About.

For over 20 years, the consultant team at our sister division Chalk + Ward Marketing have been providing insightful and challenging thinking to firms, delivering vision, purpose, business strategy, risk management and ultimately performance through creative consulting.

In doing so, we’ve recognised that many firms are bogged down with day-to-day logistics and operational issues of simply getting product or service to market on time, or simply struggling to manage growth. They are missing out on the opportunities to improve performance, grow or see the threats on the horizon. They were rarely, if at all, sitting down and thinking about their futures and even risking the long–term sustainability of their businesses.

So Chalk + Ward Consultancy was set up as part of the Chalk + Ward Group, to provide the solution adding true management consultancy skills in terms of operational transformation, logistics, organisational development and innovation. Creative Management Consultants – the perfect blend of strategic thinkers, creative ideas-led minds and management consultative disciplines under one roof.

Our Consultants

Robert Chalk

Robert Chalk

Strategic Consultant

Lisa Prescott

Strategic Consultant

Gemma Boss

Vision and Brand Consultant

Peter Brennan

Performance and Logistics Consultant

James Hayward

Strategic and Brand Consultant

Nick Sprague Profile Picture

Nick Sprague

Board Performance Consultant

Robert Chalk

Strategic Consultant

Robert founded Chalk + Ward in 1998. A visionary thinker, he’s someone who looks at problems and find opportunities, not only solutions. Having challenged and consulted at CEO level for many years, his insight and ability to help clients create clear visions and strategies has been invaluable. He tells it straight and encourages clarity of future direction, then advises how to make things happen.

He has pioneered the drive to encourage clients to appreciate bravery within their business thinking, to increase their brand value and appreciate the importance of ‘Purpose’. 

He also conceived the idea of C+W Management Consultancy. Observing that the large London firms were acquiring creative and strategic agencies to bolster their offering, it was his vision that challenged and reversed this norm. He recognised the opportunity to lead with business vision and bring in highly skilled experts to cover off implementational problem-solving. 

Having been trained in strategic marketing at Ogilvy & Mather, he progressed to becoming MD of Saatchi & Saatchi’s regional network. It is his genuine nature and passion to make a difference to clients’ businesses, that has driven the ethos of the company. 

Lisa Prescott

Strategic Consultant

During Lisa’s 15+ years with Chalk + Ward, she’s advised companies from SMEs to large corporates, on business vision, strategy and customer value maximisation. Consulting and challenging very much at CEO level, her expertise is focused on identifying opportunities, be it growth from existing customers (CRM / membership / engagement / markets) or identifying new avenues for exploration.

Lisa has an excellent strategic mind, with an eye for innovation and a talent for identifying commercial opportunities, her approach encourages clients to think outside the box and to pull out of the operational every day. She’s not a sit-on-the-fence person, a trait that’s highly valued by all.

She is experienced in a variety of sectors with a real passion, knowledge, and specialism for all things retail.

Gemma Boss

Brand & Strategic Consultant

A brand and strategy specialist for over 17 years, Gemma has consulted and challenged clients such as Electrolux, P&G, Dartington Crystal, Tri-Wall Europe, Alcatel-Lucent, Nexus Open Systems, and the Marine Biological Association on their visionary thinking and brand and marketing strategy. She has a unique way of helping companies see clarity through the perceived confusion and is passionate about helping a business define their brand.


From her time at Leo Burnett London and running her own brand consultancy before joining Chalk + Ward in 2012, Gemma has vast experience working with all size of business in both the B2C and B2B markets. She devised the Chalk + Ward proprietary Core Values approach – a brand positioning process which has seen us help and guide clients towards determining exactly what is at the heart of their business and understanding how these values should guide their decision making across every aspect of what they do.


Her clarity of vision and ability to see the bigger strategic picture and drive what’s best and right for clients, even if it’s against the odds, is what brings success.

Peter Brennan

Performance and Logistics Consultant

Peter brings a wealth of entrepreneurial and practical experience in improving SME manufacturing, supply & distribution and capital equipment businesses. He has significant business development and strategy execution experience together with management of complex B2B distributor networks, improving salesforce effectiveness, transforming operational productivity, leading portfolio strategy planning and determining international market entry plans.

Peter has been involved in M&A negotiations, including synergy assessment, due diligence preparation and post-merger integration and has led a number of transformations and cost reduction programmes. He thrives on aligning vision and strategy with “day to day” tactical plans to secure and support profitable growth.

Peter was previously Group MD of Vapormatic for 16 years a global £50m aftermarket subsidiary of John Deere ($34b) and a member of the WW Leadership group. He is a Mechanical and Production Engineer, with Commercial Law experience and an MBA from the University of Exeter.

James Hayward

Strategic and Brand Consultant

James is strategist and creative project leader who partners with CEO’s & entrepreneurs to help develop brand-led thinking which improves decision making, increases meaningful customer connections & enhances employee engagement. 

He has 10 years consultancy experience with Intercontinental Hotel Group, Ennismore, London Olympics, Lucozade Sport & Savills plus variety of lifestyle & luxury consumer brands. Prior to this James served as an army officer, gaining practical insights into leadership, building teams, risk and crisis management.

Nick Sprague

Board Performance Consultant

Nick is an enthusiastic entrepreneur with excellent people skills, vision and a keen eye for spotting opportunity. Happy to have courageous conversations with senior people and get to the nub of boardroom issues early to enable a joined up, future proof plan.

Having started Cobell Ltd. in 1999 and grown it to become a big player in the juice trading market, he and his Partners sold the business to Symrise PLC, a global flavour house with revenues exceeding 3 Billion Euros. Nick remains part time with the business heading up their business development department. He also runs Sprague Finance – one of the region’s most successful corporate debt recovery companies, is an active investor and Chair of a hi-tech medical device business and has interests in many start-ups.

Nick’s experience enables his clients to tap into his specialisms which include negotiating multi-million pound deals, corporate debt mediation and people orientated leadership skills.

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