Paul Cheal

Championing micromobility to create employment opportunities for vulnerable people.

Start-up focused on heating homes with the cloud. I brought Thermify together with the innovation agency Fluxx to rapidly validate the proposition and bring it to market for seed funding.

Advising on the growth and best governance of Bandlab's UK media assets, including NME, Guitar, Uncut and Music Tech. This has included the recent launch of the virtual event, Guitar Expo Live. I have also worked on NPD opportunities for the global Bandlab app.

As well as Chairing The Big Issue's publishing function, I have worked with the Group Board on a consultancy basis with a specific brief to re-invent The Big Issue's business model since vendors were removed from the streets on March 20th. This has meant the rapid development of new revenue streams including subscriptions and retail; an emergency financial support programme for vendors; the development and deployment of a revitalised digital strategy, including new solutions for vendors; a focus on corporate and consumer fundraising; and a root and branch operating review, ensuring both cost-efficiency and the development of a team able to deliver The Big Issue's core mission in the most trying of circumstances.

Advising a diverse range of clients on digital and content strategy, as well as change management, including: - Eurostar: evaluation of existing print and digital content and media sales proposition, including use of agencies vs in-housing - Converted Closet: go to market strategy and investor deck for a new sustainable fashion start-up - Chelsea Magazines: creation of a framework for the implementation of a change management programme for the leadership team across editorial, sales, publishing and HR. Also advised on launch of new media consultancy business, Chelsea Create - Citizens Advice: workflow assessment for advisory content, plus recommendations on how to partner with relevant commercial parties to drive incremental revenue and grow organisational awareness among new audiences - Media 10: end to end digital review, including recommendations on CMS and ad tech; use of analytics; advertising and editorial structures; data management; and cross-selling opportunities

Expressly helps publishers and advertisers build their proprietary user databases at scale. Innovative technology that transforms the onboarding experience.

Felix’s goal is to help publishing brands to become a destination again and lessen their dependency on social media by putting AI and search at the heart of their product strategy.

• Member of the Time Inc. (UK) Ltd Board, reporting to CEO • Time Inc was one of the world’s largest media businesses, with multi-billion revenues from over 100 brands operating across print, digital and experiential • I lead print transformation and digital acceleration in the highly disrupted music, young fashion and celebrity markets, driving both product innovation and cost-efficiency. Also board responsibility for company-wide licensing and syndication revenues Key Achievements: • Re-launch of the NME brand as a freemium product: taking the world’s oldest paid music magazine to free weekly distribution of 300k and digital/social reach of 35m+ a week, underwriting a native/creative media/experiential business that has grown revenues by 200% • NME.COM site growth: from 5.5m to 10m Unique Users per month within two years, predominantly through mobile channel development • Launch of NME’s own events venue, using live music to connect fans, bands and brands • Diversification of NME’s profitable events calendar into film and career events • Acquiring board investment in NME’s new Artist Services business, driving new organic advertising and affiliate revenues • Transformation of two loss-making youth print businesses (Look and Now) into profitable brands through re-structuring, cost efficiency and digital growth • Company lead on archival content programme to drive revenues from new markets – closing in on first TV commission based on archival comic characters

• Member of the Digital Board • Responsible for devising and implementing Time Inc’s mobile, tablet and digital paid-content strategy, across 60 brands Key achievements: • Launch of Time Inc UK Innovation Lab with focus on rapid product testing content and digital launches: NME App; the smart technology proposition Live Smart; and the millennials careers site List for Life • Winner of BMA and PPA Product Team of the Year Awards • Product development and P&L management for the launch of mobile sites, Apps and digital editions – from zero to multi-million revenue within eighteen months through the successful implementation of cross-company initiatives • Devising a coherent video strategy across Time Inc, resulting in higher advertising revenue in both value and incremental sales from creative media pitches

• Member of the Specialist Board • Responsible for market-leading brands NME, NME.COM and Uncut Key achievements: • Rapid digital growth - growing unique users from 1.5m to over 5.8m in under four years • Business transformation - restructuring teams to work cross-platform • Brand expansion – launches of national digital station NME Radio and NMETV (Sky Channel 382) • Bringing the UK NME Awards into profit and spin-off launch into US market • Mapping and delivering Product Development process for new paid digital content opportunities and e-commerce • Winning PPA Consumer Media Brand of the Year

Publisher of a varied number of portfolios - Outdoor & Hobbies, Motoring and Marine.