Gareth Healey - Agency Coach & Mentor

Gareth Healey is a marketing agency mentor working exclusively with owner-directors of established independent agencies. As an agency coach, he has more than 24 years experience in the sector to draw upon. 

For 15 years, Gareth was CEO and equity partner of his own agency in Leeds, UK. He acquired his business in a management buy out in 2002, transforming it from a family-run design agency, into a fully integrated £12.5 Million agency. In 2014 they acquired a Shoreditch digital agency giving them a London base and a headcount of 175 talented people.

In addition to numerous creative awards, Gareth’s agency achieved Investors In People Gold accreditation. They were crowned “Yorkshire’s Best Company to Work for” by the Yorkshire Evening Post, beating Yorkshire-headquartered PLC, Morrisons Supermarkets in the process. They were also ranked as the top creative agency in the UK outside of London by Campaign magazine.

After 18 years, Gareth successfully exited his agency. Since doing so, he has invested in early-stage tech companies as a business angel, and has mentored a number of tech start-up founders.

Gareth originally developed his love for marketing at University. Over the course of his career he has found a similar passion for people development through mentoring.

You might consider marketing and mentoring to be unrelated. However, Gareth is drawn to both for the same reason; their ability to influence and change behaviour.  Above all, good marketing and good mentoring both start with active listening.  Trying to develop a deep understanding of your audience.

Gareth Healey seated. Agency Coach and mentor.

UK Mentor of the Year Finalist

Gareth was delighted to be shortlisted by the judges at The National Mentoring Awards as one of 4 finalists in the “Mentor of the Year” category.

This was in recognition of his work as a mentor to the founder of early-stage tech business,  TrippTee.  Gareth became involved with TrippTee through the TechManchester mentoring programme.

Career Timeline

July 2022

CACTUS MERGER

Gareth merges his consultancy, Beyond Noise, with Cactus Consultants Limited and becomes Managing Partner (Consultancy) of the combined businesses. 

Europe’s leading corporate advisory and growth consultancy for agencies, Cactus was founded by the team behind Agencynomics, Spencer Gallagher and Pete Hoole


July 2022
November 2021

May 2020

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY

During the pandemic lockdowns, Gareth takes the opportunity to support the next generation of marketers by becoming a guest lecturer on Digital Marketing at Coventry University

May 2020

February 2011

SUNDAY TIMES BEST COMPANIES

Gareth’s agency places 51st in The Sunday Times Best Small Companies to work for 2011.

February 2011

March 2002

AGENCY ACQUIRED IN AN MBO

Gareth acquires Gratterpalm in a MBO with 2 colleagues

March 2002

May 1999

GARETH JOINS GRATTERPALM

Gareth joins Design agency Gratterpalm in Leeds to head up one of the agencies biggest accounts.

May 1999

May 1995

AGENCY CAREER BEGINS

Following a Business Studies with Marketing degree at University, Gareth starts his career in agencies as an account handler at sales promotion agency PDP Limited (later to become part of Momentum Worldwide.

May 1995

Marketing and Agency Awards Judge

Gareth is an experienced marketing awards judge and has been a member of the following distinguished panels:

Do you want to win some awards for your agency, but don’t know where to start? Read some of Gareth’s tips here.

Gareth Healey presenting an award at the Prolific North Awards
Gareth Healey has judged these awards and more.

Interviews and Podcasts featuring Gareth Healey

Are you looking for your next speaker for your podcast or webinar?

Gareth is always interested in participating in content which is applicable and valuable to founders of marketing agencies. Contact him to chat through your ideas…