Pete Sayburn

Pete Sayburn is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and designer. He is the CEO and co-founder of StudioSpace, a global marketplace for senior marketers looking to hire agencies. He is also an author, having co-written ‘Defying Gravity: Adventures of a Corporate Entrepreneur’, published in 2010.

An MBA in Entrepreneurship from the University of Florida, Pete now oversees StudioSpace, a global marketplace of hand-picked, founder-led and award-winning agencies. StudioSpace's clients include major brands such as Aviva, Jaguar Land Rover and Gala Games. Founded in 2022, it now has 200+ independent agencies spread across 12 countries and 36 cities.

Some agencies working with StudioSpace include Rankin Creative, a creative agency founded by celebrity photographer Rankin. Rankin Creative has created eye-catching marketing and brand campaigns for companies including Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, LEGO, Samsonite, EY, Mercedes-AMG, Unilever and the NHS.

Pete’s previous endeavours include Market Gravity, an innovation business, which he founded in 2009. In 2017, Market Gravity was sold to Deloitte and he joined Deloitte himself. During his tenure at Deloitte, Pete served as the Global Customer Strategy & Applied Design lead at Deloitte Digital. He played a crucial role in driving innovation and helping organisations design and prototype new propositions and services.

Besides his professional career, Pete has co-authored ‘Defying Gravity: Adventures of a Corporate Entrepreneur’ that was published in 2010. The book offers solutions to real business problems that keep managers awake at night, including; what to do when a key member of your team walks out??Or when there's a hiring freeze??How to convince the board to invest without setting unachievable targets? 
 

Pete Sayburn’s career journey began at Cambridge Technology Partners, where he was a founding member of the Digital Business Strategy team. During his time there, Pete launched several successful internet-based ventures and worked with renowned corporate clients such as HBOS, BT, Thales, London Stock Exchange, and United Utilities.

In 2001, Pete joined Edengene as a Partner, where he played a pivotal role in delivering large-scale growth strategy, innovation, and new venture creation programs. His expertise and contributions were instrumental in working with prestigious companies like Lloyds Banking Group, Standard Life, BT, Santander, and nPower.

Following his success at Edengene, Pete joined Market Gravity in 2009 as CEO. At Market Gravity, he championed entrepreneurship in big companies and helped them innovate through Proposition Design. By combining consumer insight, commercial rigour, and creative design skills, Pete empowered clients to transform their big ideas into marketable propositions. Market Gravity's impactful work caught the attention of Deloitte, leading to their acquisition of the company in 2017.

During his tenure at Deloitte, Pete served as the Global Customer Strategy & Applied Design lead at Deloitte Digital. He played a crucial role in driving innovation and helping organisations design and prototype new propositions and services. Pete's contributions and expertise further expanded as he became the CFO at SGT Markets, where he spearheaded the launch of SGT Africa, offering online trading services with dedicated local offices and expertise.

With his extensive experience and passion for driving growth and innovation, Pete Sayburn continues to make significant contributions as the CEO of StudioSpace. His vision of breaking down barriers and providing a platform for creative, digital, and marketing services has revolutionised the way corporates access top talent and agencies. Through StudioSpace, Pete aims to empower businesses with a streamlined and efficient process for their creative and marketing needs.

Pete Sayburn holds a Bachelor's degree in Engineering and Business Management from the University of Surrey and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the University of Florida. His diverse educational background and hands-on experience have shaped his strategic mindset and entrepreneurial spirit, enabling him to lead organisations towards success in an ever-evolving business landscape.

Pete Sayburn's vision is to break down barriers and revolutionise the way corporates access top talent and agencies in the creative, digital, and marketing services industry. As the CEO of StudioSpace, he aims to empower businesses with a streamlined and efficient process for their creative and marketing needs. Through StudioSpace, Pete envisions a world where companies can easily connect and collaborate with expert agencies, fostering a culture of innovation and creativity.

His extensive experience in driving growth and innovation, along with his passion for entrepreneurship, drives him to create a marketplace that champions entrepreneurship in big companies and helps them innovate through Proposition Design. By combining consumer insight, commercial rigour, and creative design skills, Pete aims to enable clients to transform their big ideas into marketable propositions.

With a focus on providing an environment that fosters creativity, innovation, and collaboration, Pete's vision is to inspire businesses to think outside the box and embrace new possibilities. His goal is to make the process of accessing specialised digital and marketing services easier and more accessible, ensuring that companies of all sizes can thrive and succeed in an ever-evolving digital world.