Our People
Adam Emptage - Senior Designer
After graduating with a degree in Graphic Design, Adam left his hometown of Harrogate and headed south to the bright lights of London.
On his journey to becoming Senior Designer, Adam made stops at some of the UK's top agencies such as Ogilvy and Elvis, before reaching destination DCH in 2009. He has art directed and designed for some of world's best-known brands including Coca Cola, Haagen Daz, Gillette and Sony.
Adam is passionate about all things design, and has a love of the beautiful game. Despite migrating to the warmer climes of the south, he still talks like Postman Pat and is a dedicated follower of Man U.
Adrian Windle - Junior Designer
Adrian is one of the new generation of designers whose education actually prepared him for the digital world - he has a degree in Digital Design for Technologies.
You can see his skills in the graphics, illustration and animation in the D-Link Flash banners, the design for the D-Link Space Attack game and various walkthrough demos such as the Pearson I-planner.
It is a measure of the respect that we have for Adrian's abilities that he contributed a lot to the design of this website.
To see his monument, look around you (with apologies to Sir Christopher Wren's memorial in St Paul's Cathedral).
Alan Mogford - Account Director
Alan joined DCH at the end of 2009 and is our account director on Pearson, FT.com, BSI and the COI.
Over the years Alan has worked in some of the best agencies in the West Country on some huge brand launches - 3 and The Number 118118, for example.
Never one to settle for a quiet life, Alan joined Lloyds TSB and the time of the merger with HBOS in 2008.
Hardly surprising, then, that Alan lists amongst his recreations ‘sitting on the sofa'.
Ali Zachar - Client Services Director
Joining Squeeze Digital in 2005 as Nik's number two, Ali is a truly bilingual suit, fluent in both on and offline having worked across both disciplines in agencies and in client companies.
She is ideal to head up the account teams for our integrated offering and is incredibly versatile, bringing clarity and focus to any sector from dentistry to football, charities to online gambling.
People love working with Ali because, for all her determination, focus and discipline, she treats everyone with warmth and charm. (If only the rest of us could manage half of that!)
In between circuit training and running half marathons, Ali has a passion for travelling in Africa. In the movie of the agency she'd be the Location Manager. No guessing where she'd take us.
Andrew Hawkins - Managing Director
In the days when advertising was a magnet for the brightest and best Andrew joined Ogilvy with an MBA from Kellogg. By 1995 he was Managing Director of GGK where he led an MBO then merged his agency with Doner, the world's largest independent, to create DCH. The first campaign that the new agency created, for Fuller's London Pride, is still running today and is the longest running drinks campaign in the country.
Outside of the agency Andrew has been a devout Manchester United fan even through the Dark Pre-Ferguson Ages. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of popular music stretching back for an embarrassing time: his least used App is Shazam.
Ben Harling - Interactive Developer
Ben is our Flash guy. Not in an ostentatious way, of course. He’s responsible for developing Flash based online apps, exploiting technical opportunities and carrying out research into new technology.
Before joining DCH, Ben spent six years at Future Publishing as a lead developer for the Future multimedia studio. During this time he worked on nearly all publications as well as Future clients Sony, Disney, Hallmark and Tour De France.
When he’s not at his computer, Ben likes cycling and Capoeira. He also has a passion for Dub reggae and can occasionally be found in random fields. Raving.
Cam Brewer - Digital Creative Director
Cam established his reputation in the online creative world with outstanding campaigns for Shell, BAT and Universal Pictures. He was then headhunted to run the creative department at Inbox, where he developed award winning email campaigns for Vodafone, BMW and the BBC.
In 2004 Cam went on to co-found Squeeze Digital with Nik Margolis where they evolved the shared vision that became DigiDirect®. Today, Cam is Digital Creative Director at DCH, with responsibility for all of the digital output.
When he is not working, Cam attempts to creative direct his young son (soon to be joined by another in the growing brood). He describes this process as being like a marathon session of Call Of Duty with a dash of Outnumbered thrown in.
David Amstel - Account Director
It could be said David has a rather full on alcohol habit. In one way or another he has worked on drinks brands since he started his career at Diageo. He has drunk his way through the front and back of the bar with Bell's, Pimm's, Three Barrels brandy, Carling, Grolsch, Tennent's Lager and Fuller's London Pride.
