Cardiff-based creative agency Toward announces the addition of Kevin Hughes, co-founder and former chief finance and marketing officer of GoCompare, to its leadership team as a Non-Executive Director. Kevin’s appointment stands as a pivotal moment for Toward’s trajectory, following the successful rebrand from well-known agency, Bluegg and the kickstart of an ambitious growth strategy.
While Toward has been successfully led by founders Mike Jordan and Tom Lloyd for the past two decades, the collaboration with Kevin Hughes marks a significant step forward. The agency is now aiming to become the first and best choice for businesses located within Wales and the southwest of England for strategic creative services.
Kevin Hughes, renowned for his instrumental role in growing Confused.com into a billion-pound company and co-founding GoCompare.com, brings a wealth of experience to Toward. In his role as Non-Executive Director, Kevin will lend his expertise to mentor and advise the team, offering guidance to the directors as they embrace the challenge of their new ambition.
Kevin said: “I’ve always loved working with leaders who truly aspire and have ambitions to grow and be successful; both Tom and Mike have that in abundance. I’ve known of the reputation that Toward (formerly Bluegg) carried and through other ventures have experienced their expertise first hand. My only regret is that I didn’t know of them during my GoCompare days, when on most occasions, our default was to speak to London based agencies.
“It’s an exciting time for both the agency and myself and I’m delighted to be part of this project. Today, I want local founders, CEOs, and marketing directors across Wales and beyond to add a talented local agency, of the quality you’d expect from a London alternative to their pitch lists. Don’t go on autopilot like I did years ago, and think you need London for the best creative services.”
Kevin continued: “I met Mike several times at events, and the spark for ambitious growth was evident in him. The role I now play relies on my ability to guide them, helping to put in structures and processes that many creative agencies tend to disregard. We’ve already outlined a strategy and started making very positive changes together. The team has touched so many businesses over the years and there’s so much more to come.”
Mike said of Kevin’s appointment: “We’re delighted that Kevin agreed to join us as a Non-Exec Director. His credentials speak for themselves, and his approach with us has been nothing short of inspiring. Tom and I have built a great business over the last 20 years but the timing of this was perfect having used our own rebrand as a catalyst. We knew that we needed expertise to push us further. Kevin has opened our eyes beyond belief, and we can’t wait for the next phase of Toward.”
Tom added: “Already in the short space of time working with Kevin, small changes have already made a big difference to how we work. We’ve grown in confidence, and as owners of the business, we’re now running things much differently, being much more transparent and inviting about everything with our team, from financials to new opportunities. Ultimately, we want to see growth, increased sales, larger profits, more services offered, and new partnerships flourish for the benefit of both existing and prospective clients.”
Toward is a UK based strategic branding and digital agency that helps ambitious clients grow their businesses. Most recently Toward won contracts with global medical company Frontier Medical Group, international construction products manufacturer Catnic, and luxury hotel group The Celtic Collection.