Leadership consultancy Connect Three hits £1 million turnover for first time as firm unveils bold plans for further growth

24/05/2023
Colin Lamb (Connect Three). (Photo: Martin Shields)

ONE of the UK’s fastest-growing leadership consultancies has laid out its plans for further expansion following a bumper year in which it passed £1 million turnover for the first time. 

Revenues at UK-based global consultancy Connect Three have surged by more than 70% since 2021 as businesses and organisations in the public, private, and third sectors adopt new business cultures permanently in the post-pandemic world of work. 

Major factors driving the consultancy’s success include growth in sectors including renewable energy, digital and tech, and life sciences; contract wins with Scottish Enterprise, NHS 24, Glasgow City Council, and Capability Scotland; as well as work in more than 20 countries worldwide with clients including global tech firm Calnex, Q2 Solutions, and major Scottish deals and events platform Itison. 

The Glasgow-based consultancy – the first business of its kind in Scotland to achieve coveted B-Corp status – has also established itself as a go-to provider of services including equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI); growth and change management; and environmental and sustainable governance (ESG), with enquiries from start-ups to blue chip companies and major public sector organisations. 

Key public sector work in the last 12 months includes design and delivery of the Scottish Government’s Anti-Racism Workplace Training Framework and Accessibility for All project; and Scottish Enterprise’s Essential Leadership programme. 

Connect Three’s rapid expansion has also led to several key appointments including Business Director Jordan Kay, former Operations Director at social media agency Sunshine, and founder of brand experience and events agency Blushbooth – which was acquired in 2020.

Significant internal promotions at Connect Three include Barbara Clark’s appointment as lead consultant, with Katy Morrison and David Garrick also stepping up to lead the 32-employee consultancy’s EDI and ESG divisions respectively.  

Further investment in the team will be made this year with the recruitment of a Chief Inclusion Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer, as well as new roles in product development, operations, and the growth of Connect Three’s ESG and EDI teams as  the consultancy sets its sights on becoming Scotland’s #1 EDI Consultancy, and the best place to work in Scotland. Connect Three has also been working with growth and innovation expert Les Bayne to strengthen its board and governance. 

Colin Lamb, founder and CEO at Connect Three, said: “The world of work has changed immeasurably in the past two years, and organisations and leaders at all levels are treating new aspects of working culture – including EDI; skills development, sustainability, and workplace wellbeing – not only as legal requirements but as essential pillars of their business strategy. 

“Many are not yet fully equipped with the expertise and experience to implement these policies and practices effectively, and that’s why many are turning to us to help them deliver them. 

“We set out our growth ambitions in 2021 in the knowledge EDI, ESG, and Growth and Change should and would be priorities for organisations of all sizes around the world, and in the time since we have firmly established ourselves as a go-to consultancy in the public, private, and third sectors. 

“We have continued to grow and develop our own team, promoting internally while bringing in additional expertise and experience to enable us to deliver our services on a broader and bigger scale this year and beyond. 

“Workplace culture is a thriving sector in its own right, and now impossible to ignore for leaders at all levels of business. Businesses that do not prioritise it are putting their profits, and more importantly people, at risk. 

“We want to be Scotland’s leader in EDI, ESG and Growth and Change, while continuing our growth across the UK, and have structured the business and our people to help achieve it. Our ambitions extend beyond this year and into international markets, and this year’s performance provides the perfect springboard.” 

Connect Three, which became the first UK leadership consultancy to become a certified B-Corp in 2021, has also been shortlisted for a string of awards including two Glasgow Business Awards; two HR Network Awards “Best SME” and “Best Employer/Workplace of the Year”; and two Herald Top Employer Awards “Small Employer of the Year” and “Inspiring Employee Culture Award”. 

For more information on Connect Three, connectthree.co.uk

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