Finance Forum: The Agency Finance Conference

How Do You Fix the Numbers When Your Agency Goes Global

“We thought the US would grow 30%… it went the other way.”

When Rise at Seven expanded into the US, the logic felt simple: replicate what works in the UK, scale it up, and ride the growth.

But the numbers had other ideas.

After years of strong US growth, the market suddenly stalled. At the same time, the UK surged ahead. Then, just as quickly, it flipped again.

“This year, it’s completely switched, the US is already looking on track to exceed our annual target.”

For Naomi Beckford, this is where global finance starts to get tricky.

Because it’s not just about forecasting across two markets. It’s about managing two entirely different economies, cost bases, and client expectations, all under one brand.

A £20k UK role becomes £60k in the US. A “simple” rate card conversion leaves agencies “underselling ourselves by 20%.”

And clients? They don’t care about your internal structure, they’ll happily switch entities mid-deal, blowing up your margins.

In this session, Naomi breaks down what it actually takes to manage global agency finance, from forecasting uncertainty to pricing strategy, and why the biggest shift isn’t operational.

Because the moment you go global, you’re not running one agency anymore- you’re running two.

Bridging the Financial Knowledge Gap

“They’re just like, ‘What does it mean?’”

That’s the moment most finance teams recognise, even if it’s never said out loud.

Because the problem a lot of the time  isn’t actually lack of data. It’s the opposite.

Your software shows the past, the pipeline points to the future, and delivery teams report something else entirely. 

And somewhere in between all of this, the founder is expected to make decisions, potentially without a clear picture of what any of it actually means.

“They don’t know whether it’s good, bad or ugly.”

Paul Muggeridge-Breene has seen this play out across dozens of agencies. Founders sitting in meetings, “nodding politely,” while finance teams walk through reports that technically make sense, but don’t fully land.

Because they’re not built for how most founders think.

“They’re a bit allergic to numbers.”

That’s where a lot of finance functions fall short- they report accurately, but not usefully.

In this session, Paul will unpack how to bridge that gap by turning financial data into something founders can actually understand, trust, and act on.

The Financial Reality of Agency Acquisition

“Don’t be afraid of taking on debt. Don’t be afraid of buying other stuff.”

On paper, agency acquisition sounds simple: find a business, agree a price, sign the deal.

In reality, it’s a financial balancing act that can make or break your agency.

For Simon Corbett, his acquisition journey didn’t start with spreadsheets- it started with frustration. Organic growth had taken his agency past £1m, but “it was all a bit limp, boring, and slow.”

So he leaned into something most agency owners avoid: debt.

What followed was a three-year run of five acquisitions, each one forcing him to get sharper on valuation, funding, and financial risk. Because when you’re buying agencies you really need to understand what you’re really paying for, and what could quietly break that value after the deal closes.

“Something’s going to go wrong… a client is going to leave, or a member of staff is going to leave.”

This session digs into the financial reality behind agency M&A, beyond the headlines and success stories.

You’ll hear how Simon approached funding deals, how he thought about valuation (and avoided overpaying), and why due diligence is less about numbers on a spreadsheet and more about protecting future cash flow.