Digital agency announces management buyout

Staffordshire digital marketing agency ExtraMile Communications has announced a change in company ownership after a management buyout.

Managing director Amanda Brooke and sales and marketing director James Roberts will now lead the business forward as joint 80% majority shareholders, while company founders, Gabrielle Hadley and Nick Evans, also remain directors with 20% company shares.

The move comes following Hadley’s earlier decision for Amanda Brooke to replace her in the role of managing director in January 2021.

Evans and Hadley founded the marketing company in 2000 which became ExtraMile Communications in 2010.

James Roberts

It now employs 24 staff at its headquarters in Stone – having achieved over 60% growth in revenue over the past two years – with ambitious plans in place to expand its international client base.

Hadley said: “Nick and I are incredibly proud of all that has been achieved by the ExtraMile team over the last 21 years. James was originally recruited to our team as a Sales and Marketing Executive back in 2011.

“Amanda was originally brought on board as a leadership and management consultant, to assist us in developing our leadership team as we grew.

“Developing our people and providing a great place to work has always been very important to us, and this is evidenced by our Investors in People Platinum accreditation. We are delighted to be handing over the reins to James and Amanda, who have shown just what can be achieved through their ongoing contribution to the company’s growth.

“We will still remain active directors of the business, but we feel the time is right for James and Amanda to lead our next phase of growth.”

Brooke said: “James and I are looking forward to continuing to grow the business through our reputation for strong, results-based, multinational web and digital marketing services.

“We have seen growth across all areas of our business over the last two years. We have a really good management team in place, and we have brilliant talent within the business who we want to retain and develop as we move forward to the next phase of growth. We have Identified some exciting opportunities to grow our service offering in the coming months.

“We believe that our transition through the business into majority shareholders will also demonstrate that we are a business that delivers on our promise to reward and develop capable, ambitious and valued members of the team.”