David cut his teeth client-side at Diageo and was brand manager on Bell's Whisky before crossing to The Leith Agency in Edinburgh and London. He joined DCH in 2003.
With a degree in Politics from Nottingham University he is the ideal man to head up our COI business and is always keen to discuss the latest political twist and turns over a nice cup of tea.
David Hooper - Finance Director
David attended Durham University where he achieved a Double First in darts and ale: at his peak he was darts champion and could down a yard of ale in less than 14 seconds.
This attracted the attention of Arthur Andersen who trained him, somewhat to his surprise, as a Chartered Accountant. After 10 years in Y&R, David joined WPP as European Finance Director of Ogilvy PR. In 2002 David launched boymeetsgirl, before spending three years as Finance Director of Four, a privately owned marcoms group.
David is closely involved with everything we do and is our new technology evangelist. The TalkingCarl App is rumoured to have been based on David: the resemblance is certainly uncanny.
We do some great work on Pearson and can honestly say that we learn something new every day.
David Shute - Head of TV
David has been producing world-class TV and radio commercials for more than twenty years. He has been esponsible for productions in every major UK studio and in locations all over the world.
In the line of duty he has accepted a lift in Keith Moon's Rolls Royce and, much later, an even more terrifying ride home from Peter O'Toole.
In spite of these episodes his enjoyment of the process of film-making remains undimmed (or perhaps he's just glad to be alive).
In the production world David is widely respected for his instinctive skill in putting together the right team for any assignment. For David, production is about people and he can get as much satisfaction from a ten second radio spot as he does from a blockbuster cinema commercial.
Dick Lumsden - Managing Director Senioragency
Dick is our resident expert on the huge consumer sector that is the over 50s - making up one third of the population, but owning 80% of the country's wealth the over 50s that is, not Dick).
A media all-rounder, with 35+ years of experience behind him, he made the switch from a successful career in mainstream journalism to the agency world, and has worked in corporate communications, commercial publishing, public relations, marketing and advertising.
Along the way he has held board positions at Weber Shandwick, BSMG Worldwide, Charles Barker, Four and Paragon, working with a panoply of blue chip brands.
He joined DCH in 2008 and has become a passionate evangelist for relevancy in marketing to the older consumer - unsurprisingly; he is himself a product of the Baby Boomer generation.
Ian Cawley - Creative Copywriter
Ian has been in London since '97, and landed his first job at a small outfit nicknamed Lager Conquest, where he learnt to read and write.
From there he moved onto HCCL and worked with the deities Al Young and Sir Stephen Henry.
When Ian's not writing ads, he's more often than not running round in a cape being Super-Dad to his daughter Ella. His favourite night is Monday, the one night he's allowed out of the house to play football with his mates.
Ian is a big fan of Shane Meadows, Nicola Cawley and Barry Fry.
Jez Watson - Creative Art Director
Jez moved to London in 1997 and after realising the streets weren't paved in gold, cut his teeth at Landsown Conquest.
His then creative director beat him daily, until he won his first award (with Ian) for Campaign's Best Charity Poster.
When he grows up he'd like to be Tom Cruise in Cocktail (the bit where he owns a bar in Jamaica) but for now he's passionate about advertising Pina Coladas not serving them.
Jez is a big fan of Saturday Kitchen, Deanie and Sharks.
Kerry Harrison - Copywriter
Kerry started her career as a Graduate Trainee writer at Europe's largest DM agency, WWAV Rapp Collins. From here she climbed through the ranks in various creative agencies before becoming Senior Copywriter at McCann Erickson.
Kerry has worked on an array of big-name brands in her time. These range from the Red Cross to Goodyear Dunlop and Lloyds TSB to Virgin. She was welcomed into DCH in April 2010.
When she's not throwing herself down mountains or catching the surf, she'll normally be found eating. She is the proud owner of her own Sainsbury's Local, which is located in the bottom drawer of her desk.
Kim Barfoot - Account Director
Kim. There's only one Kim (actually, that's not true - she's one of eight. A terrifying thought).
Been with us since January 2009. Works on D-Link, Invisalign, Football League, and the mighty Jaxx.
