Julian March
Strategy, storytelling, leadership. Connected
What I do
Work out what you actually think
Many organisations have more strategy than they realise — and less clarity than they need.
I work with leadership teams to answer the real questions underneath — "Why do we exist?" and "How can we win?"
I structure the options when a decision still needs making, and turn the result into something usable: a narrative, a one-pager, a set of pillars and measures to live by every day.
Turn the thinking into a story
A strategy that can't be communicated isn't a strategy. I write keynotes, board narratives, investor briefs and internal communications that make complex ideas land with the people who need to act on them.
The story and the strategy usually end up shaping each other.
Build things that prove the point
I prototype working AI tools — quickly, with real functionality — to test ideas, demonstrate possibilities, and move thinking forward.
Less "wouldn't it be good if...?" and more "what do we think about this?"
Who I am
Before becoming an independent consultant in 2020, I spent 23 years inside some of the biggest digital transformations in media — Sky News, ITV, NBC News, Future.
I've led teams through the shift to digital, built products from scratch, and sat in enough strategy sessions to know what good looks like and what doesn't.
I work independently, which means you get me — not a team that's never met you.
Work
Strategy
Strategy synthesis
Turning complex strategic thinking into a clear position, a usable framework, and a story leaders can tell. A national lottery operator needed their strategy distilled from a sprawl of decks and priorities into a single narrative nine senior leaders could tell in their own words. One page. One film. Done in weeks. A global bank's property team needed to decide how ambitious their sustainability commitments should be. Four scenarios, financial modelling, competitor benchmarking against three major rivals. Leadership aligned on an accelerated pathway — and a rationale they could defend.
AI Prototyping and tools
Most consultants can identify where technology would help. Fewer can build it. I do both. A national lottery operator needed to show the art of the possible for communicating their social impact at scale — in stores, with a major supermarket partner. A working prototype, built in days, read a government grants database, cross-referenced charity records and local news coverage, and surfaced stories automatically. The team agreed to progress the project using existing budget. A law firm planning their annual partners' conference needed a way to manage registrations, sessions, preferences and logistics in one place. A custom conference management app, built as a working prototype ahead of the pitch, demonstrated the full capability live in the room.
Storytelling
Storytelling and narrative
Scripts, films, keynotes and communications that make complex ideas land. A science innovation campus wanted to celebrate its pandemic-era researchers. A series of articles and films turned individual stories into a campus-wide narrative that attracted new tenants and raised the profile of the site. A private equity house going through digital transformation needed their people to understand why, not just what. Animated explainer films, produced with a small team, gave the whole organisation a shared story to hold.
Live events and video production
Hybrid and virtual events with the production values of broadcast television. A global investment bank needed a two-day strategic leadership event for a hundred senior leaders across three cities, delivered entirely remotely. A studio-produced interactive broadcast — with live voting and structured discussion — kept the room engaged across time zones. A wealth management firm wanted to raise the bar on their annual all-staff town hall year on year. A hybrid format, designed and produced with TV executive-producer experience, ran live across in-person and remote audiences simultaneously — and landed well enough to become a fixture.
Workshop facilitation
From strategy alignment to leadership effectiveness — sessions designed to move thinking forward. A global architecture firm wanted a new set of values that would hold across a practice spanning multiple countries and cultures. A series of working groups across levels and regions produced values that became, in the words of the CEO, "the foundation of our business strategy." A multinational investment bank's Italian leadership team needed to navigate structural change and build collective decision-making capability — half the facilitation delivered in Italian.
Leadership
Leadership coaching
One-to-one and small group coaching for senior leaders navigating change or growth. A group of early-stage startups, selected for a major bank's sustainable innovation programme, needed to sharpen their impact narratives and marketing approach. Four webinar sessions and individual office hours produced measurable improvements in how each team told their story. A responsible lending charity needed their CEO to deliver a high-stakes investor presentation with confidence. Tailored coaching and script refinement — with a well-known patron involved — produced a performance that left investors informed, engaged and on board.
Writing
A selection of articles on strategy, storytelling, AI and leadership.
More at julianmarch.co.uk
Contact
It all starts with a conversation...
julian@blewbury.digital