Board Advisor, M&A and Exit Strategist, and Strategic Growth Consultant for creative and marketing Agencies

I am a Board Advisor, M&A and Exit Strategist, and Strategic Growth Consultant for creative, marketing, and digital agencies. Over the past 25 years, I have guided 17 successful agency sales, many at premium multiples (including exits at 12x and an 8.5x EBITDA). I’ve helped founders build lasting enterprise value through strategic growth, systems for empowering teams, and strong board governance.

Your roadmap to a premium multiple

Whether you're building towards a significant exit, executing a roll-up strategy, or preparing your succession team for strategic transformation, I bring board-level expertise that creates measurable value.

Client results:

£8M to £40M value in three years

(Creative agency, LA)

92% increase in value in 18 months

(Marketing agency, Atlanta)

5 Agency of the Year awards

(Advertising agency, London)

“I’ve led the exits, built the businesses, and sat in your chair.”

I’ve been an agency CEO, and board advisor for over 25 years. I co-founded Head New Media, which became the world’s most awarded digital agency before I sold it to Lowe Group (then the fourth-largest advertising network globally). I’ve since founded and scaled multiple agencies, led management buyouts, and served as Non-Executive Chair and board advisor to more than 40 agencies worldwide.

I work with a small number of exceptionally ambitious founders as their board advisor, providing strategic transformation guidance for M&A advisory, succession planning, and exit strategy.

Whether you’re heading towards a significant exit, building a roll-up, or establishing scaling systems that add serious value, I bring the operational scars and the strategic clarity that only comes from doing this successfully, repeatedly.

I’m also the founder of the 2Y3X agency accelerator programme, a passionate advocate of diversity, and author of Scale at Speed, but my personal advisory work is reserved for founders who want the depth of experience that comes from having been ‘in the chair’ myself.

As a strategic board advisor, I work with a select group of exceptionally ambitious founders who need heavyweight expertise in:

M&A advisory and deal structuring

I develop group buy-and-build strategies, define acquisition roadmaps and qualify strategic acquisitions, and ensure you’re building genuine enterprise value, not just revenue.

Exit strategy and succession planning

From fixing discount factors to assembling your succession team, I help you command premium multiples when it’s time to sell.

Board governance and strategic transformation

I give you the strategic bandwidth to focus on what matters whilst your people take total responsibility for growth.

My clients are agency founders and scale-up agencies who want world-class attention and exceptional results. Without exception they are committed to investing seriously in creating millions in value.

Trusted advisor for strategy, growth, and M&A success

Tim Deeson, the CEO of Deeson Group | Felix Velarde

★★★★★

“Felix is a rare breed. He understands deeply what makes businesses tick, is well connected, ambitious and very commercially savvy. He has a great understanding of the market and is well positioned to support a board from a positioning, strategy and M&A perspective. Last but absolutely not least — a genuinely decent human being who is diligent about doing the right thing.”

Tim Deeson, CEO
Deeson Group (acquired by TPXImpact plc)

Bill Updegraaf, the co-founder of Grapeseed | Felix Velarde

★★★★★

“We’ve always had a happy team, but now it’s outstanding. People say they deeply love working here in a way we’ve never heard before. For the first time, I can focus on what I do best as a founder. I’m not stressed about everything because I know my team is taking care of the rest—and they’re doing it brilliantly.”

Bill Updegraaf, co-founder
Grapeseed

Stefano Marrone, the founder of Nucco Brain | Felix Velarde

★★★★★

“I’ve been working with Felix for around 18 months. As a result, we’ve tripled our headcount, the turnover’s tripled and profit percentage doubled. I cannot recommend him enough if you’re looking to grow a solid agency fast.”

Stefano Marrone, founder
Nucco Brain (acquired by Unit9)

Chris Donnelly, founder of Verb Brands | Felix Velarde

★★★★★

“I worked with Felix for just over a year and it changed my career and business forever. If I had to point to one thing, it would be, I believe that Felix taught me how to think and how to design strategy. We were a successful company before and we are so afterwards but now we are organised, strategic, purposeful and ultimately ready to continue scaling in an organised and efficient manner.”

Chris Donnelly, founder
Verb Brands (acquired by Croud)

More success stories

Frequently asked questions

These are some of the most common questions founders and leadership teams ask before working with me. They’ll give you a clearer sense of who I work with, what to expect, and how we can help your agency achieve measurable, lasting growth — and, when the time comes, a successful exit.

  • I work with founders and leadership teams of creative, marketing, and digital agencies and agency groups in the UK, US and elsewhere. My independent agency clients are typically between £2M and £20M in revenue – who are serious about scaling, acquiring to scale, or preparing for exit.

  • Typical outcomes include higher valuations, highly engaged succession teams, stronger management processes, and faster, more sustainable growth. Several of my clients have achieved 4–8x EBITDA exits. I usually add millions in quantifiable value.

  • Yes. I work with UK and US agencies, as well as groups in UAE and Canada. They are often expanding internationally or planning cross-border acquisitions.

  • Most relationships start with conversations about your values, your business, leadership, proposition, and value drivers, and your financial goals and ambitions. From there we will create a 6- to 24-month board advisory plan with clear milestones tied to your M&A, exit, or growth objectives.

  • We assess readiness first and build capability. Together, we identify where the gaps are in leadership, structure, and accountability, then build the systems and confidence your team needs to take ownership of growth. The outcome is a team that can operate independently, so the business no longer depends on you to run – and scale – at full speed.

  • If you’re an agency founder or agency group Chair or CEO preparing for significant growth, succession, or sale, get in touch through the form below. I’ll respond personally to arrange an initial conversation.

Find out what’s holding back your agency’s true value

Take this short assessment to uncover the specific areas that could be limiting your agency’s growth or exit potential.

Built from real-world data and successful agency exits, your personalised scorecard reveals what top-performing founders do differently and where to focus next.

Take the quiz

Let’s have a conversation about your ambitions

If you’re a founder of a creative, marketing, or digital agency, or the Chair or CEO of an agency group, and you’re serious about building significant value, preparing for an exit, or executing a roll-up strategy, let’s talk.

Get in touch below and I’ll respond personally.

Contact me

If you are ambitious, determined and want industry-leading advice, get in touch here and I will respond as soon as I can.