Has a business degree from Bath Uni, then five years at The Real Adventure (which was, by all accounts, a real adventure).
Kim loves running - two marathons. And fancy dress - please do not check out Facebook.
Kim puts her heart and soul into everything she does. And that's a big heart and a lot of soul.
Kirsty Fewtrell - Account Manager
Kirsty joined the agency in 2008 and is our Account Manager on Nikon and the COI.
Before joining us Kirsty was an Account Manager at The Gate working with one of the most dynamic of all financial clients - New Star Asset Management.
When she is not working with us Kirsty burns off steam by running marathons - yes, another one! - and playing netball. (All of which makes the Creative Dept's panting foray into five a side football look pretty wimpy, but Kirsty is too polite to mention it.)
Laura Coppard - Account Executive
Laura joined the agency in 2007. Today, she is Account Manager on DuPont, Wella and Fuller's (where she works hard to disguise the fact that she's better at drinking beer than the blokes).
She took a degree in Graphic Design where it became obvious that she was too sane to become a designer but had great organisational skills and a passion for creative work which made this her natural career choice.
Laura loves to travel and has just come back from a trip around Australia and Thailand, where she felt quite at home trekking with elephants. She has yet to tell us which members of our Management Team the ponderous pachyderms most closely resembled.
Livio Bondi - Interactive Designer
Livio thinks he is Italian but in fact he is that rarest of things - a real digital native.
A truly gifted interactive designer with a nothing-is-impossible attitude, Livio says that he came to England for the more exciting creative environment that's available here. We think he's here for the ale, which he consumes with true Italian passione.
Everything Livio does, he does full-on. Like when he plays drums. He plays well - but we don't tell him because we don't want to encourage him.
Matt McMinn - Business Development Director
Matt's advertising career started at the biggest DM agency in Europe, WWAV Rapp Collins. From there he drifted south to become Commercial Director at Melbourne's number 1 ad agency, George Patterson Bates.
But the superb lifestyle and amazing career opportunities could not compete with the lure of warm beer and lukewarm cricket and Matt returned to our shores in 2002. He headed up Business Development at Clark Mckay & Walpole until he was welcomed into DCH in 2008.
In the movie of the agency Matt would be played by John Travolta - in his post-dancing days, of course.
Nick Gill - Planning Director
Good digital planners are very hard to find and we count ourselves as fortunate to have one of the best in Nick Gill.
The role encompasses development and delivery of digital strategy, integrated planning, social brand consultancy, CRM, web development, content strategy, interactive advertising experiences.
Previously Ford of Europe, McLaren Automotive, Nissan GB & Europe, Unilever, Shell International, Smirnoff, Beverage Brands, Samsung, Activision, Morgan Stanley, Barclaycard, and GSK have all had the Gill treatment.
As have some of the leading digital and direct agencies including OgilvyOne, Digitas, Wunderman, Tullo Marshall Warren and Lawton Communications Group.
You can find Nick on the European IAB Interact Congress blog, or on his own blog, and he is a regular speaker and thought leader in digital industry events and publications.
Or, better still, come in and met the real thing.
Nick Scott - Deputy Creative Director
Armed with a First Class degree in Art & Design, Nick launched himself into what he hoped would be the sinful world of advertising in 1985.
Over the years he has worked in a number of great agencies from a startup like Still Court Price Twivy D'Souza to the mountaintops of McCann and Y&R.
Along the way he has made a visible contribution to some of the world's most stylish brands - Virgin Atlantic, Rolls Royce, P&O Cruises, BT, Warburton's Bread, Bird's Eye, British Steel, John Lewis, Mastercard and L'Or eal.
Nick joined DCH in 2001 as Deputy Creative Director and Head of Art. He is the proud owner of a hand-picked selection of the best of British automotive engineering. He says they are classics. We say "Thanks, Nick, I'll get a cab."
Nik Margolis - Head of Digital and Direct
For many years, Nik was a square peg in a round hole. He enjoyed the rigour and accountability of traditional DM but felt that, even in a great agency like Brann, the technology was fundamentally Victorian, but with less attractive stamps.
It was obvious to Nik that the potential of email could best be exploited by using classic DM disciplines and in 2004 he founded his own agency, Squeeze Digital, to do just that. We know the rest. Very soon they were making a big difference to blue chip businesses like The Economist, NSPCC, Victor Chandler, Shelter and the Red Cross.
