Hallam, the multi-award-winning digital marketing agency, has announced a strategic move to employee ownership, with 100% of the business now held in trust. All employees who have been with the business for longer than 12 months are eligible to join as partners in the trust.
The transition, effective from 15th August 2025, marks a major step in the agency’s long-term vision to build a purpose-driven business that delivers value to people, clients, and communities.
Hallam is a leading European B2B agency blending brand, tech, and performance marketing to drive pipeline growth. With a core team of 45 full-time employees, the agency has achieved an employee Net Promoter Score of 64, placing it firmly in the “excellent” category.
In line with its values as a Certified B Corporation, Hallam’s leadership team has taken the next step in its “people-first” journey by transitioning ownership of the company to a newly established Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), which will hold the business on behalf of all employees. This move reinforces the agency’s commitment to creating a positive workplace for its team, an approach that recently earned Hallam a place on the Sunday Times’ “Best Places to Work” list.
Jake Third, CEO at Hallam said,
“At Hallam we’re building something that matters. Becoming employee-owned is a big step in our commitment to creating positive impact across people, planet, and profit.
“Unlike private equity-backed agency groups, Hallam is now majority owned by the people who do the work. That means our team has a direct stake in the business and a shared motivation to do the best possible work, day in and day out.
“It’s a structure that reflects our values as a B Corp and our belief that better businesses deliver better outcomes for everyone.”
The shift sees Jake Third remain in position as CEO, alongside Jon Martin, Operations Director and Ben Wood, Performance Director, who, along with founder Susan Hallam, Mike Hallam and former CEO Julio Taylor, have sold 100% of their shares into the Trust.
A structure that rewards people, not just profit
For Hallam’s team, the transition means more than a new ownership model. Employees will now share in the financial success of the business and have a greater voice in shaping its future direction through a governance board that represents their interests.
Simran Harichand, Paid Media Lead, at Hallam said,
“Seeing Hallam become employee owned has boosted my confidence in the company and my loyalty to it. Knowing that I, alongside my colleagues, get a say in the workings of the company makes me feel represented and heard. It feels like we are now pulling towards a mutual goal.”
Jonathan Catton, Head of Data & Insights, at Hallam said,
“Hallam has always been for its employees. I’ve worked for Hallam for more than 8 years now, and I’m proud that the company has the confidence to put the future of the business in our hands. I’ll have some real skin in the game!”
Hallam joins a growing list of employee-owned companies, including John Lewis and Riverford Organic; businesses that are redefining what sustainable, values-led business can look like.
As of 2025, the UK’s employee ownership (EO) sector includes around 2,470 businesses employing 358,000 people(1). These companies reinvest profits internally or distribute them to employees, promoting greater engagement and long-term sustainability. The sector has grown 1,640% since 2014, with 560 transitions in 2024 and 118 recorded so far in 2025 – with Hallam now adding to this figure!
What this means for clients
For Hallam’s clients, this evolution is more than symbolic, Jake Third adds,
“For our clients, this means even greater accountability, continuity, and care. When the people delivering your strategy are also co-owners of the business, you get a team that’s invested in shared success for the long-term.”
As part of the transition to employee ownership, Hallam is setting up new governance structures. The Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) board, chaired by Chris Simpson, is responsible for ensuring Hallam meets its obligations as an employee-owned company. Chris has over 25 years board experience, from start ups to listed businesses. He has a broad range of M&A experience with particular emphasis on small and medium business sales into Employee Ownership and EOT’s.
Alongside this, Hallam is also establishing a trading board, chaired by Maria Vardy, which oversees company governance and sets the long-term strategic direction.
With over 25 years of experience in the creative and marketing industries, Maria is a seasoned agency leader with a proven track record in growth strategy, brand leadership, and business transformation. She has led agencies through significant change, from post-M&A integration to profitability turnarounds, and is recognised for building high-performing teams and delivering long-term commercial success. Alongside consulting and advisory roles across the UK’s creative sector, Maria specialises in helping ambitious businesses scale sustainably, refine operations, and unlock their market potential.
Maria Vardy, Chair of Hallam’s trading board, said:
“Hallam’s transition to employee ownership is a powerful statement about where value really lies, with its people. Having seen the difference that a motivated, empowered team can make in agency growth, I believe this model will unlock even more creativity, accountability, and long-term success.”
Chris Simpson, Chair of the EOT, comments,
“It was a real pleasure supporting the Hallam team on their move to employee ownership.
The leadership team had a clear vision that challenged traditional structures – believing that true success comes from investing in people. When ownership and responsibility are placed in the hands of a high-performing team, you unlock productivity, motivation and morale.
This EOT achieves exactly that, making it the perfect fit for the business, its people and its clients.”