Hallam steps back as new guard takes the reins

The founder of Nottingham digital marketing agency Hallam is to hand over the running of the firm.

Susan Hallam MBE is stepping back to allow Julio Taylor and Jake Third, who will take up chief executive officer and managing director roles respectively. The changes will take effect immediately.

As part of the changes, Susan, who founded Hallam in 2000, will step down from her position as CEO, but will remain an integral figurehead within the company as an industry analyst, public speaker, thought leader and advisor.

Hallam’s new chief executive, Taylor, is currently creative director at the agency. His promotion will see him lead focus on continuing to strengthen the teams and product development.

Taylor has been a key member in Hallam’s leadership team since its merger with BigSpring in 2017.

He said: “I’m proud and excited to take up the challenge of leading Hallam into the future. As the world evolves, so has our agency. We’ve changed a lot over the last few years, adding new services and areas of expertise, to create a new, unified and powerful offer for our clients. Together with our talented team, we’re ready to tackle the future, and help our clients thrive in what’s going to be an uncertain but interesting time to do business.

“Susan has grown this business significantly in 20 years, and I’m looking forward to using her knowledge as we continue to push the company forward. Not just as a world-class digital and data agency, but also as the best place to work in a city as vibrant and thriving as Nottingham.”

Jake Third’s new role will see him step up from his current position as Hallam’s client services and sales director. He has worked at the company for six years, and has been integral for many of the new business wins which have been crucial to its ongoing growth.

As managing director, Third will focus on continuing to combine driving financial results along with maintaining the health and wellbeing of the agency’s employees. He has worked in business development and marketing strategy for 14 years. He is also director of outreach for Nottingham Samaritans.

Third said: “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to step up and lead Hallam as Managing Director. I know how talented our great team is and it’s largely thanks to them and the opportunities they have afforded me that I feel prepared for this role. I’m lucky to work with such inspiring people day in, day out.

“I’m also grateful to Susan Hallam, who has done an incredible job at the helm. We have some big shoes to fill, but with our solid team and dynamic product offerings, I’m confident we will take the successful company she founded to the next level.”

Susan Hallam added: “The last 20 years have been an incredible journey and looking back at how the agency has grown since 2000 to what it is now fills me with immense pride.

“This change has been in the pipeline for a while now and I’m thrilled to see Julio and Jake, who have been integral colleagues to me in recent years, step up into these new roles. Hallam has showcased transformational results and won incredible awards for its work over the years to become a real force in the digital marketing scene and I’m excited to see it continue to grow under their guidance.”

Hallam said that new hires will be made to fill the roles created by these changes and further appointments will be confirmed “in due course”.