Marketing boss in line for £5 million

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Gulliford, a former marketing boss at Barclays and Standard Life, founded his marketing strategy consulting firm in 1992. Recent clients have included easyJet and book publisher HarperCollins.

He said there was increasing demand from companies which want advice on how to bring marketing closer to the heart of its commercial operations - particularly in tough economic times when budgets are under greater scrutiny.

"The people I talk to at the top of big organisations want the commercial agenda to be set by marketing and move away from it just being a communications piece," explained Gulliford.

Despite holding senior roles at Emap, Barclays and Standard Life during the last two decades, Gulliford was able to keep his own Bedfordshire-based consulting business running in parallel.

"My business has grown every year for 20 years. Last year was the biggest I've ever had," he said.

"The reason I sold to Chime is I need greater scale."

Chime, which also owns ad agency VCCP and has a big sports marketing business, has global reach.
The listed communications group, headed by Lord Bell, is buying Gulliford for an initial £2.5 million, plus a further £2.25 million depending on performance.

Gulliford added that he has always kept a low profile and does not even have a website for his consulting firm.

"I'm a great believer that all the praise and upside should land on the client," he said. "If you do a good job, your name gets passed around senior people."