As we continue to extend reach within each of our verticals and improve the efficiency of our lead generation processes, we have appointed Justin Thorne as our new head of digital.
Justin (left) has joined us from neuromarketing company Lab, where he had spent three years and was responsible for leading its performance marketing teams. Prior to that role, he held senior marketing positions at Kenshoo and SmartFocus.
At TLA, Thorne will lead a team of digital channel specialists, UX designers and CRO specialists in creating intent and technology-led, lead generation campaigns.
His focus will be on developing strategies that help us connect with and nurture in-market consumers within automotive, property and education.
Justin’s arrival follows the appointment of Antony Neill as performance manager, who joined us from a technology business within the Bibby Line Group earlier this year.
Commenting on their arrivals, TLA’s CEO Anton Hanley said: “We continuously look for ways to improve the services we provide to clients and consumers, which includes recruiting people who can bring something special to our team. Justin and Antony have a wealth of relevant experience in marketing roles; but more importantly, they have the skills, enthusiasm and ideas to implement positive change within the business.
“Justin will help us extend our market reach, so that we connect with more of our clients’ potential customers at different stages of their buying journey; while Antony will drive performance improvements across each stage of our process to ensure the leads we provide are of the highest quality.”
Our growth is set to continue with a number of other exciting vacancies now live within our careers section.
New years often bring about new starts for people, which is exactly the case for our newly-appointed performance manager Antony Neill.
Joining us in a brand new role for the business, Antony is looking forward to applying his experience to the business’s performance channels. As a quick introduction, he tells us about where he’s come from and his ambitions for The Lead Agency.
Where have you joined us from and what can you tell us about your last role?
I joined The Lead Agency after four years at Bibby Line Group, where I worked across a number of sectors, including shipping, distribution and technology.
The majority of my time at Bibby was spent in a variety of marketing roles, but my most recent role was as a technical sales manager for a new technology business that Bibby launched, where I was responsible for analysing supply chain operations for retail and manufacturing clients, and designing and deploying RFID-based tracking solutions to help them unlock efficiencies.
What are you most proud of from your career to date?
Achieving promotions at each of my last three employers and helping to build Bibby’s ship management arm into a significant challenger within its market both spring to mind. But my most coveted achievement is probably playing a key part in helping Bibby’s technology business – made up of all of nine people – to land a multi-million pound contract with a top 10 UK retailer, an engagement that lasted more than two whole years and many more working hours!
What attracted you to The Lead Agency and this particular role?
The vibrant brand image, the exciting line of business and the company’s culture and ethos all initially attracted me to The Lead Agency; it seemed to match my own personal way of working, and my short time here so far has proven me right.
The role itself is, to me, an almost perfect storm of everything I’m skilled at – analysing and optimising process-led operations within both a marketing and technology context. I can’t wait to get stuck in.
What will be your main responsibilities and what are you hoping to achieve?
The purpose of my role is to ensure that the internal enquiry processing operation – everything after acquisition from marketing, all the way up to distribution to clients – is running smoothly and efficiently. As part of this, I’ll be working across multiple functions within the business – digital marketing, technology, contact centre, compliance and client relations – to make sure that each stage of the operation is linked seamlessly to the last and to the next.
I’ll also be helping to introduce new systems and platforms to the business to help develop our internal operations even further, which will translate to greater value for clients down the line.
To join Antony at The Lead Agency, visit our Careers page.
We are pleased to welcome two important additions to our team in Liverpool.
Patsy Mawdsley (left) has joined the business as our new head of the contact centre from Arvato’s BMW team.
Patsy will lead a team of more than 40 customer service operatives and report directly to Tom White, who joined us earlier this year as automotive managing director. The contact centre is responsible for engaging, nurturing and qualifying our clients’ future customers within automotive, higher education and property.
Our new addition brings more than 12 years’ experience in contact centre management, spanning basic call handling through to multi-channel engagement.
Data protection officer
Joining her through the door is data protection officer/compliance manager Kathy Fleming (right) who arrives from Betfred, where she held the role of data protection officer. Her remit will be to continue developing the company’s compliance programme, which covers data and finance as well as a number of other processes.
