As the founder of jellybean 37 years ago I am proud to announce that as of September 2024 we are an employee-owned business through an EOT (Employee Ownership Trust).

There are many exit plans open to business owners – MBO, BIMBO, MBI, or a straight 3rd party sale but all these options can create uncertainty for both the employees and clients. A change in ownership can of course bring some great positives to the party, fresh thinking, investment and opportunity (all things we believe we do anyway at jellybean) but it can also have a negative effect on morale and security of the team and clients. A change of master would not necessarily guarantee our continued specialism in food and drink and our expertise in foodservice, retail and consumer. Integrating agencies can be a rocky transition which may impact client servicing and crucially dilute an agency’s culture and values.

For me there was one route open to jellybean that ticked all the boxes – an EOT – a legal Trust established to take ownership of the company shares and hold them for the benefit of employees*.

Jellybean is built on the hard work and commitment of the people that work here and as the founder and driver of the business, and someone who cares about every member of the team, I wanted to leave a legacy and a company that thrives and is successful long into the future. I wanted to do the right thing in the best interests of everyone, ensure that we could sustain the company’s culture and values and I wanted everyone who contributes to share in its financial success.

I genuinely believe the business is in great shape for an EOT. We moved offices in July 2023 to a smaller, future fit, more environmentally friendly modern space. Our longstanding brand values are lived throughout the agency and evident in everything that we do – Care, Expertise, Collaboration and Courage (in our creative thinking and self-challenge). We are a diverse and inclusive workforce that has proved to be resilient, flexible and in touch in a fast-paced world. We are fully integrated in our client servicing offering a smarter, agile, multi skilled team on all accounts and have an extensive range of marketing products and services that you would expect from a creative solutions business that exists to solve marketers’ challenges. We continuously invest in training and development and genuinely care about the mental wellbeing and work life balance of our people. Our EVP is benchmarked against industry standards and we continue to strive for excellent ESG credentials including our target to reach net zero by January 2026.

So, what does the future hold? I’m not going anywhere soon (although my golf handicap could do with a bit of work and my dog Kenzo would love to see more of me) and will continue as CEO knowing I can rely on my collaborative, visionary and strong leadership team to ensure we make key and sometimes tough decisions for the benefit of all.

Each member of the LT has a defined role and specific overarching responsibility to maintain and evolve an agency fit and future proofed. We each bring unique perspectives, ideas, and opinions but come together in a shared forum to represent the people, teams, divisions, disciplines, and services across the agency. We will continue to lead and drive the business, informing and making decisions based on our extensive experience, expertise and wisdom.

So, what does this mean for our clients? As an award winning creative agency we will continue to provide courageous and compelling campaigns, based on insight and strategy, that deliver results. We will continue to stay at the cutting edge of our industry and build the incredible reservoir of knowledge and experience we have in the food and drink sectors both in home, in store and out of home. We will continue to retain and develop the best staff, provide a great working environment and build loyalty and long-term service because we genuinely care about every individual at jellybean and give them every opportunity to aim high and achieve their PB.

This exciting change can only be good news for our people and our highly valued clients many of whom have been with us for years.

As for me well, I hope that after 37 years at the helm I have achieved my PB by putting an EOT in place for the passionate and dedicated people at jellybean, who are the heart and soul of the business and the foundation on which we have built our success. I hope I leave a legacy that appreciates their loyalty and hard work, respects their contribution and sustains our culture and values so that every employee feels invested in the future of the agency and benefits from its achievements in the years ahead.”

*An EOT is an indirect form of employee ownership, the Trust is a passive investor so the way a business is run does not change. It holds a controlling stake in the company on behalf of its employees and ownership sits with the entire workforce not just a select few. The EOT is run for their benefit providing enhanced job security and motivation and evidence shows EOT improves wellbeing, staff engagement and sense of achievement.