Inspiring Minds - Agency growth & survival strategies 

Oli Norman
founder/md, itison

Oli Norman founded DADA Events Ltd in 2003. The company quickly became the UK’s fastest growing PR agency, winning a clutch of coveted industry awards. DADA also operated an online to offline marketing business, inviting thousands of people to launch parties and events every week. DADA continues to work with clients including Hilton Worldwide, Transform Cosmetic Surgery Group, The Royal National Mod, Domino’s Pizza and Rox the Jeweller.
Seven years on and with numerous accolades for business and entrepreneurship under his belt and his very own pub, Sloans, Glasgow’s oldest bar and restaurant, Oli launched itison.com in September 2010. itison.com has grown at a phenomenal rate and is now Scotland’s leading daily deals site. The company now has offices and staff in Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. It has more than a quarter of a million members across the country and more than 1,500 people join every day. Oli has won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 and appeared on BBC Three’s The Last Millionaire.

Richard Bissland
founding partner, 999 Design

Richard is a founding partner of 999 and has over 30 years experience working in the design and branding industry. 999 clients have included BBC, The Guardian, Digital UK, FreeView, British Telecom, Orange, Co-operative Group, Channel Islands Co-operative, Glasgow Science Centre, Highland Spring, Scottish Enterprise, Thus plc, University of Aberdeen, Kings College London, CBI and Peak Scientific.
In addition to growing and managing the business in London and Manchester, Richard’s responsibilities also include looking for new opportunities. Richard led 999's recent venture into Riga to service the Baltic States and with an eye to possibly developing in Russia in the future. In the past three years 999 was won three UK design effectiveness awards and various Creative accolades including Re Dot and digital innovation awards for Glasgow Housing Associations Big Red Truck. 999 celebrates 30 years in business in May 2012.

John Rowley
group managing director, Cello Group 

John started his career at The Leith Agency in 1989 as an Account Manager on Scotland’s leading beer brand, Tennent’s Lager. He worked his way up through the ranks, joining the board and becoming MD in 1994, becoming Chief Executive in 2000 and Chairman in 2006.
John worked extensively with the two brands that helped establish Leith's enviable creative reputation: Tennent's Lager and Barr's Irn Bru.
In the mid 90's John led the growth of Leith into broader based corporate clients such as Bank of Scotland, Standard Life and Scottish Power.
He also led the MBO of the business in the late nineties out of 3i and its subsequent sale into Cello Group in 2004.  His role over the last two years has been to pull together all the marketing businesses within Cello group to create a more coherent and integrated marketing group.
Cello’s Scottish communication businesses include Leith, Stripe PR and Blonde Digital, with two further businesses, Brightsource and Tangible, HQ’d in Cheltenham.