Kathy, who has previously worked for Your Housing Group and St Helens Council, is a specialist in data protection and will be responsible for developing and embedding processes that ensure the business’s full compliance with GDPR.
Following our recent growth in Liverpool, we’re delighted to announce two new arrivals in our London office.
Frankie (left) and Irina (right) join the team.
Frankie Sartori has joined the business as head of sales for our higher education business The Study Network.
She joins from global education media provider TES, where she managed media agency partnerships. Her remit at The Study Network will be to build relationships with universities, other higher education providers and publishing partners.
Our CEO Anton Hanley said: “Frankie is an important addition to The Study Network team. Her experience and contacts will be a great asset as we look to grow the brand and forge new partnerships within the industry.”
Joining Frankie in London is account manager Irina Ashakhanova, who joins us straight off the back of graduating her English Literature degree from Bristol University.
Irina will be working on the automotive team, helping to manage relationships with car manufacturers and their agency partners.
We are recruiting for a number of digital jobs in London as well as our head office in Liverpool. Check out our latest vacancies.
We have welcomed five new additions to the TLA development team.
Stephen Donaghy (technical team lead), Lehasa Moloi and Geraint Taylor (both senior developers), Joshua Duxbury (developer) and James Van Den Houdt (junior developer) have arrived to strengthen our programming department.
Stephen has made the move from Amaze, Lehasa from GB Group and Geraint from Redrow Homes. Meanwhile, Joshua has joined us rom Scan Computers and James has made the switch from Carfinance247.
New teammates (From left to right): James, Lehasa, Geraint, Stephen and Joshua.
Identifying the right people
“We’ve been working hard to identify and recruit the right people to help us take the business forward and believe we’ve made five exceptional additions to our development team,” said Ed Clark, our chief technology officer.
“The experience they have earned at respected digital agencies, specialist software companies and in-house development teams will help us to enhance our proprietary platforms and websites as well as explore new technologies to create opportunities for consumers and companies to connect.”
Next up in our Life in Tech series is Michael Fitzsimmons, our recently appointed head of talent. Michael made the move from a Manchester-based digital recruitment specialist to The Lead Agency last month and is already enjoying life on the 13th floor.
Tell us about your role and what you’ve been appointed to do at The Lead Agency…
I’ve been appointed as head of talent. My job is to manage all recruitment in to the business across our Liverpool HQ, London and New York offices. My objective is to recruit all new hires internally, build a recruitment philosophy and implement a recruitment procedure that is followed for each new hire.
What do you think is The Lead Agency’s biggest appeal for potential recruits?
A major reason for me was the potential growth and career opportunities the company could provide. Meeting my colleagues and seeing the fantastic working environment only convinced me further that this was the place for my future. Has anyone else got a better view in Liverpool?
What roles are you recruiting for?
I’m focused on digital roles covering development, design/UX and digital marketing.
What are your immediate priorities?
Like anyone joining a new organisation, I’m learning about the business, how it operates, its processes, its past and future goals. I’m getting to know each of the teams and actively pursuing the best talent to help us fulfil our mission.
What advice would you offer potential candidates?
I would advise people to come to an interview properly prepared, be confident and have good reasons why you want to join The Lead Agency. We are looking for ambitious and driven candidates so make sure you display these qualities when you speak to us.
What do you think Liverpool has to offer people planning a career in digital or tech?
Liverpool’s digital influence is growing and hubs in the Business District and Baltic Triangle are spurring on this growth. You can find tech companies like The Lead Agency who are ready to invest in talent and promote career development. Liverpool is also a great city to live and socialise in with lots of entertainment to keep you busy outside of the office!
What are you passionate about?
Having worked in recruitment for nine years, I am passionate about my industry. I still get a buzz out of finding people a new job. I think what I am most passionate about and what keeps me interested is the interaction I have with people. I enjoy the social and psychology aspect of the job. I think some are too quick to describe themselves as a ‘people person’; however, I do truly believe I am and it helps me build and manage relationships which results in making good hires.
What type of attributes are you looking for in candidates?
When you are looking for attributes in a candidate there are many that you are hoping to see. If I had to pick five, I would choose – integrity, ambition, drive, creativity and hard-working.
Following our first Life in Tech Q&A last week, we’ve asked TLA junior designer Charlotte Smith to tell us about her fledgling career in technology.
