A year on from being Employee Owned

A year since transitioning into an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) the team at Companion Consultancy have recently celebrated their first milestone. This first anniversary is a great opportunity to reflect on the decision to transition into an EOT and what this means for both the team and our clients.

How does becoming employee-owned benefit the employees?

Companion Consultancy transitioned to an EOT in 2024 as it offered a flexible ownership structure that can benefits both the business and employees in the long term.  As director Katy Ellison explains, “Employee ownership gives everyone a stake in the future of the company.”

A key benefit of employee ownership is the potential for profit-sharing. This not only provides financial incentives but also helps to create a highly motivated workforce with a vested interest in the company’s success.

Another, sometimes less discussed, advantage is the creation of a more democratic working environment. Companion Consultancy now has an appointed Board of Trustees, including an Employee Trustee Director, our Founder Trustee Director, and an Independent Trustee Director. Their role is to act in the best interests of the current and future employees and advocate for the future success of the company.

How does becoming employee-owned benefit our clients?

At Companion Consultancy, our clients have always received dedicated, thoughtful service and that hasn’t changed. What’s new is the deeper connection each team member now has to the company and its success.

As employee-owners, the Companion team is even more invested in the company, the work we produce and the strength of the relationships we build. There’s a shared commitment to going the extra mile, not just for the company, but for our clients too.

How are the new directors doing one year on?

With Companion Consultancy being a specialist marketing agency for the animal health sector, it was crucial to maintain veterinary expertise at its core. In July 2024, Katy Ellison and Fi Farmer, both qualified veterinary surgeons and senior account managers, were promoted to the Board of Directors.

Reflecting at the time, Susan McKay said, “Our new Directors ensure that leadership of the agency remains in the hands of the veterinary profession. I know both will hold true to our values, respecting the many long-standing relationships we have within the veterinary and pet communities.”

Katy and Fi were excited to take on this new challenge in 2024. A year later, they said, “We are very proud of the team, for their adaption to change, support in us and of course, exceptional work that they have continued to produce for our clients. We are all looking forward to an exciting future for Companion Consultancy.”

What’s changed about our company culture?

Companion Consultancy has always championed a people-first approach, ensuring every employee’s voice is heard. This ethos remains unchanged, but the move to employee ownership has strengthened it with more formalised processes for gathering and actioning staff feedback.

Flexible working remains a cornerstone of Companion’s culture, accommodating life outside of work – whether that be childcare, appointments, or personal commitments. Employee benefits such as healthcare plans and the option to buy back annual leave continue to be available, with a firm commitment that these benefits will not be compromised.

Becoming employee-owned has deepened staff engagement and motivation. With a real stake in the company’s success, employees are more empowered to suggest improvements and drive positive change.

Annual EOT presentation

On 14th May, Companion Consultancy hosted its first Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) Directors’ Presentation. The directors shared valuable insights into the company’s performance over the past year, progress towards Financial Freedom Day, and plans for the future of Companion Consultancy. The day also included CC staff Awards, a team lunch, and a thoughtful gesture of flowers for the team.

In Summary

Transitioning to employee ownership has been a successful and positive step for Companion Consultancy. It ensures long term stability for the agency.

We are excited about what the future holds and look forward to continuing to grow and evolve as an employee-owned business.

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Tibbie Lamb | DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Tibbie joined Companion Consultancy in 2021 as an Administrative Assistant while completing her A-level studies. Since then, she has progressed into the role of Digital Marketing Executive, combining hands-on marketing experience with her Digital Marketing degree studies at Anglia Ruskin University.

In her role, Tibbie supports a wide range of digital marketing activities, with a particular focus on social media management, email marketing, content creation, and project coordination. She enjoys helping clients communicate effectively with their audiences and ensuring campaigns run smoothly from start to finish.

Outside of work, Tibbie enjoys going to the cinema, trying new recipes, and spending time with friends and family.

Lucie O’Brien | DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Lucie joined the Companion Consultancy team in March 2023, and is currently in her final year of study to earn her Digital Marketing degree.

As someone who likes to be challenged, Lucie enjoys getting stuck into a variety of digital marketing disciplines, but is at her happiest when she is copywriting, web designing or being creative (even more so if it involves looking at pictures of cute cats!).

Alongside this, Lucie assists Jenny as an Editorial Coordinator for Veterinary Woman, a role she enjoys for its ample spreadsheets!

In her spare time, Lucie enjoys baking her favourite sweet treats (brownies, of course!), travelling, organising events and days out with her friends and fussing over her cat, Pebbles.

Jenny Silventionen | SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

With more than three decades of experience in agencies and in-house teams, Jenny still gets as much satisfaction from a successful project as she did when she first started her career. She has worked across a variety of sectors, including education, publishing and science and has a particular soft spot for the veterinary and pet sector, where she can combine her love of animals with her passion for design.

