Barry Richards Email & Phone Number

Greater New York City Area

FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency providing Content, Creative, Digital Technology, Management & Delivery, and Data & Insights services. Operating as a full-service agency partner or through embedding specialist talent into client teams, FIRST brings brands and people together through creative, connected experiences. Spanning 11 countries and with more than 400 team members, FIRST works with clients across industries including financial services, technology, media, consumer electronics, medical and healthcare, automotive, aerospace and the non-profit sector. Event Marketer Magazine listed FIRST among their “Top 100 Event Agencies” for 2020, as well as one of 2020’s “Best Places to Work in Events.” Crain’s New York Business also recognized FIRST as one of the Top 100 “Best Places to Work in NYC” for 2020, and The London Stock Exchange Group listed FIRST as one of ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ in 2020. For more information, please visit www.firstagency.com.

Greater New York City Area

Responsible for our strategic growth through product, capability, and geography planning to meet the needs of our clients, and oversees the global Client Services division of FIRST.

London, United Kingdom

Took on the acting CEO role based in London to oversee the acquisition and integration of Clive agency, and take over the day-to-day management of FIRST existing EMEA business. I completed a root and branch review resulting in a restructure of the region. Through my leadership the business achieved a positive swing from loss to profit in less than 6 months, through cost reduction, value creation and new business growth.This was a challenging role establishing a new vision for existing staff, re-engineering to support our new organization and identifying talent to take support the change. This started with the identification of our Regional Director, and executive team. I was responsible for creating and implementing new entities in Ireland, France, Belgium, and Switzerland in support of our global clients. This led to the remodeling of our enterprise wide corporate governance.

New York

The role was created to be accountable for existing managed services accounts and identify areas to improve global working practices within FIRST for the benefit of our clients. The role quickly evolved as I saw opportunities to apply my global experience across the business. I established a Client Services model, ensuring our most important clients had dedicated account management, key account planning, global customer relationship management process (salesforce), and sales pipeline to aid forecasting growth.

Greater New York City Area

In the role of President and CEO, I was responsible for the transition from start up to a multi-location full service meetings and events organization within four years. I led the Americas executive team accountable for: event operations; sales and marketing; technology; finance; and product. Our work in 2014, was recognized with a Gold “Stevie” at American Business Awards for Best Corporate Image Event.Through my leadership, we achieved a sustainable business model and 485% compound growth over 3-years, acknowledged as one of Inc.’s 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in USA (2014, 2015).The team enjoyed huge positive momentum and a culture of “work hard, play hard” underpinned with strong talent development and performance. I remain proud of our positioning of Crain’s Top 100 Companies to Work for in New York (2015), and captured 86% employee satisfaction rating. I was an integral member of the company’s global meetings and events board using my experiences to help with the development and growth of other entities.

Greater New York City Area

I relocated from London to establish a start-up operation in New York, post-recession, as a division of Grass Roots Americas operation. Full P&L responsibility delivering a profitable and sustainable strategic meetings management business. This resulted in the acquisition of this business by Grass Roots Group, while the Americas operation was divested. Responsible for the seamless transition to a new legal entity and standalone operation.

Post consolidation of four event companies through acquisition, I was responsible for re-engineering the central group planning and creative teams from cost center to a profit contributing function fully integrated with sales team. My team centrally led the strategy and creative packaging of sales pitch solutions. Accountable for profitable conversion of new business acquisition (1:3) and leading the agency’s largest client acquisition contract ($30M minimum revenue value over three years). I was awarded the 2009 Chairman’s Award for exceeding company and individual sales target.

Promoted to create strategic meetings management proposition, strategy, sales and marketing, technology, training and operations across the European office network.

Overall responsibility for the delivery of circa 120 global events, circa 10,000 delegates with of team of 15 people per year.

Responsible for the seamless delivery of all project management tasks for a range of pharmaceutical clients.

12-month program rotating between departments to gain full exposure to all areas of the front and back office functions with hotels.

Pg Certificate Business Administration

Ba First Class Honors, Event Management

Activities and Societies: First degree course of its kind incorporated elements of event planning, production, economics, law, human.

Hnd - Distinction, Hospitality Management

Activities and Societies: Mix of academic and practical tuition within hotel and catering field. Included a year’s placement.

Master Of Business Administration - Mba

In progress