In 2008, Squeeze merged with Doner Cardwell Hawkins to create DCH. It was a perfect fit. So, finally, the square peg found the right hole. Or maybe, dare we suggest, the peg has become a fraction rounder over the years.
Paul Cardwell - Creative Director
Paul has been one of London's most respected copywriters for more than twenty years. He teamed up with Andrew Hawkins at the GGK agency where their partnership produced a string of award-winning campaigns, for the Electricity Association and Swissair amongst others. In 1995 they formed DCH.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the longest-running partnership in advertising - apart from Saatchi & Saatchi, who are brothers so that doesn't count.
If Paul was casting the movie of the agency his part would be played by George Clooney. Others might feel that Frankie Boyle would be more appropriate.
Phil Hobgen - Production Manager
If the digital world didn't exist, Phil would have invented it.
Whilst the other kids were out playing football, Phil was building an oscilloscope.
He was the first person in his school with one of those red LED watches (although he still doesn't know what time it is).
His first computer was a Sinclair ZX80. It's a tribute to Phil's determination that he survived this and went on to spend the next 20 years developing software on Microsoft platforms. He has an instinctive understanding of new MS technologies and ideas in team development and an obsession with implementing industry best practices.
We would trust Phil with anything. Apart from music - he can't stop his toes tapping when Wham! come on the radio. Feet of clay, indeed.
Rachael Cook - Account Manager
Rachel started out in the agency world in 2007 and has worked with clients including Wimpey Homes and Mercedes Benz.
At DCH Rachel is working her magic on D-Link, Invisalign and the irrepressible Jaxx.
When Rachel’s not entertaining her clients, she’s normally got a house full of friends to wine and dine. But deciding what to cook isn’t her biggest dilemma. Rachel has a bedroom just for shoes - and has over 65 pairs to choose from every day. How she gets into work on time, we do not know!
Rebecca Griffiths - Account Manager
Rebecca (or Becks, as we like to call her) joined DCH in September 2009. She is Account Manager on Pearson and the Travel Code project for the Welsh Assembly Government through the COI.
Previously, Becks spent three years at TRA in Bath where she was a Project Manager. Before that she trained in Illustration at Kingston University, and worked as a life drawing tutor at UWIC in Cardiff.
Becks has just begun a long-term project for her most demanding client - she has started to design her own home.
Sandra Cubacub - Account Director
In 2001 Sandra started her career at Conran & Partners design studio - the creative hub for Sir Terence Conran's group - working with style brands and eating her way through restaurant openings such as Floridita and Paternoster Square.
By 2005, Sandra began to crave new challenges and moved into the world of advertising, handling clients from Agent Provocateur and Lulu Guinness to Morgan Stanley and Hewlett Packard.
At DCH she now gets to work on her two main passions, food and beauty, as she manages Discovery Foods and Wella.
When she's not working Sandra has occasionally (sic) been spotted in smart restaurants where her passion for interior design, fashion, photography and food all come together.
Sophy Wells - Senior Account Manager
Sophy has been a keen marketer from the word go and is a self-confessed geek when it comes to spreadsheets and IT. It's no surprise that she started her career in IT and Financial Services before moving from client side to the dark side in 2009.
Since joining DCH and the agency world, she has developed and grown clients including Cofunds, Discovery Foods and Nikon to name but a few.
As well as being a passionate marketer, Sophy is a walking What's On Guide. If she doesn't know it's happening, it aint worth going. One iPhone app she'll never need (and we'll never need) is Time Out London.
Wayne Harriss - Creative Services Director
Wayne joined the agency world straight from school in 1984 as a runner in the despatch dept at Grey Advertising.
As any smart entrepreneur would, Wayne very quickly realised that he could supplement his income by cleaning the fleet of Mercedes at lunchtime. (a fleet of....? These were the Mad Men days, now long gone.)
Back at his day job, Wayne steadily worked his way up through the ranks at Publicis, Cogent, MPGM until we recruited him at DCH.
In the industry he has a reputation for honesty, candour and fairness.
His interests outside the agency include coaching youth football (If you know the scene in Kes you won't be far wrong).
