About

Martyn Drake is the founder of Binley Drake Consulting, the boutique management consultancy he set up in 2009.

About Martyn

Martyn’s “formal” career was mainly spent in large, blue-chip companies, in global retail and the hospitality industry, for both public and private equity owned business groups.

Over twenty years, his roles spanned strategy development, programme and change management, product development, marketing and sales, procurement and leading on high-stakes negotiations.

In 2009, he formed his own consultancy and worked with a wide variety of corporate sector clients, from global names like Weight Watchers and Walgreens Boots Alliance, to family and entrepreneurial businesses, like Joules and King of Shaves.

From 2013 Martyn became increasingly drawn to work with mission-led organisations and particularly major charities. Since then, his non-profit engagements have expanded to form the majority of his work.

His non-profit work has spanned health, youth, social care, disability, education, environment, animal welfare and more, for clients ranging from local, national and global charities, to foundations and social enterprises, infrastructure bodies, associations and national coalitions.

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Testimonials.

“Martyn is the best strategy consultant I have worked with. He goes far beyond facilitating strategy; he challenges, guides and informs the team of other options that we may have never experienced.” 

Our Team 👋🏻

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Thought Leadership

Over recent years, Martyn has become a trusted advisor to many of the for-purpose sector’s leading CEOs and leadership teams. He is widely recognised as one of the sector’s leading experts on strategy, commerce and leadership. He writes regular columns for the sector press and hosts a wide range of free public seminars, CEO discussion groups and roundtables, on the most pressing topics of the day. He frequently guest-lectures on social enterprise, and his first book, The Commercial Charity, was published by Kogan Page in April 2020.

Track Record

Hear what our incredible customers have to say!

“The impact for Sense has been massive. Martyn has helped us to change what we believe is possible, and to really push our aspirations and our belief in the difference we can make for the people that we support.” “If you’re looking to understand how you can increase the impact and the reach of your organisation, and how you can bring your people together to unite behind that, you should reach out to Martyn”

Chris Jarrett
Group Engagement Director, Sense and Sense International

“Martyn took us on a journey to develop a strategy that we are now all confident in and compelled by, and we all feel like we own. The Board accepted the recommendations more quickly and more fully than we could have possibly imagined, and said that this was the best, most cohesive, and well thought-through strategy they had seen.” “I would absolutely recommend Martyn and be very happy to work with him again.”

Irene Sobowale
CEO, Disabilities Trust Group

“We were able to successfully identify commercial concepts and develop them into propositions, but more than that, we were able to take a group of leaders into an exploratory space that has broadened their thinking in the way they are now designing services.” “Martyn has enabled us to think differently about the changes we will require to sustain our services in the long run. This has been a very powerful and enabling process, that is now setting the framework for the future of our charity”

Nicky Shaw
Operations Director, Blind Veterans UK

“The impact Martyn had, was to get the whole team to understand and recognise the key challenges that we face, and how we should all work together differently to tackle them” “Any organisation that recognises it’s got a need to change, to be more sustainable and fit for the future, and has people who are prepared to be challenged and open minded, will have a really successful working relationship with Martyn. And he’s good fun!”

Mark Lever
CEO, National Autistic Society

“Martyn is the best strategy consultant I have worked with. He goes far beyond facilitating strategy; he challenges, guides and informs the team of other options that we may have never experienced.”

Becky Bristow
Director, Dogs Trust Ireland

“Having Martyn help us develop our selling skills was an amazing investment. It’s already paid for itself 5x over in just 10 weeks.”

Sharron McIndoe
Head of Training and Consulting, National Autistic Society

“The impact Martyn has had, is that we now have a very clear plan of what we need to do, we feel much more confident in the commercial space, we have secured some contracts, we have been earning some income, and I’m really excited about the potential, which is credit to Martyn.”

Henny Braund
CEO, Anthony Nolan

“What really impressed me about Martyn was he had such a deep knowledge of our sector but he also brought real commercial understanding. We’ve seen a financial uplift in a very short space of time, which is incredibly gratifying. We will definitely be engaging Martyn again.”

Madeleine Starr
Business Development Director, Carers UK

“I’d like to extend a huge thank you to Martyn who has supported me in leading this process, and using his excellent facilitation skills, has helped engage so many staff and trustees in the strategic discussion; he has also given me support in preparation for meetings and summarising discussions, which has been an enormous help. Martyn challenged my thinking, he’s confident and hugely experienced and I’ve enjoyed enormously working with him.”

Petra Ingram
CEO, The Brooke

“I cannot believe the progress we’ve made in the last 6 months. Working with you has given me a structure and methodology around which to make confident decisions. It has been brilliant to have a robustly critical friend who isn’t afraid to say when they are not convinced, it has pushed me to do better and to adapt and change when things aren’t working. Your support has put us in a strong position to make thousands of families lives measurably better. Thankyou.”

Elizabeth Archer
Project Director, SENDirect

“I am so grateful for you instigating this learning set, for your wisdom and insights. Thanks for playing such an important role at such a challenging time for all of us”

Matt Hyde
CEO, The Scouts

“Your ability to get us organised; find the right topic for the right moment; provide pithy and thought-provoking input and get us talking has been invaluable”

James Blake
CEO, YHA England & Wales

“Martyn has this ability to unpick things, to hold up a mirror, and to move people on as well as the decisions. We ended up with a piece of work that was really thoughtful, really useful and really energising for people. We couldn’t have done that in a really short timescale without Martyn’s support.”

Oonagh Smyth
CEO, Skills for Care

“We’ve been through a robust process to explore what’s actually possible… it’s ambitious but I feel confident it’s achievable. When it becomes difficult, Martyn is very supportive, but he keeps you on track. I recognise he is the expert.”

Nic Alderson
Operations and Patient Services Director, Anthony Nolan

“Martyn, in three hours we moved light-years forward. Great model and great thinking”

Jan Tregelles
CEO, Royal Mencap Society

“Martyn, great to work with you, and thanks for all your help and guidance”

Gill Morbey
CEO Sense

“Martyn is a very perceptive and a clear thinker. He was able to develop real rapport with people in the organisation so that he got under the skin very quickly. His insight was first rate, and the work he did for us was of the highest order. I would have no hesitation in working with Martyn again or recommending his work.”

Steve Wragg
Chairman, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

“Martyn, thanks for all your help this year. You challenged us and supported us in just the right measure. You shone a spotlight on some important truths and helped us bust some obstructive myths. You made a hell of a difference”

Alistair Graham
Director of Fundraising and Marketing, National Autistic Society

“Martyn has helped us recognise that we can stay true to our values and generate money. There is a place and time when you do need someone from outside the organisation to help you change direction. We knew where we wanted to get to, we thought we knew how to get there, but now I see we didn’t. We do now.”

Sharon Allen
CEO, Skills for Care

“Martyn is not only a wise professional … but also a great teacher. He led our team towards clear objectives, through appropriate activity and with great pace and challenge. He opened our eyes to the bigger picture, so that we would be able to reach better decisions. His ability to simplify and to get to the nub of it was thoroughly impressive.”

Gill Dixon
Head Teacher, Trent College

People Who Love Our Place

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