Value

Our Sustainability Journey

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Lindsay Carr

PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT

Lindsay is a self-confessed brand and marketing strategy geek and loves making complicated simple. She cut her teeth on the Orange marketing graduate scheme, then worked in a variety of client-side roles across brand planning, advertising, and digital marketing – leading large teams and agencies to develop and deliver multi-million-pound brand strategies and advertising productions for telco and technology brands.

Agency-side, she’s led strategies for brands including Jaguar LandRover, Microsoft, Porsche, Universal and Heathrow and has spent recent years specialising in B2B, helping businesses to develop propositions that connect with their audiences, and creating actionable plans that deliver challenging targets. She’s passionate about people, planet and purpose and believes in the power of businesses to do good.

Favourite song: We Built This City (Starship)

LINDSAY’s INSIGHTS

Businesses Imperatives to Drive Sustainable Change

The Role of Marketing

Building an Authentic EVP

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Danny Philamond

PARTNER

Danny is a commercial and go-to-market leader who works with executive teams, boards, and investors to drive transformation and embed lasting marketing excellence. He specialises in go-to-market strategy, commercial effectiveness, and marketing capability-building, helping ambitious B2B brands turn strategic intent into measurable growth.

With deep expertise across logistics, IT, financial services, and professional services, Danny has led transformation programmes and GTM strategies for global B2B brands including DHL, Nokia, Iron Mountain, Vodafone, Expleo, and Asana, alongside major projects for Danone, General Motors and L’Oréal. His work blends strategic clarity with practical application, ensuring change is embedded and teams are equipped to deliver at pace.

Before joining Magnus, Danny was Director of Strategy and Growth at a top 50 global B2B agency and held senior roles at VMLY&R, Ogilvy, and Dentsu, delivering award-shortlisted brand and demand strategies for some of the world’s most recognised companies.

Favourite song: Sweet Disposition (The Temper Trap)

DANNY’s INSIGHTS

Why ABM isn’t delivering the customer growth you need

5 Tips for an effective GTM strategy

Aligning marketing strategy & operations to increase effectiveness

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Applied Influence accelerates B2B growth by helping clients reach and persuade the right stakeholders at the right time and focus on the human aspect of their sales challenges, using military intelligence grade methods.

appliedinfluencegroup.com

WatchMyCompetitor helps organisations protect and grow their revenue through their AI competitive intelligence platform that delivers actionable insights, curated by market analysts.

watchmycompetitor.com

Count Us In is a global movement of people and organizations taking high impact steps to address climate change.

count-us-in.com

Sojourn Solutions is a B2B Marketing Operations consultancy working with marketing leaders and their teams to prove (and improve) the value of marketing within their organisation.

sojournsolutions.com

SBR Consulting is a specialist consultancy that focuses on growth and revenue acceleration. We leverage our experience of 800 clients in the last 20 years to support you to achieve your ambitions.

sbrconsulting.com

JMAN Group is a technology-enabled management consultancy with capabilities in data analytics, software development & data engineering. They work across the PE investment lifecycle with portcos and funds, using data to drive value from deal sourcing to exit.

jman.com

Teresa Allan

PARTNER

Teresa is a Board-level marketer with more than 20 years’ experience in helping agencies and clients realise their value through brand, strategy and operational effectiveness.

She previously held two Agency Board directorships and completed two agency sales, including dnx/WPP and was interim MD for Publicis b2b agency Saatchi Pro, during which time she transformed the agency process, people and focus.

She has mentored start-ups in fintech, fashion and medtech and worked with brands including Cisco, Adobe, SAP and BT. She is an advisor for Adelpha, a female-led, investment network, and she leads the B2B industry-wide Power of Partnership initiative to improve client/agency relationships.

Favourite song: You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon)

Teresa’s INSIGHTS

2024: The Year Of The Chief Growth Officer

Mastering Marketing Team Structure When Downsizing

A Guide To Marketing Effectiveness

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Team

B2B Growth Specialists who bring commercial excellence, customer-first GTM and the momentum to deliver clarity, confidence and measurable growth.

trusted by ambitious mid-sized and private equity-backed businesses

We’re hiring

Why Magnus

THE TEAM

PARTNER

PARTNER

PARTNER

PARTNER

PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT

Strategist

INSIGHTS MANAGER

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Research Associate

ADVISOR

ANALYST/ RESEARCHER

JUNIOR ANALYST

AI & DATA PLATFORM ENGINEER

There is a better way to grow

Contact us to find out more about how we can help.

Richard Ablett

PARTNER

RICHARD’s INSIGHTS

Bright Oparaji

AI & DATA PLATFORM ENGINEER

Sophie Read

JUNIOR ANALYST

Kim Bennett

ANALYST/ RESEARCHER

Rachel Akehurst

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Carol Howley

PARTNER

James Roberts

Strategist

Nikki Gatenby

ADVISOR

Ed Mellor

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

Charlotte Davis

INSIGHTS MANAGER

CHARLOTTE’s INSIGHTS

Lindsay Carr

PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT

LINDSAY’s INSIGHTS

Danny Philamond

PARTNER

DANNY’s INSIGHTS

Teresa Allan

PARTNER

Teresa’s INSIGHTS