What was your route into the industry?
I finished my college A-levels and started applying for apprenticeships. The careers advice people who worked in the college helped me find connections. I was introduced to the Liverpool Chamber Training who were able to arrange an interview with The Lead Agency. I joined as a digital apprentice and, after receiving my qualification, was offered a permanent position to join the design and UX team.
What do you do day-to-day at TLA?
My job varies on a day-to-day basis. One day I’m designing a set of icons for The Study Network (our higher education platform) and the next I’m mocking up landing page wireframes which show the basic layout of how a page will work. I also work closely with the content and marketing team, creating a range of graphics to support their campaigns.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love the fact I get to be creative every day. I enjoy the creative freedom I get when I’m assigned any sort of task whether it’s a landing page, ad design or a graphic for the social channels.
I recently attended a great conference called UX Cubed, which took place at Shop Direct’s offices. There was a lot of interesting talks given on the day about user experience within different industries. Events like this are great for building my knowledge and providing ideas I can apply day-to-day.
What is your proudest professional achievement to date?
Prior to joining The Lead Agency, I designed a responsive website from scratch – MyPrizeDraws. This included research, wireframing, image sourcing and icon, logo and brand design. I was really proud of how it turned out although looking back I can definitely spot areas where I could improve the design!
What are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about exploring design trends and how these things evolve throughout the industry. I’m especially interested to see how virtual reality transforms the way we look at web design and design as a whole.
Fancy joining Charlotte at The Lead Agency? Check out the latest TLA vacancies.
Whether you’re at the start of your career in tech or a seasoned professional, knowing you’re on the right path and making progress is something we all think about.
We asked our developer Stephen Pammenter about his life in tech – how he got in, what keeps him busy, what inspires him and what makes him proud. Here’s what he had to say:
How did you break into the tech industry?
I first did computing at A-level, then went through a four-year sandwich degree in Computer Science – where I did one year placement with a petrochemical company. I was able to find a job before I left university, and went to work for a family run automotive business where I leant the majority of the modern skill I use The Lead Agency. This was a good step for my career, but the company was small and not focussed on software; so was unable to keep up with my growth. Which is where I discovered TLA!
What do you day-to-day at TLA?
Being on the sites squad of our development teams means my days vary quite a lot. We frequently flick between front and server side, which means keeping up with a much wider array of tech. Here it isn’t a matter of head down and work, but importantly, helping other to learn and succeed too. Some of my day will therefore be spent conducting code reviews – ensuring we deliver work to a high standard – and mentoring our juniors (and learning a thing or too doing it!), so that they have better opportunities to progress.
As a developer, my role extends to managing work across the team, so some of my day is spent triaging incoming work and ensuring we work to best interests of everyone. When on projects, we work with agile methodologies, aiming to deliver new features within a one or two-week timebox. My mornings will typically have a stand-up meeting with the rest of my squad, keeping the whole team up to date.
How do you hone and improve your skills and knowledge?
Improving is easy at The Lead Agency. We have free access to Pluralsight, which is a very strong tool to get you started on almost any topic. The company is more than happy to purchase books which will help further your knowledge – I have ‘JavaScript – The Good Parts’ sat on my desk right now. Just this year, I was honoured to be invited to go to the Google I/O conference in Dublin, where we were impressed to see our sites are at the forefront of web technology. If, like me, you learn from doing things – there are plenty of new projects lined up to get your hands on. On any new endeavour, we spend a lot of time designing new architecture – which naturally means lots of research.
Stephen experiences Google I/O in Dublin.
What is your proudest professional achievement?
My proudest achievement has been the recently released CarKeys.co.uk site. This is for two reasons: one, I was able to architect the front-end from scratch. This brought about change across the wider team, and we’re now using the best practices I founded. We’re already seeing our frontend process is making work much more maintainable.
The second reason I say Car Keys, is this was the first major project I have been able to lead. It was a bumpy road in places, but I’ve learnt lot and we delivered a great product.
What change would you like to see in your profession?
