GEL Studios has awarded 30% of the business to its in-house team through an Enterprise Management Incentive scheme. The structure has been introduced in partnership with Vestd and is intended to give employees a direct interest in the agency’s future success.
The scheme is designed to run over the next five years and will apply to both current and future staff. It links individual contribution to the long-term value of the business rather than offering a short-term incentive.
The move also aligns with founder Graeme Leighfield’s intention to sell the company within the next five years. Under the model, staff would collectively benefit from 30% of the final value of the business when that happens.
By formalising employee ownership, the agency says it aims to improve staff retention, attract experienced creative and digital professionals, and maintain a highly engaged workforce. The structure is also intended to keep skills, decision-making and value rooted in Swindon.
The change has been described as a commitment to supporting the town’s creative economy by retaining high-value jobs locally, rather than seeing talent move to larger regional cities.
The ownership model sits within a wider five-year strategy launched in 2025. That plan followed the appointment of new directors Carly Smith and James Phipps and focuses on sustainable growth, stronger client relationships and preparing the business for a future transition.
Graeme Leighfield said the decision reflected how the business has always operated.
“I’ve always been clear that GEL Studios is a collective effort,” he said. “The business only works because of the people in it, and this was about formally recognising that contribution, not just in words, but in ownership.”
He said the approach was based on fairness and long-term thinking.
“There’s nothing wrong with building a profitable business,” he said. “The important question is what you do with that success, and who benefits from it.”
For staff, the move changes how their role within the agency is viewed, shifting from employees delivering work to having a stake in the company’s future direction.
Dani Wilkinson, Senior Creative at GEL Studios, said:
“I can honestly say I hadn’t realised the impact being part of an employee ownership scheme would have. You have pride in the work you do and the impact you want to have, but this added ownership and stake in the business amplifies that shared vision, it keeps you striving to do more, to be better.
It shows how genuinely valued you and your skills are as part of GEL, and I can’t thank Graeme and the leadership team enough for the opportunity.”
The B Corp-certified agency is based in South Marston and works as a long-term creative partner to clients. It delivers brand strategy, graphic design, website development and marketing campaigns focused on measurable outcomes.
The employee ownership model reflects the agency’s wider people-first approach, which places culture, trust and shared responsibility at the centre of its business strategy.
