Who we are

Who we are

Innovation Kinetics is an agile, independent innovation consultancy that helps brands spark new growth through insight-led ideas. We work with commercial organisations and charities to shape and deliver innovation strategies as well as new products and services.

At Innovation Kinetics, we like to:

  • Get results by bringing clarity and focus to complex problems
  • Bring fresh thinking through curiosity and not being afraid to challenge
  • Collaborate because we believe the best creative work is sparked by diverse, talented people working together

Just as great brands truly connect with consumers, great innovations make a difference in people’s lives. We help clients imagine what is possible and then work with them to turn those ideas into viable solutions.  We start with consumer insights so our ideas are always relevant. Then we make imaginative leaps, often bridging innovation from one field of work to another, to create powerful concepts.

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Mary Ward

Innovation Kinetics is led by Mary Ward, a creative and strategic innovation specialist with a wealth of experience in brands. She has led multi-disciplinary innovation programmes around the world with brands such as GSK, Birds Eye, Cancer Research UK, Thomson Travel, Fox’s Biscuits, Dulux and Givaudan. Mary works with global brand teams as well as small and growing organisations.

People enjoy working with Mary because she brings curiosity and creativity to all projects. She combines big picture strategic thinking with attention to detail, so the ideas are not just exciting but also viable and have commercial rigour.

Mary’s approach is grounded in real-world commercial experience. As Innovation Director at AkzoNobel, the world’s leading paint company, she led innovation programmes from the early stages of idea creation through to implementation. Mary launched new products that became multi-million pound global successes. Innovation is also a creative art and, as Creative Director at Dulux UK, she learned the power of telling inspiring stories by combining trends with colour and design.

Innovation brings together Mary’s marketing experience and love of brands with her early career in R&D. Her first role following her degree and post-graduate qualifications in science involved genuine blue sky thinking: researching novel technologies for the aerospace industry.

An important asset for projects, Mary is a trained facilitator and coach. She has recently been providing tutoring to the London Business School executive programmes. She keeps up with innovation best practice by attending and even hosting conferences, by running an informal network of senior innovation leaders and by reading voraciously.

Our Associates

Innovation Kinetics has an agile network of associates so that bespoke teams can be created to adapt to the scale and complexity of client projects. This network brings together a range of expertise and sector experience from the world of charity, not-for-profit, retail, technology, food and beverage, health and personal care and the public sector.

Our associates are all highly creative people. They are experienced in brands, consumer insight, innovation strategy, idea and concept creation and new product development. As strategic thinkers, they uncover insights and links between different worlds. As creative thinkers, they develop brand and innovation ideas, then bring them to life through executional design and copywriting.

  • Kirsty Boyce – Qualitative researcher with 20 years experience across sectors such as consumer goods, education, health care and retail. Certified member of Market Research Society, CMRS, with expertise in qualitative methodologies: depth interviews, group discussions, workshops, ethnography, mobile research, in-store research and online forums. Specialist in brand strategy, communications, exploratory market studies, new product development and packaging.
  • Abigail Bray – Qualitative insight specialist with strategic marketing skills. Moderates groups on everything from radio and ready meals to rainforests. Expertise includes brand positioning, portfolio strategy development and communication strategy. Held senior insight roles at ICI Paints, Bristol-Myers Squibb pharmaceuticals, The Henley Centre and Research International.
  • Nina Cooper – Brand strategist with expertise in competitor and trend analysis, creative research moderation, concept writing and workshop facilitation. Sector experience in food, drink, personal care, not for profit and retail helping deliver strategic direction and opening up opportunities for clients such as  Carlsberg, Orangina Schweppes, National Trust, Sainsbury’s, Unilever and Nescafé.
  • Matt Day – Brand and marketing strategist with over 20 years of commercial experience working for major consumer goods companies in a variety of categories including food, beverage, household products, as well as services.  Skilled facilitator specialising in marketing strategy, planning and capability.  Matt has an aptitude for helping clients distil complexity into coherent strategy that can be brilliantly delivered.
  • Katherine Evans – Marketing expert with strong commercial flair and in-depth experience launching products and services. Facilitates innovation programmes using experience across several consumer sectors and passion for new product development.
  • Alison Ive – Consultant and coach with unusual breadth of experience across fundraising, campaigning and communications.  Combines an insider knowledge of charity marketing and fundraising disciplines with collaborative facilitation skills – encourages teams to solve problems and deliver results.  Has worked for many of the UK’s leading charities and organisations with social purpose.
  • John Tasker – Specialist in creating new fundraising campaigns and strategies for some of the UK’s largest charities and businesses. He has worked on five of the UK’s 20 biggest fundraising events and as Head of Events and Product Development for Cancer Research UK, he developed two events that still deliver over £4m each year.
  • Sarah Galbraith – Strategic marketing consultant supporting technology-intensive companies. Specialises in bringing marketing and commercial understanding to technical environments. Expertise in sectors including energy, engineering, chemical, biotechnology and in early-stage developments of technology-intensive products.
  • Jane Steel – Highly effective creative thinker specialising in branding, innovation and design. With over 15 years experience in creative strategy, concept development and creative execution for global clients across many sectors. Bringing expertise from leading brand and design agencies including Design Bridge, Dragon Rouge and Webb de Vlam.
  • Caroline Holmqvist – Creative graphic designer specialising in branding and design for print and digital. Experience in private and public sectors from small start-ups to global companies like PwC. Designs visual identity systems and communications material from brochures and newsletters to websites. Expertise in using design creatively to bring ideas and communications to life.
  • Carole Beck – Experienced content editor, copywriter and journalist. Originally trained as a print journalist. Content manager for Tesco Baby Club, writes for Tesco Ireland magazine. Has written for national newspapers including the Telegraph, the Sunday Times, the Express and the Daily Mail as well as parenting magazines and health publications, including Zest, Top Santé and Healthy.