Richard Hytner

Until setting up creative management consultancy beta baboon in 2016, Richard, a Cambridge law graduate, was Saatchi & Saatchi’s deputy chairman, heading up its global strategy and innovation practice, helping clients earn loyalty beyond reason among their customers and people.

Board level engagements, involving facilitation of courageous and creative conversations have been for executive teams led by Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean of London Business School; Ana Botin, now Chair, Grupo Santander; Richard Sexton, Global Head of PwC Assurance; Ed Forst, former CEO of Cushman & Wakefield; and Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. beta baboon has assignments in industries as diverse as professional services, financial services, food, electric vehicles, fast moving consumer goods, luxury goods, telecommunications and photography. All work is characterised by bringing creativity to clients’ strategies; revealing employee, customer and stakeholder insights; and acting purposefully to grow profitably in permanent beta: beta baboon.

At London Business School, Richard teaches on custom executive education programmes for EY, Vodafone, and Lloyds of London, as well as on three open programmes: New Generation Professional Services Firms; Strategic Branding; and Market Driving Strategies. He runs an elective course on Creativity in Business. Richard teaches leaders how to unearth fresh actionable customer and managerial insights; reignite individual, team and organisational creativity; and build winning brands and businesses. Beyond his work for beta baboon, Richard co-founded and is President of the Manchester United Supporters Trust; chaired, for 5 years, Planting Promise, a sustainable educational enterprise in Sierra Leone; and was, for 8 years, a trustee of the British Heart Foundation. In 2015 he joined the Met Police Commissioner’s Management Board as a non executive adviser and in 2016 graduated from the Meyler Campbell coaching programme. Whilst spending much of his career as CEO, Richard prefers contributing beyond the limelight to businesses, organisations, people and causes he cares about. His first book, Consiglieri: Leading from the Shadows, published by Profile Books is a celebration of the craft of leadership that supports, counsels, challenges and checks the out and out charismatic leader. For reviews and media coverage, see: Consiglieri: Leading from the Shadows