Paul Mackman

I am a co-founder and the Managing Director of the Mackman Group, incorporating Mackman Research and Mackman, the full service marketing agency.

My grandfather set up and ran a successful South London agency, which was an important early influence that drew me into the world of all things marketing. I have broad commercial and marketing experience across sectors, including retail, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, education and professional services.

I am a Chartered Marketer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). I am a member of the CIM, Eastern Region Board and current Vice-Chair. Through my association with the CIM I contribute to national decisions about the future of marketing.

I have actively supported The Bridge Project since 2006, a leading Suffolk social enterprise that supports adults with learning disabilities. As Chair of the Board of Trustees for The Bridge, I have upheld Mackman’s ethos of ‘Together we Grow’. I continue to champion other local charities and enterprises in Sudbury with their strategic objectives and marketing.

What does your typical day look like at Mackman?

There isn't a typical day, and that is what I like so much about my job.

What is your favourite part about working for Mackman?

I relish the wonderful diversity of people and brands that we actively support and the sometimes-spontaneous nature of agency work. Because we are not sector specific you never know what type of project is around the corner. We get to uncover the fascinating stories that sit behind the brands that we nurture. I'm lucky to have the pleasure of working with incredible, energising, creative and positive people. It's the "can do" approach that drives us to embrace challenges and grow collectively as a result.

What has been an inspirational motto or quote for your in your career?

There are many quotes on a similar theme about continually moving forward that are close to my heart. From Martin Luther King Jr’s "If you can't fly, then run, if you can't run, then walk, if you can't walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward,” to Walt Disney’s "We don't look backwards for very long, we keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Even Cornelius in the film ‘Meet the Robinsons’ and singer songwriter Nick Cave have something similar to say on the topic.

What sort of activities do you enjoy in your free time?

I like finding new things and challenging myself to get moderately good at them, enjoying the whole experience of research, immersion, and learning practical skills. Examples would be sailing, playing the double bass, and my latest - motorcycling.

What is the best lesson that you’ve learnt from marketing?

The power that marketing has as a force for good, positively transforming the lives of people and organisations. When marketing is used in its broadest sense as a business discipline (not just the ‘colouring in’ department), incredibly positive results can be achieved. We see this on a social level with marketing playing a significant role in contributing and driving the behaviour changes required to address climate change.