Managing Director - Design Consultancy

The client is a legacy design consultancy with a rich portfolio of decades of work, operating within a strong niche sector. They work with HNWIs and UHNWIs, delivering high-end, design-led projects.

The consultancy is now looking for a Managing Director to join the team. This is a strategic hire, a profile who is interested in design but will not be actively designing. There is a strong brand already in place, and they need someone who can take the studio through its next phase of growth and evolution.

This is a front-facing role, requiring confidence in business development, networking, and representing the studio externally. It is a position that sits closely with clients on a day-to-day basis being brand ambassador.

The role will also involve leading and managing the team, organising and recruiting staff to ensure a strong structure is in place to deliver the level of work the studio is known for.

They operate at the top of their field in terms of service, design, and product, delivering full-scope projects primarily in the UK, with work also across Europe, the Middle East, and the US.

The individual will need a strategic mindset and strong commercial awareness. They must be comfortable making difficult decisions and taking responsibility for the business, the brand, and the team. This is a great opportunity to inherit a strong platform, but it requires someone resilient who can navigate both the challenges and successes of running a business.

We are interested in speaking to profiles who are either running their own business or operating in a strategic position within an established company.

You may come from sales, marketing, or a traditional design background - the key is a growth mindset, being operationally savvy, and having the ability to open doors, increase revenue, and build a client base from the strength of the brand and its legacy.

Ideally, profiles who have grown revenue, sectors, and built a client base internally, or have been responsible for driving revenue growth, would be best suited. You will be commercially minded, comfortable with sales targets, KPIs, and understanding how to hit revenue.