Mike Symes
Managing Director

Mike Symes is a multi-award winning branding strategist, communications expert, marketing author and professional speaker.

The founder of the Strand group of companies (Strand Branding Limited and Strand Financial Limited), Mike has a passion for branding and communications, drawing on over 20 years top-level experience in transforming SMEs and building global iconic brands.

Mike’s senior client-side roles have included Brown Shipley, ICL, Credit Lyonnais and Banque Paribas group and latterly, Head of Marketing of Bank of New York Financial. Mike Symes has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London, one of the oldest surviving traditional ceremonies still in existence today.

John Dillon
Creative Director

Co-founder of the Strand group of companies, John Dillon is a multi-award winning Creative Director known for injecting high-end creativity into every consumer or corporate branding project. He has been responsible for developing innovative campaigns for many well-known brands, including NatWest, Kingsmill, Caroline Castigliano and Jo Malone.

As well as senior agency-side roles, John has also set up and run internal design departments for major corporates, including Crédit Lyonnais and Sodexho.

Known for his intelligent approach to image building online and offline, John is passionately committed to helping businesses create their own space, across the entire media landscape.