We’re the capability partner for ambitious marketing leaders
We’ve spent decades building and leading high-performing marketing teams – and now we help others do the same. And guess what? We absolutely love it.
LockSmith was founded by Alex and Chris, and has since grown into a collective of brilliant learning designers, seasoned facilitators and subject matter experts. Every one of them is a former marketing leader who’s been at the top of their game at brands like Coca-Cola, Diageo, P&G, L’Oréal, Suntory and PepsiCo.
What unites us? A shared passion for unlocking the potential in people — and helping to shape the next generation of brilliant marketers.
We are a proudly values-based business
Collaboration
We firmly believe you get the best results when working in partnership. That’s why we don’t parachute in with pre-packaged programmes. We always take the time to understand your context to ensure we get you the outcome you need. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to capability.
Playfulness
We genuinely love what we do… and it shows! Playfulness runs through everything we create. There is science behind it — people learn better when they’re enjoying themselves. The more fun marketers have in the classroom, the better your business performance will be.
Growth
We are really passionate about the power of growth and upskilling because we were fortunate to be taught how to be really good marketers — a luxury many aren’t given. We’re experienced it first-hand: if you level up your marketing population at the individual level, the impact will filter up and drive performance at the business level. Personal growth = business growth!
Meet the Founders
Chris
Chris is rather old and has 25 years marketing experience, gained at multinationals like Coca-Cola and Diageo, eCommerce SMEs like Feel Unique and more recently within UK scale-ups Lily’s Kitchen and The Collective.
He’s worked with every part of the marketing mix, across UK, Europe and Global markets, with teams and budgets of all sizes. In recent years, Chris’ focus has turned increasingly to eCommerce and digital marketing. Throughout his career Chris has coached and developed teams and delivered marketing capability training courses, with a real emphasis on passion for creative thinking and on joyful collaboration.
Alex
Alex isn’t quite as old as Chris, but like him, she brings 23+ years of marketing experience across multinationals, SMEs and start-ups, including leading some of the world’s best-loved brands. She and Chris worked together at both Camelot and Diageo, before Alex spent three years at Fever-Tree, where she founded the Innovation team and played an instrumental role in one of the most successful challenger stories in history.
Alex has experience across the full marketing mix, with a particular love for brand strategy and creative development. But most of all she is passionate about people and loves nothing more than coaching, training and developing teams & individuals and seeing them thrive. She’s a qualified transformational life coach, accredited DISC® and LEGO® Serious Play® practitioner, and a champion for gender equality and helping women be their brilliant best.
Meet the Guild
This is just a glimpse of the brilliant bunch of learning designers, facilitators and subject matter experts at LockSmith.
Who you meet depends on your challenge — but whoever shows up, you’re in excellent hands.
Claire Harding
A qualified coach and soon-to-be Business Psychologist, Claire brings 25 years of brand, sales and L&D experience from heavyweights like Suntory, McVitie’s and Disney.
Sarah Jones
Sarah cut her teeth at Mars and PepsiCo before leading large-scale capability programmes at Brand Learning. She has a real knack for making the complex feel simple!
Caroline Boyd
Caroline brings heavyweight marketing expertise from Diageo, Mars and Johnson & Johnson. Her sessions blend infectious positivity with just the right mix of stretch and support.
Tori Haller
Tori knows brand transformation inside out thanks to 20+ years at Diageo and William Grant & Sons. She brings energy, play and group work that helps learning stick.
Jeanette Edwards
Jeanette spent decades building brands in the premium drinks industry at the likes of Suntory and William Grant & Sons. She proudly champions DE&I in every room she walks into.
Georgie Denny
Georgie helped grow Fever-Tree and spent years in qual, insight and innovation. Her sessions strike the perfect balance: relaxed, empathetic and quietly challenging.
Johnny Corbett
Previously part of marketing leadership teams at Diageo, Birds Eye and Dulux, Johnny specialises in building brands that connect into corporate culture and is a columnist for Marketing Week.
Sophie Cobley
Sophie’s our storytelling whizz, bringing “jack of all trades” energy from her years at food start-up, Pasta Evangelists. She keeps LockSmith’s content playful & practical.
Nicole Martin
With 25+ years in marketing and event management, Nicole keeps our projects on track and our clients smiling. She’s never more than 10 feet from a to-do list!
Our guild brings experience from brands like…
We are proud to have signed up to 1% for the planet. That means that we donate 1% of our revenue every year to charities and causes that support the environment.
What’s it like
working with
LockSmith?
Collaborative
Fun
Practical
Agile
Creative
Structured
Immersive
But don’t just take our word for it. Listen to what these lovely people have to say.
Our clients
