Summers joins Brandsmiths’ drive

Andrew Summers, the former chief executive of the Design Council, has joined Brandsmiths as its chairman, as the group seeks to expand its strategic offer.

The consultancy, which currently has ten full-time staff, is looking to double in size over the next 18 months, says Brandsmiths chief executive Kevin Thompson.

‘Summers will keep an eye on [our] financial management and the business development process that we’ve been working on,’ he adds. ‘It’s a big expansion plan that involves hiring new people and moving into new areas.’

Summers says he will help Brandsmiths align brand strategy more closely with clients’ business strategies, ‘rather than the delivery of a lot of visual material’.

‘That’s what companies are looking for,’ he adds, describing it as a ‘niche opportunity’ for growth that echoes his previous work ‘focusing on influencing business’ to make more use of design.

Summers left the Design Council in April this year, having led the organisation since 1995 (DW 19 December 2002). He continues to chair the DTI European Trade Committee and is on the boards of the Small Business Service and British Trade International.