Thursday February 13th 2014 might not be a date that will go down in corporate history but this was the day the management team, assembled over 7 years by Delineo CEO and majority shareholder Nick Melvin, was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime: a Management buyout and the chance to actually own the agency they were dedicating their days - and plenty of nights - to growing.
Nick has been Mr Delineo since he took over the agency in 1998 so this was clearly not a decision that would be taken lightly by any of the parties involved. It did, though, certainly make for interesting Valentine's dinner discussions with our respective wives and partners on our return from our management away day in a very damp Coniston!
Equally this is not something that happens overnight. With financial aspects agreed and contracts in place, the qualities required of ownership as opposed to management needed to be learned, and patience was to become a highly tested virtue over the subsequent years as we headed to completion.
In the two years that we have been working through the change in structure, Nick and the board have mentored, delegated and nurtured to aid the transition of both the day to day running and the strategic direction of the agency to the management team. We've made changes to the business, and some tough decisions have been made along the way, but where we are right now as an agency is where we need to be and we can't wait to drive the agency forward through 2017 and beyond.
On a personal level, the announcement of the MBO coincides with my formally taking on the role of Managing Director and Nick to Chairman. I am incredibly proud to have been selected for this position, especially as the selection came from my fellow management team members. We have become a great team through this process and I look forward to continuing the development of the agency as a team while ensuring that Leigh and Sam are able to focus their incredible talents on our present and future clients. One of our best team decisions for 2016, to invite long term Delineo financial controller, Julia, to become our Finance Director ensures we are all kept firmly in line!
So what next for Delineo? Early in 2016 we presented "Delineo 3.0" internally, launched our Digital First proposition and our clients have been reaping those benefits. Strategic planning for "Delineo 4.0" is underway and in 2017 we expect to push further into areas where we can add the highest value and effectiveness to our clients and continue to attract the best talent to work with us on our journey.
If you'd like to join us on that journey, as a client or member of staff, get in touch!