The co-owners of one of Scotland’s leading creative agencies have handed ownership of the company to its employees as part of plans to secure the future of the business they have owned for over 20 years. Dynam’s 16 employees – who joint Managing Directors Eleanor Neilson and Karen Green credit with helping make Dynam one of the most respected creative and digital marketing agencies in the country – will have an effective voice and influence in key decisions going forward.
Speaking about the move, co-Managing Director of the agency with offices in Inverness and Glasgow, Neilson, said:
“Karen and I have been considering the future of Dynam for a while. This is a great business doing fantastic work for a wide range of clients, both national and international. There’s every sign that we’re only going to build on that success, and that is largely down to the brilliant team we have, many of whom have been with us long-term.
“We chose the Employee Ownership route because we believe it embodies the culture of the agency and will strengthen team continuity, making everyone feel increasingly committed to and engaged with the success of the business going forward.”
Green added:
“We did consider a sale to a third party but rejected that very quickly as it would undoubtedly have disrupted the way we work and may have jeopardised our culture and, importantly, the employment of our people.”
Neilson and Green will futureproof their business by transferring their shares to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), the Trust whose purpose is to directly benefit current and future employees. The pair will still manage the day-to-day operations of the business going forward. However, the key difference is that, as owners, the employees will have an effective voice and influence in key decisions.
International client list
Dynam was established as a full-service agency by Green and Neilson over 20 years ago. Since its founding, Dynam has experienced significant growth, creating an award-winning, independent, and dynamic agency.
Now employing a staff of 16, the creative team consists of brand, marketing, design, and web specialists. Dynam partners with brands both in Scotland and worldwide to deliver outstanding results – such as the largest producer of Atlantic salmon, Mowi, global recruitment group, Orion, Nature Scot, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Orkney Harbours.
EOT Model
Carole Leslie, founder of Ownership Associates, which facilitated the move, comments:
“Dynam is exactly the type of business we are seeing increasingly move towards the Employee Ownership (EO) model. They are successful, with a strong, loyal, core team in place, and have a reputation for being a great employer – with choosing to set up an EOT further evidence of that.
“Dynam are not alone in seeing the attractions of EO. The UK EO sector has more than doubled since 2020, with research showing that EO businesses perform better than other businesses during the recession, are more innovative and productive, and are healthier and happier workplaces with increased staff retention who are more prepared to take a long term view of business development.”
Senior Account Director and part of the Dynam Leadership Team, Fiona Patience, added:
“This is an exciting new era for Dynam and a great reward for the team. We already have a strong leadership team in place under Eleanor and Karen, who have a real input into the business, so day-to-day things will continue as normal. However, long term, the EO model lets the team benefit from the company’s continued success and gives everyone a say in the future direction of the company. With a talented team in place, we expect the company to continue to grow and flourish going forward, building on the work of Eleanor and Karen in the last 20 years.”
We love this bold move from Dynam – congratulations to everyone involved!