Chris Cowpe

Co-founder of The Caffeine Partnership

Chris Cowpe has over 35 years of experience of advertising/communications and marketing and has worked with some of the UK and the world’s leading organisations including: Cadbury, COI, Johnson and Johnson, Pepsico/Walkers, Premier/Hovis, Reuters, Sony, Teacher Training Agency, Unilever, Vodafone, Volkswagen.

He is co-author of How To Win Friends And Influence Profits (the art of winning more business from existing clients) and is a regular speaker and commentator on marketing and business issues.

In 2007, he co-founded the Caffeine Partnership, a business consultancy advising companies, brands and individuals on growth strategies. He has two particular interests in his advisory work.

First, helping entrepreneurs to establish and grow their business. He is both a formal (NED to a Direct Marketing agency, mentor to CE of a now major digital company for example) and informal counsel to companies and individuals. To further improve the quality of his advice, he has trained as a business coach (London School of Coaching) and mentor (IPA).

Secondly, he is an NED of Age Concern Enterprises, the commercial arm of the charity. This is a leading example of the social enterprise model, generating some £20m “profit” for Age Concern nationally and locally. Its primary distribution channel is 150+ local and independent Age Concerns who operate autonomously ? in effect, “small” businesses in their own right.

Chris is also a Trustee of the Arthritis Research Campaign and a Governor of a local West London school.

Prior to establishing Caffeine, he worked from 1972 to 2004 for the advertising agency DDB London (formerly BMP), joining as a graduate trainee and becoming MD/CE from 1980. Over those 30+ years, Chris helped the company grow from 25 people to 300+, be chosen as Agency of the Year four times and be recognised internationally for its work. He was also responsible for several successful divisional start-ups.