Challenge

A decentralised design function operating across the agency brands, OMD UK, PHD UK, MG OMD and Hearts & Science, with no shared infrastructure, no standardised workflows, and no Group-level visibility into creative resource, cost or output

Freelance dependency had become the default model for managing demand, creating unsustainable cost patterns and inconsistent delivery. Without a trained permanent team working across all five agencies, brand governance and quality assurance were difficult to maintain consistently. Attrition within the permanent team was high. The financial and operational impact of this model had not been quantified or formally addressed.

Approach

I developed a data-led business case for structural transformation, working across Finance, HR, Talent and IT to model the true cost of the existing model and present a clear alternative. The case was not for additional investment. It was for reallocation: redirecting freelance budget into permanent salaries, operational infrastructure and sustainable resource planning.

The proposal was built around three pillars: people, operations and delivery. I introduced standardised traffic management and resource forecasting, developed a behavioural competency framework for designer progression, and worked with HR to restructure contracts with appropriate recognition for workload demands. Every designer within OMG Studios was trained across all four agency brands, tone of voice and individual propositions, establishing a level of brand governance and QA consistency that had not previously been achievable with a freelance-dependent model.

Simultaneously, I began developing and deploying first-line designers directly into the agencies, allowing the results to demonstrate the model before the structural change was formally ratified.

The senior leadership team approved the proposal. OMG Studios was established as a single centralised design function across the Group. In recognition of the transformation delivered, the business established a permanent Design Director role, a role I moved into to continue leading the function.

Outcome

54% Reduction in freelancer spend

33% Increase in average designer tenure

2× In-house team size, from 5 to 10

46% Increase in design output through Adobe partnership

Design repositioned from a cost centre to a function with full Group-level visibility and demonstrable commercial value.