My Experience

 I  am originally from the UK, and have more than 30 years experience in the fields of Corporate Branding, Purpose, product branding, service branding and Innovation. The first 10 years of my career were spent traveling the world with international heavyweights such as Unilever, Nestlé, Volvo, Shell and Diageo - including a period living and working in the US. During this time, I held senior positions at a number of the world’s leading branding and design consultancies, 

In 1995, I moved to Denmark, primarily for the sake of my family, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I started as Planning Director for the Danish office of US advertising agency, Leo Burnett, and a year later was appointed Managing Director. Under my leadership, Leo Burnett Denmark listened to the needs of international clients such as Kellogg’s, Procter & Gamble and SAS - and became one of the first offices in the Leo Burnett network to establish specialist competences in digital and direct marketing. As a result, the company grew by 400% in 4 years.

In 2002, I decided to start my own business, positioning myself as a  catalyst to Corporate Branding and innovation processes, helping companies to solve their own challenges in these areas. 

I have been fortunate enough to work on some of the most wonderful Corporate Branding challenges for Scandinavian companies like Novo Nordisk, Coloplast, Maersk and Novozymes.  My skills include ensuring that the Corporate Brand platforms I help create are firmly anchored from Top Management through to front-line sales, reflected in the way the company looks, works and communicates... and linked directly to flagship strategic initiatives that build business. 

I have worked extensively in China, India, Brazil and Africa to enable European and US companies establish a strong Corporate Brand presence and image in these emerging markets… by tailoring their offer to local needs, culture and market dynamics.

Most recently, my focus has been on uncovering the Purpose of global companies  like AAK, Maersk Tankers and Hempel - to capture the essence of the bigger difference they want to make... the reason why they exist. I've supported these companies with tools and techniques to embed their Purpose throughout the whole organisation. In all cases, the Purpose process has been highly inclusive and increasingly virtual.

Within the Innovation area, I have pioneered new processes with the development of methodologies for 'Co-creation' programs and customer-driven innovation  - working closely with a number of global companies, including Novozymes, Unilever, RB and hearing-aid specialist Oticon. I have also been involved in creating idea cultures, driving radical innovation and building product pipelines in more than 20 business sectors. 

I moved back to the UK in 2017 after 22 happy years in Denmark. My business, Catalyser Limited, has its base in London, but I continue to have strong links to Scandinavia. Whilst my mother-tongue is English, I also speak and write Danish fluently.

I  lecture regularly on branding and innovation at several international ´business schools.