James Fenner

Business Profit Coach @ Gryphon Advisory

About

You've built a decent business, good clients, a solid reputation, a committed team. But profit, control and headspace still don't match the effort you're putting in. I work with established SME leaders (typically £500k–£5m revenue) who are working harder than ever yet still seeing flat or unpredictable profits. I'm a profit adviser drawing on more than 30 years in marketing, branding and growth, including senior roles helping brands such as HSBC, Audi, Unilever and Tesco. Today I work with owner-managed businesses that have grown through relationships and reputation, but now find growth messy, margins eroding and too much still dependent on the owner. Most leaders I meet have tried plenty of tactics but still aren't seeing the profit they want. We start by working through 12 key strategies with the biggest, quickest impact on profit, from pricing and costs to lead conversion and market positioning. You see quickly where small changes unlock meaningful extra profit, then we build simple plans, numbers and rhythms so those gains are repeatable, not one-offs. If you're an ambitious leader in the £500k–£5m range with a decent team but plateauing profit, I can help you: - Implement the strategies that move the needle fastest on profit - Strengthen your sales process so more of the right opportunities convert - Build simple systems and rhythms so the business is less dependent on you and consistently more profitable Outside of work, I'm a husband, dad to a tween daughter, and owner of one calm and one decidedly less calm dog, so I understand the pull between growing a serious business and having a life. Next step: book a free 15-minute Profit Snapshot Call to see where profit is being left on the table. You'll find the link in my featured section.

Country

United Kingdom

City

Stamford

Industry

Management Consulting

Skill

Marketing, SME Consulting, Business Coaching, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), ESG, Consulting, Business Development, Business Strategy, Brand Communication, Director level, Go-to-Market Strategy, Consumer Branding, Generative AI for Marketing, Purpose & Principles , Sustainability, Strategic Thinking, Brand Management, Brand Architecture, Strategic Communications, Management

Experience

Business Profit Coach

Gryphon Advisory

2026-2 - Present · 8 mos

Most established SME owners and CEO/MD's are working harder than ever, but still don’t have enough to show for it in profit, control or headspace. Gryphon Advisory exists to fix that for businesses in the £500K–£7m range. We help leaders uncover where profit is slipping away and implement the key strategies that move profit fastest. Drawing on 30+ years growing brands like HSBC, Audi, Volkswagen, Coca‑Cola, Levi’s, Unilever and Tesco, we bring big‑company insight to real‑world SMEs without the corporate jargon. Clients come to us when growth feels messy, margins are flattening and everything is still too dependent on the owner. Working together, we implement a system so the business becomes more profitable, more predictable and far less owner‑reliant. 👉 Start with a free 15‑minute Profit Accelerator Snapshot to see where your business is underperforming on profit and what to tackle first. Visit my profile/website to book.

Managing Director

Flow Advisory Ltd

2013-10 - Present · 13 yrs

London Area, United Kingdom

Leading a diverse portfolio of projects, blending agency expertise with in-house leadership. My work spans both traditional client partnerships and embedded brand direction, delivering high-impact results across the real estate, public sector, and sports industries. Clients have included: The City of London Corporation, Tesco, Aviva Investments, Frasers Property, Sovereign Travel, Catalyst Homes, nu Living and Velon. . Keynote speaker at several events on innovation, marketing and future living.

Strategy Director

TheESGBusiness | Sustainability Business Services

2024-2 - 2026-2 · 2 yrs 1 mo

London Area, United Kingdom

Lead ESG & sustainability strategy for SMEs and property businesses, from materiality assessment through roadmap, KPIs, and reporting. Design tailored ESG frameworks and maturity assessments aligned with SDG‑linked metrics and emerging UK/EU expectations. Advise on decarbonisation, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable operations to de‑risk and improve long‑term resilience. Coach leadership teams on ESG storytelling, board‑level reporting, and stakeholder communication for investors, lenders, and tenants.

Managing Partner

Heavenly

2010-8 - 2013-8 · 3 yrs 1 mo

Led team and strategy for key clients including HSBC, Fulham Football Club and Fitzroy Place (London's most successful property launch).

Director

Be A Brand

2007-10 - 2010-8 · 2 yrs 11 mos

Be A Brand is a person branding company. We define high profile people's brands and then set about managing its value over the long term. A big element comes from matching the person brand to high profile brands to create long term partnerships. The matching is done through a strict set of criteria to ensure that the person and company brand have a strong synergy with each other.

Strategy Director

Interbrand

2005-8 - 2007-8 · 2 yrs 1 mo

Work included vision and value setting, internal brand alignment, brand architecture and global brand positioning for Rio Tinto, Leighton Contractors and Blue Scope Steel.