The Software industry is far too consistent in the typical personalities of its professionals. We are fortunate that the people working in our team are great to work with but all too often we find candidates who either lack soft skills, or are arrogant to an unbearable point. I would place the blame with our primary & secondary education. I recall from my education, computing was never portrayed in an exciting or desirable light or educators had fundamental misunderstandings about what the industry was. The result is often sheltered individuals who have practiced their craft away from others, and haven’t developed any soft skills.
For me, the solution to this is making education more akin to real life. For example, a module could be cross curriculum, where students are grouped together across courses and aim to deliver a given task. You will never work with people just in your field, so why should that be the case in school/university?
What was the last thing that inspired you?
The last thing that inspired me was the BBC website. As boring as it might sound, the BBC are the forerunners in delivering highly optimised web technology to millions of people. The power or development tools today means I can inspect the BBC website and piece together some of their great ideas which we can then imitate to deliver either faster or better experience to our users.
What are you passionate about?
My job. Seriously. Ask anyone I’ve taught programming to, and they will tell you just how passionate I am… or how every lesson is a full of tangents to something else. I envy anyone who gets to learn programming from scratch; the wealth of knowledge that is freely available to the tools that provide the playgrounds to tweak and learn new things is eye watering.
Learning web development never ends, the tech field is constantly changing and adapting to new challenges – and so should we. Knowing that I have provided a service in which over half a million people might use every month is astonishing. They can never tell you if something isn’t right, we can only guess – and that’s all part of the fun! Every job here is a challenge; how quick can we make this? Is there any way we can make this action simpler? Can we make this smaller for mobiles? How will I approach this problem? It never ends, and that is what I love about my job!
We’re recruiting across all departments within the agency. Check out the latest TLA vacancies.
As you may have noticed from our recent posts and social media activity, this is an exciting period of growth for the agency.
We are recruiting heavily in Liverpool and London and expect to extend our team further over the coming months.
To fulfil our long-term aspirations, we’ve appointed our very own head of talent with the arrival of Michael Fitzsimmons from Manchester-based company Jambo. He is tasked with leading the agency’s in-house recruitment, covering roles across digital marketing, .net development, design and beyond.
He brings with him a wealth of experience in digital recruitment, hiring for roles in Manchester, Liverpool and London over the last few years. He’ll work with each of our department heads as well as the board of directors to identify the right people to enhance our offering.
Strengthening the team
Commenting on the opportunity, Michael said: “I was immediately struck by the ambition and plans of the company. The Lead Agency has earned a reputation for providing an exceptional level of service for its clients, which is a testament to the quality of the team in place. I’m excited by the challenge of strengthening that team with people who have something special to offer and who are a great fit for the culture of the agency.”
In addition to Michael, we are delighted to welcome Sabina Charles to the TLA team to take on the role of executive assistant to our board of directors. Sabina has held a number of similar roles and will play an important role in supporting the smooth running of the business as we continue to grow.
If you’d like to be part of our team, head over to the TLA careers page.
We believe in helping each other make progress. Not only in a professional capacity but in other aspects of life – including health and fitness.
That’s why last year we teamed up with LIVFIT to offer free personal training sessions for the TLA team. Several months on and we’re pleased with the progress. The hour-long session provides a fun and encouraging environment for us to work on our fitness.
Every Tuesday, we venture down to Liverpool’s waterfront to perform a combination of squats, lunges, press-ups, burpees and other exercises we’re reliably informed are good for us!
We won’t lie, it’s not easy. And we’ve been known to complain once we’ve got our breath back. But we always leave with an I’m-glad-I-did-that sort of feeling*.
Life at TLA
PT is just one of a number of health benefits we offer, along with free games of squash and subsidised gym membership. We’re also plotting a running club and weekly game of five-a-side football.
There’s no obligation to take part, of course, but they’re a great option for anyone wanting to improve their fitness and have fun.
If you’d like to know more about our culture or check out our latest vacancies, visit our Careers page.
*This feeling temporarily disappears when we wake-up sore the following day, but thankfully returns later in the week.
Justin (left) has joined us from neuromarketing company Lab, where he had spent three years and was responsible for leading its performance marketing teams. Prior to that role, he held senior marketing positions at Kenshoo and SmartFocus.
Patsy Mawdsley (left) has joined the business as our new head of the contact centre from Arvato’s BMW team.
Data protection officer
What are your immediate priorities?
That’s why last year we teamed up with