Fuel - it’s not just a name
Let’s get straight to the point, we are not here just to make things look pretty or pat ourselves on the back for our creativity. We’re in business to work with you and make your marketing budget work harder. How? By giving you a truly integrated team with tonnes of experience in marketing, PR, brand strategy, graphic design, web development, online marketing and print management - all focused on adding value to your business. So Fuel is not just another fancy name for another fancy agency. We are here, purely and simply, to help fuel growth for your business.
- Jan 2008 - The Fuel idea was born when Dave Smith, Martyn King & Steve Gyseman decide to merge Fresh Design & Marketing with Complete Profile.
- April 2008 - Fuel starts up based at The Formation Zone - the University of Plymouth’s hub for creative talent.
- March 2009 - Shortlisted for ‘Best Branding Project’ at the 2009 Media Innovation Awards.
- April 2009 - Fuel ends its first year double the size in staff numbers and listing HSBC Commercial and National Marine Aquarium amongst its clients.
- November 2009 - Nominated for ‘Best New Business’ award at the University of Plymouth’s Vice Chancellor’s Awards 2009.
- February 2010 - Nominated for ‘Best New Business’ at the 2010 Media Innovation Awards.
- March 2010 - Ben Masters and Nikos Lemanis join Fuel to spearhead our web development and online marketing growth.
- April 2010 - Fuel completes 2nd year with 30% turnover growth and a host of new clients including Plymouth Pavilions and Foot Anstey.
- March 2011 – Announce a permanent move of Fuel HQ to Crownhill Fort in Plymouth.
- April 2011 – Fuel completes 3rd year with 25% turnover growth and new clients including St Mellion International Resort and the Hackworthy Group.
- June 2011 - Nominated for ‘Best Corporate Web Use’ at the 2011 Media Innovation Awards
- November 2011 - David Munn appointed as full time Operations Director
Our community gives us plenty of support – great clients, talented staff, excellent business contacts and a fantastic place to do business. So we love playing our part in giving back. Since we started up in 2008 we have rolled up our sleeves and got involved in a number ways including:
- Raised valuable funds for local charity Jeremiah’s Journey at our ‘April Fuel Day’ launch event
- Supported St Luke’s Hospice with pro bono work on a number of their key fundraising initiatives such as the Midnight Walk
- Devoted days of time to ‘Plymouth Professional Partners’ and helped raise well over £20,000 for numerous local charities
- Taken our looks back to the 70’s by growing moustaches for Movember in support of prostate cancer charity The Chestnut Appeal
- Worked closely with the University of Plymouth’s design and business students on mentoring and work experience initiatives
- Provided free advice to the next generation of entrepreneurs at the Formation Zone, Formation Zone 2.0 and Pool Innovation Centre
- Performed mentoring roles on excellent educational initiatives such as Young Enterprise for year 11 and 12 students
- Taken in year 10 students from local schools on work experience placements
- Helped two PR graduates secure full-time careers after throwing open our doors and offering them a real insight into life at a leading integrated agency
- Collaborated with local digital professionals on exciting community projects
- Built heavily discounted websites and social media platforms for local charities
- A lead organiser and headline sponsor of DigPen - the annual Digital Peninsula Conference bringing together the South West's development community
- On the specialist judging panel for Plymouth University's Business Ideas Challenge 2012
We look forward to continuing our very active role in our community.
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Lucy Such
HR & Finance
Lucy is our Finance Manager and plays an integral role in the success of our company. She is our principal contact for all finance related matters and is here to make sure that everything is running smoothly behind the scenes. She has been a key part of Fuel from day one and previously managed the accounts for Complete Profile before it was merged to form a part of Fuel in 2008.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? My husband!
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Jennifer Aniston
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? to Fly, petrol is far to expensive these days!
David Munn
Operations Director
David went into financial services at the age of 19 and after nearly a decade of top sales achievements he decided to venture out on his own and opened up The Mortgage Shop in Yeovil. This started a journey that led to a further 7 offices being opened during the next 10 years ranging from Bristol to Plymouth. When the credit crunch started to hit in 2008, he began his exit from the world of mortgages into the glamorous world of marketing with Fuel! His knowledge and experience of the business world has since helped Fuel to grow and stay ahead of the competition.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? Hugh Hefner - no further explanation required!
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Kelsey Grammer, better...
Dave Smith
Graphic Designer
Dave has enjoyed a flourishing career within the design industry. Before forming Fuel as Creative Director he started up Fresh Design & Marketing in 2006 and went on to build an impressive client list - all attracted by his experience with a host of top design agencies in London and the Westcountry working with many national and international blue-chip businesses. This experience has meant that our client list gets some of the very best design solutions from Dave and the design team.
