Who we are
Independent, owner-managed, and based in Gloucestershire
We’ve been doing what we do since 1991. We have called Gloucestershire home for 35 years and we are still really happy to be here.
Away from the noise of the big agency networks, we have built something quieter and more durable: a team of experienced people who genuinely care about the work, and a roster of clients who keep coming back because of it.
Four values
We do what we say we will do, every time.
We know this industry intimately and we never stop learning more about it.
We are as invested in your success as you are.
We bring creative ambition to everything — not for its own sake, but because ordinary was never good enough.
The people behind the work
Meet our team
These are the people you’ll speak to. The larger team that sits behind this includes our creative, AV, and production teams.
A physiology background means Tom can sit with a client’s medical team, get to grips with a complex mechanism of action, and turn it into communications that land. Nearly two decades here, first as Director and now as MD — and he still thinks the best version of Dark Horse is ahead of us.
Susan is also a Managing Partner at Dark Horse and has led our aesthetics client team for many years, whilst helping shape and grow the business. Combining extensive industry experience with a creative background, she has a sharp eye for making the work look as good as it performs.
Managing Partner, and a coder at heart — he has built some of the software we use in-house. He advises on everything digital, supports the development team, and looks after client accounts and the business at the same time.
Jon is a creative who gets his biggest buzz from bringing things to life. He heads up the studio, holding the quality and the creative ambition high while staying inside the brief and the brand books we work within.
James has many years of experience in healthcare communications, managing teams and clients of every size. He knows his stuff, and clients lean on his advice to push their brands and activities forward.
A background in digital media makes Sarwar invaluable to omnichannel strategy. He makes sure a campaign is optimised in the channels it uses and the way it is built, so the work lands with the right customers in the right way.
Alicia originally qualified as a vet before turning her talents to copywriting. She is also an exceptional multitasker and formidably organised, which is why she now manages several accounts.
Rachael has been a dark horse for well over a decade, driving impactful campaigns and projects for our aesthetics clients. Calm, organised and reassuring — the kind of hands that keep work on brief, on time and on budget.
A rare combination of organised and creative, Lauren has a knack for genuinely understanding a brief and then delivering against it. She started her career in the studio and is now a full member of the account handling team — and in high demand.
Alan started out as an artworker, and his eye for detail is second to none — he can spot a rogue comma or a colour profile mismatch at a hundred metres. As Production Manager he sets the standard, making sure every piece of client work is produced impeccably.
Dave has been the lynchpin of the Agency since it began, steering the business through decades of change and building something that punches well above its weight — an agency clients have come to trust completely. Still a constant presence, his knowledge and experience remain invaluable, and he continues to support teams right across the business.
Some of our client relationships have lasted over a decade. In some cases we have worked on brands and products longer than the in-house marketing teams themselves.
Over the years we have had the privilege of working with some of the most respected names in the industry — including AbbVie, Allergan, Abbott, Baxter and Daiichi Sankyo — across a wide range of therapy areas.
That is not something we take lightly. It is something we work hard to deserve, every day.