Jenny loves turning ideas into engaging visual communications and can happily lose track of time when immersed in a project. Known for her meticulous approach, she believes great creative work is about more than aesthetics, it’s about understanding the brief, solving problems and getting the finer details right.

Away from her desk, Jenny enjoys running, yoga and gardening. She lives with her family and three cats, who remain entirely unimpressed by her design credentials.

Maddie Speare | ACCOUNT MANAGER

Maddie joined Companion Consultancy in October 2020 as an apprentice Junior Content Producer and hasn’t looked back since! Now a trusted Account Manager, she leads client accounts and projects with creativity and energy, delivering tailored campaigns that not only meet client objectives but also engage audiences in meaningful ways.

Since joining the company, Maddie has achieved a multitude of certificates in online courses based on digital marketing, content creation and SEO, going on to complete her Level 3 Diploma in Content Production. She is now undergoing a Degree Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing with Anglia Ruskin University, and hopes to achieve her Bachelor’s Degree in 2026.

Outside of work, Maddie is happiest when spending time with friends and family, hiking in the Peak District or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Amelia Wilson | ACCOUNT MANAGER

Pursuing her passion for digital marketing, Amelia joined Companion Consultancy as a Digital Marketing Apprentice in September 2022. Wanting to widen her knowledge while pursuing her love for animals (especially dogs!), Companion is just the right fit.

Upon joining the team at Companion, Amelia has been training in a range of digital areas and is continuing her learning both on and off the job through her apprenticeship. Amelia enjoys the fact that every day at Companion is different which enables her to extend her knowledge and experiences in both the animal heath and digital marketing field.

Jenny Langridge | SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Jenny studied equine science at Writtle College and spent some time in equine nutrition before working in sales and marketing in the equine, automotive and retail/wholesale sectors. Her passion for animal health won out however, and she spent sixteen years in the commercial team at Vet Times, working in business development with clients ranging from new start-ups to multinational corporations, and developing creative and innovative print and digital media solutions.

Jenny particularly enjoys working with clients to form a deep understanding of their business and develop bespoke PR and marketing campaigns that meet objectives and make the most of commercial opportunities. Drawing on her extensive media experience, she helps clients identify the stories, partnerships and opportunities that will have the greatest impact.

Alongside her agency role, Jenny is editor of Veterinary Woman, a role that provides valuable insight into the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the veterinary profession. Working with contributors and industry leaders from across the sector helps her stay closely connected to the people, businesses and issues influencing veterinary practice today.

Outside of work, Jenny is also the founder of a motorcycle trail touring business, combining her love of adventure and the outdoors with her qualification as a trail guide. When she’s not leading tours across East Anglia, she’s usually playing the piano or indulging in arts and crafts.

Katy Ellison MA VetMB MRCVS | DIRECTOR

Katy is a vet, writer and director at Companion Consultancy. She joined the company in 2021 and became a director in June 2024.

Katy has worked in clinical practice for more than 22 years, starting in mixed practice in Cambridgeshire before moving to a small animal practice in Suffolk. She still works in practice part time, covering evening surgery and occasional Saturdays. As well as enjoying being in the consult room, this keeps her up to date with the pressures, priorities and everyday realities of veterinary practice.

Her love of writing began in practice, where she wrote short articles and an ‘ask the vet’ column for local press. Today, she uses her clinical experience, writing skills and creativity to turn complex information into content that is accurate, practical and engaging. Outside of work, Katy plays the violin in the Suffolk Sinfonia, and enjoys spending time with her family and black Labrador, Ferne.

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Fiona Farmer | DIRECTOR

Fi worked as an equine vet for over 10 years, which took her from the deserts of Dubai (where the odd camel got treated) to the beautiful Norfolk countryside. Alongside first opinion work, her passion of competition horses led her to FEI officiating, where she has qualified as an FEI 3* official vet. This regularly takes her to international FEI competitions in the UAE, Europe and around the U.K. 

Her work at Companion Consultancy is the perfect blend of veterinary, business and creativity, and she enjoys working closely with clients to help create their story. She particularly enjoys being part of such a friendly, hardworking team to bounce ideas off, and support one another.

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Dr Susan McKay BVM & S, MRCVS, MBA | DIRECTOR

After 8 years working as a vet in practice, Susan needed a fresh, new challenge. Joining a pet food company meant she gained a great grounding in PR and communications but also gave her an understanding of the needs of commercial organisations.

In 2002, Susan launched Companion Consultancy. We aimed to become companions to our clients, in the sense that we would work alongside them, aligning ourselves to their goals and acting as an extension to their teams. Did it work out that way? We are proud to say that some of the clients that we took on in that first year are still with us, several job roles and companies later.

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