I spent more than 25 years in agencies and digital businesses.
In 2010 I founded Spicerack, an independent agency based in Bristol. I ran the business for a decade before exiting in 2020.
During that time I dealt with many of the things agency founders carry: commercial pressure, difficult decisions, staff issues, client problems, growth, uncertainty and responsibility that doesn't switch off at the end of the day.
Since then, I've continued working with agencies and leadership teams, including a Managing Director role at an independent digital agency during a period of change and stabilisation.
I've also worked directly with global brands including Dyson, Clarks, Pepsi, LG, Colgate-Palmolive and L'Oréal.
That background matters.
But founders usually contact me for a simpler reason: I've sat in the same chair.
I work with a small number of agency founders each year.
If you'd like an initial conversation, I'd be glad to hear from you. dave@spicerack.co.uk
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dave over many years, and hold him in very high regard. He brings a rare ability to quickly make sense of complex situations, offering clarity, sound judgement, and a calm, measured perspective. He’s someone I trust and would recommend without hesitation to any organisation navigating growth or change.”
Marianne Moss - Marketing Head: inc. Coty, Colgate-Palmolive, Evan Evans
"What sets Dave apart is his instinct for business. He doesn't just understand strategy in the abstract - he reads a situation quickly, finds the signal in the noise, and helps you see what actually matters. I've seen him take complex challenges and reframe them in ways that make the path forward clear.
For any founder or leadership team that's outgrown how their business works, Dave is who you want in your corner. Not someone with a framework to sell you, but a sharp, experienced mind who invests in understanding your specific situation and gives you honest, grounded thinking."
For any founder or leadership team that's outgrown how their business works, Dave is who you want in your corner. Not someone with a framework to sell you, but a sharp, experienced mind who invests in understanding your specific situation and gives you honest, grounded thinking."
Mark Wilkinson - Client CTO - Insight Direct
"Dave operates in a space I know well, where the hard calls most leaders defer lead to inertia and gradually erode commercial performance. He understands how growth, people and pressure collide, and he's properly pragmatic: unafraid of getting into the weeds, rather than analysing the mess from a safe distance. You feel sharper and better equipped for having him in the room."
Guy Whiting - Chief Operating Officer - Brandwidth