Graham Soult Email & Phone Number

I founded my retail consultancy CannyInsights.com in 2010. Today, it works with independent and multiple retailers on the high street and online, as well as with related organisations such as landlords, local authorities, business associations and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), to help them improve their offer and messaging. I operate from a main base in Gateshead (Tyne & Wear) and a secondary base in Malmesbury (Wiltshire), but work with clients UK wide as well as extensively in the North East. Current ongoing projects include leading the Indie Durham City initiative (https://www.indiedurhamcity.co.uk/) for City of Durham Parish Council, and the Shop Chester-le-Street campaign (https://www.shopchesterlestreet.co.uk/) for Durham County Council.In addition, I have recently delivered webinars or other consultancy for organisations including Mid Ulster District Council, Exeter BID, Gloucester BID, Worcester BID, and the Buy Local North Tyneside initiative.

Durham, Gb

In the voluntary role of chairman of Durham Business Group I regularly represent the organisation at events, deputising for the CEO where required. I also chair the regular meetings of the board of directors, help set the budget for the organisation, and present at the annual general meeting each December.On a more day-to-day basis, I provide support, advice and encouragement to the CEO and the rest of the DBG team.

Durham, Gb

Durham Business Group runs the popular business networking organisation Durham Business Club, the Executive Group for larger and corporate businesses, and the virtual office services business Durham Office Services. As a not-for-profit social enterprise, income that DBG generates from Office Services helps to support the Club.After three years as a non-executive director, I assumed the position of vice chairman in January 2020. The board oversees the focus and direction of the organisation as well as providing the expertise needed to run the business successfully. I often have particular input into the Group's marketing activity, and regularly attend or help to host the events of both the Club and the Executive Group.

Durham, Gb

Durham, England, Gb

NINE DTP is the Northern Ireland and North East Doctoral Training Partnership, which is delivering doctoral training in the social sciences. It is a collaborative enterprise between seven universities across Northern Ireland and the North East of England, and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).The new Knowledge Exchange Forum, which I have agreed to co-chair, aims to gain insight on the diverse career pathways beyond academia and discuss the transferable skills needed for postgraduate researchers' successful career management.

Uk 🇬🇧 , Gb

Working with the Roam Local app on a part-time, contract basis to provide high-street insights that can feed into social media, articles and webinars - all with the aim of championing UK high streets, and encouraging more businesses to embrace having a digital presence.

In my capacity as an elected Fellow of the Institute of Place Management, I was delighted to be appointed as an Expert by the High Streets Task Force (HSTF). The HSTF was a government initiative that ran until September 2024 and was managed by IPM, to support communities and local authorities in England in transforming their high streets and strengthening local place leadership. Over the course of the HSTF, I delivered Expert support in 15 locations.

My CannySites.com business helps retailers and service providers reach new customers, and gives consumers a hand in finding the products and services that they’re looking for. To achieve this, I have created and manage a portfolio of sector-targeted online consumer directories – featuring retailers and services relating to the home, garden, holidays, property and fashion.In this role, I work with small UK retailers who are looking to promote their online stores via my directories, and with web and SEO consultants who are looking to promote their clients' sites, products and services.

Newcastle Upon Tyne, Gb

I was one of a small number of “well connected business people” from across the UK invited to join Sage’s first ever online advocacy programme. The aim of the new group was to support and advise the UK business community via social media, drawing together volunteer Business Experts who “share a commitment to promoting business and enabling others to do the same.”My role included championing the issues that were important to the retail sector, including providing comment via the regular Sage Blog, and generally helping to celebrate business and enterprise.

Durham, Gb

Serving companies large and small in the North East, Converge is a multichannel business development platform that combines its core website (at converge.today) with a print magazine, Engage, and face-to-face member-only events.As communications consultant, my role involves working with Converge for a day or two a month, assisting founder James Tennant with a range of marketing and communication tasks. These tasks include: writing occasional, in-depth content for the Converge platform; checking and correcting uploaded member content for spelling and formatting; sharing this member content, and occasionally other updates, via the Converge Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn channels; and generally acting as a marketing mentor when needed.

Durham, Gb

Alongside writing occasional columns for industry publications in my retail or digital marketing capacity (such as for Retail Week, Speciality Food or Co-operative News), I was commissioned by Converge in 2015 to write twice-weekly blog posts for its then newly launched platform at converge.today.Converge is a multichannel business development platform that combines its core website with a print magazine, Engage, and face-to-face member-only events.Featuring a membership that comprises many leading North East firms, Converge required me to provide high-quality, business-focused content that was well researched and insightful while also being chatty, engaging and shareable.Though some of the blog posts I wrote for Converge had a retail or marketing focus, most were on broader business-related themes, embracing topics such as commercial property, transport and the regional economy. Almost all included a North East angle, to ensure that the pieces were tailored for the Converge audience and, where necessary, that they offered a distinctive and thought-provoking slant on stories that had been covered elsewhere.This role was superseded in October 2016 by my new position as Communications Consultant at Converge.Click the link below to see my work at Converge, or get in touch if you are interested in me writing for your publication.

Bristol, Bristol, Gb

I helped to bridge the gap between education and the workplace by advising and supporting young people (aged 16-19) in education at Redcar & Cleveland College as they developed a business strategy over one day. I was delighted to share my business skills and knowledge to help prepare the next generation of employees and entrepreneurs.

Newcastle Upon Tyne, Gb

I joined Marketwise Strategies in 2006 and led many of the company's major qualitative and quantitative research projects, across the public and private sectors. Within the business, I had a particular interest in digital and IT markets, including online learning, cloud computing and computer games. I also conducted a series of research projects profiling digital and creative industries at regional and national levels, and led web usability projects for a wide range of clients.My wider projects at Marketwise Strategies included: proof of concept and market entry research in technology, energy/environment and education markets; employer engagement, reputation & positioning, and student perceptions research for universities; and research into higher-level skills.

Newcastle Upon Tyne, Gb

Based in the Centre for Cultural Policy and Management (CCPM) (and later the Centre for Public Policy (CPP)) at Northumbria University, I led research on the impact and value of culture.

Newcastle Upon Tyne, Gb

Based in the Centre for Northern Studies, I worked with Dr Bill Lancaster to lead Northumbria’s contribution to an EU-funded project exploring innovative approaches to tackling social inclusion. The project involved collaboration with researchers and healthcare and voluntary sector partners in Newcastle and five other European cities.

Short Course, Slovene

Ma, Architecture And Town & Regional Planning

Ba (Hons), Architecture