Henry Ford said it best: “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
Now swap “Ford” for “Element” and you’ve got our relationship in a nutshell.
We’ve been very lucky to have had a front-row seat to their success over the last 15 years, building a partnership that’s anything but transactional.
Scaling success
From Wednesbury to Maryland, Singapore to Cincinnati, Element has grown exponentially in only a matter of years, becoming one of the leading global players in TIC (Testing, Inspection, and Certification), employing over 10,000 incredible people across 200 locations.
And we’ve been fortunate enough to witness this incredible growth and success over the years – supporting everything from rebranding laboratories worldwide to organising leadership events, uniting teams, defining their values and showcasing their remarkable achievements. Most recently, refreshing the Element visual identity to reflect the business it is today.
Meaningful memories
Working with Element is a little bit science and a whole lot of heart. I’ve seen snowball-and-chicken impact testers in action in Florida (true story!), stood in radio frequency chambers in Maryland, risen 30 feet in the air on a forklift in Wednesbury to get full-scale location shots, but the one thing that always stays with me is the people. In any sector, in any location, in any department – I have never met one Element person who doesn’t genuinely love what they do. And that is truly special to witness and work with.
And while Element was on its growth journey, so was I—marriage, house moves, two kids. Element has been the constant through all of those big ‘life moments’.
A personal peak
In 2019, we were asked to create a This is Your Life style tribute book, celebrating the remarkable leadership of then CEO Charles Noall, whose vision and dedication played a pivotal role in the company’s growth and success. It was a true work of craftsmanship. More than just a collection of heartfelt stories and cherished photographs shared by colleagues over the years, every element of the book was lovingly made by hand, from the carefully cut cloth to the delicate hand-stitched binding, to the precisely placed foil lettering, every detail reflected the care and intention behind the tribute. The care didn’t stop at its creation – I hand-delivered the book, 8 months pregnant, with it carefully packed in a suitcase as I travelled by train to London to present it myself. I didn’t quite trust a courier with something so precious! For me, this is one of my personal highlights from over the years, for sure.
Big Projects, Bigger Impact
Element has trusted us to support them in their most significant business moments. It all started back in 2011, when we introduced and deployed their internal communications program ‘One Element’—a global initiative that has become entrenched in their business and is still going strong today.
Then came the One Alliance brand harmonisation programme (2018–19), following Element’s acquisition of Exova – one of the largest transactions ever seen in the global TIC sector.
Imagine 8,500 employees, serving tens of thousands of customers, coming together in 270 worldwide locations. Almost two years of carefully controlled brand, colleague, and customer communications followed, in what became the largest project we’ve ever undertaken as a business.
Safe to say, it was a massive team effort, and we were right there in the thick of it every step of the way. (Shoutout to our very own Andy Whitmore who was seconded to the client’s steering committee).
A truly remarkable achievement by all.
Beyond the boardroom
Over the years, we’ve shared some great business moments, but it’s the friendships beyond the meetings and milestones that have made this partnership truly special—real friendships, not just good contacts. From Charles, Rob, Andrew, Michelle, and Dom to the amazing current Element team at 438 – guided by myself – we’re honoured to still play a part of their journey.
It’s been a remarkable ride with Element so far, and I have no hesitation that we still have so many more great things to witness—more new markets, more capabilities, more amazingly talented experts—all of which I’m excited to see and (hopefully!) continue to be a part of.
Here’s to the next 10 years!