Using this knowledge Dave works closely with clients to understand their brands and develop messages to the full, while ensuring creative and effective design solutions.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?
If you could...
Steve Gyseman
Marketing & PR
Steve has huge knowledge of the local media industry after spending over 15 years with the region’s two major players - Northcliffe Newspapers and GCap Media. During that time he worked with some of the region’s biggest organisations executing successful advertising and sponsorship campaigns. He joined Complete Profile in 2008 and became a founding Director of Fuel a few months later. Steve advises our clients on a wide number of marketing issues ensuring that their budgets are spent in the optimum way to meet their business needs.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? Keith Richards
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Vince Vaughan
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? X-ray vision
Nikos Lemanis
Online Marketing
Nikos has a wealth of experience in meeting clients’ online needs. After three years of running his own web agency, he joined Fuel in March 2010 to jointly manage our range of digital services. With a background in psychology and statistics in addition to online marketing, his focus is on developing digital strategies and helping clients to build communities through social channels.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? Charlie Sheen - a week would be enough, but what a week!
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Robert De Niro or John Cusack - they could fight it out for this career-defining role.
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? The ability to read minds and fly.
Ben Masters
Web Developer, Project Manager
Ben’s background is in Software development. He started off as a programmer of commercial EPOS software, moving up to eventually run his own IT & Web Development agency in 2007. Whilst working in a tech support environment, Ben found his speciality in manipulating & utilising online applications. After three years of running his own company, he joined Fuel in 2010 to co-manage our range of web services. Ben’s specialties are content management systems and project management. His skillset includes OO PHP, CSS 2, MYSQL 5, and jQuery.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? Good Question Sire
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Matthew McConaughey, of course...
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? Ability to Fly...
Kelly Day
Print Buying
Kelly has over 17 years of experience within the media and print industries. In addition to co-ordinating client activity as an account manager, she uses her vast knowledge of the print, signage and materials market to procure and manage fulfillment on behalf of Fuel clients.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? Angelina Jolie
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Jennifer lopez
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? Invisible and fly!
Simon Richards
Web Developer
Simon graduated in 2010 with a BSc (Hons) Multimedia Computing degree from the University of Plymouth after previously obtaining an FdSc Web Technology degree at Truro College.
Simon joined Fuel Communications in September 2011 to help assist and expand web development within the business. Simon’s skillset includes a variety of content management systems, HTML/CSS, PHP and MySQL.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Kevin Spacey
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? The ability to teleport and read minds.
Martyn King
Director - Marketing & PR
A CIM qualified marketer, Martyn gained a wealth of experience heading up marketing teams for law firms Bond Pearce and Ashfords. With his knowledge and “in-house” experience, Martyn works alongside the marketing departments of larger clients and performs the role of trusted adviser to smaller companies on marketing, PR and business development issues.
Client feedback: “With Martyn you will get great enthusiasm and total commitment… Natural talent and ability - I will be using his services on a great many more occasions… I have total confidence in his ability to deliver results…Supportive and flexible, works very well with our internal team.”
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? President Jed Bartlet from The West Wing.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Bradley Cooper...
Stacey Harris
Account Executive
Stacey graduated in 2008 with a BA (Honours) Business Administration Degree, and a previously achieved FD Marketing Degree from The University of Plymouth.
Stacey joined Fuel in February 2011 as a volunteer to broaden her previously achieved in-house marketing experience, gained from an internship and temporary positions. She was given the challenge of making herself indispensable, and quickly met it with her strong organisational skills to become Fuel’s new Account Executive.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? Marilyn Monroe
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Emma Watson
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? Telekinesis
Amy Stock
Graphic Designer
Amy qualified in 2004 with an Honours Degree in Advertising, and went on to work with a host of top design agencies in the South West. She has worked on a wide range of projects, from prominent lifestyle and music publications to the accounts of large blue-chip companies. Amy became a full time employee at Fuel in Autumn 2010 after impressing us with her freelance work, and adds valuable extra depth to our design team.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? My cat. He is a person.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Audrey Tautou
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? To be able to see the into future.
Debbie Uncles
Media Executive
Deborah has enjoyed an extensive career selling media space to local advertisers - both in the press and outdoor media. After a hugely successful number of years with Northcliffe Newspapers she decided to take some time out and go travelling. On her return Deborah started up her own outdoor media company. Her sales experience also extends to property in both the Middle East and Europe. Having now returned to Plymouth, Deborah joined Fuel in this new role.
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? Queen Elizabeth or Marilyn Munroe
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you? Kate Winslet
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? Hind sight