Sparking up a conversation with Scriba’s owners and director of communications

In light of our biggest announcement to date, we’re sitting down with Scriba’s new owners, Andy McCaul, Doug Main, and Lee Boothroyd — as well as Scriba’s newly-instated director of communications and former MD, Katie Mallinson — to discuss the motivation for the acquisition, as well as what lies ahead for the two collaborating agencies.

Katie, this one's for you. Why does it feel like the right time for new ownership?

I couldn’t be prouder of the journey that Scriba has been on so far. The goal when our story began was to prove that PR can be done differently, and 10 years later, with more than 200 clients supported across 11 countries and counting, we’ve achieved that ten times over.

With TBB, it genuinely feels right. I couldn’t think of a better team to support Scriba — and its clients — to reach even bigger and better things. They already work closely with many members of the team, and our clients. They’re not strangers. They share our values. They are excited about our skills. And that’s what excites me now — the opportunity to see what else is possible, knowing Scriba is in safe hands.

And what are you most looking forward to in your new role?

I have achieved everything I could have ever dreamt of in my role, but I still have lots of communications ideas that I think are untapped in our industry.

While I’ve loved being an MD, it’s taken me further and further away from my craft, communicating — why I set up Scriba in the first place. And while some people aspire to reach a really senior position and no longer ‘doing the doing’, I want to get back to a role that gives me fire in my belly. So, my move into the position of ‘director of communications’ allows me to work on strategic client work, pass my skills on to others, and break even more new boundaries with our collective comms expertise.

Andy and Doug, what are your hopes for Scriba's future?

Andy: We would like to focus on building upon the 10 years of success and credibility that Katie and the team have established at Scriba. In the short term, our goal is to maintain ‘business as usual’ for both clients and colleagues. In time, we will see Scriba and TBB collaborating more closely where relevant for client accounts. We’re also looking forward to learning about each team member’s skills, specialisms, and interests, to better understand how we can help them continue to shine.

Doug: My hope is that we do Scriba justice. This isn’t a business in trouble and looking for a bail out — it’s a thriving, successful organisation with a huge reputation, and my hope is that we can build on and enhance what’s already there. There’s a Japanese phrase, Kaizen, which means ‘change for the better, or continuous improvement’ — which I think encapsulates the situation perfectly.

What are you most excited about post-acquisition?

Doug: I’m really looking forward to stepping into — and helping to run — an already successful agency, as opposed to starting a business from scratch.

I’m excited to get to know everyone, understand the culture and the clients in more detail, and be able to offer strategic, creative, and digital expertise. And from The Bigger Boat’s perspective, we’re raring to see what Scriba can do for our own clients — especially bolstering our plans to further develop our SEO offering to include digital PR.

What appealed to you most about the acquisition?

Andy: I’ve worked with Katie for eight out of Scriba’s 10 years. We’ve always collaborated, drafting each other in on client accounts, where appropriate. We’ve also frequently met to share experiences of running a business, supporting each other with challenges and best practices. It very much felt like a natural progression once we agreed on the mutual benefits. We’re all really looking forward to boosting our client offering and continuing our professional partnership.

What can clients expect through the transition?

Lee: Our plan is to ensure that clients and colleagues are happy, with Katie’s support — this means guaranteeing that high standards of service and delivery are maintained throughout. Nothing will change in terms of client retainers — they’ll still be delivered by Scriba, with the same processes, same invoices, and, importantly, the same team.

Which of your skills are you most looking forward to utilising this evolution?

Doug: Each of us has very different specialisms, and we look forward to providing creative, strategic, and digital input for Scriba. Our clients are similar (and in some cases, the same!) so we have a raft of experience and new ideas to offer. And again, from TBB’s side, we look forward to welcoming the same valuable knowledge transfer from the Scriba team.

The three of us have run a business for 13 years now — scaling up from three blokes and a desk, to a 26-strong crew. We’ve learnt so many important lessons throughout that process, and applying that knowledge in this transitionary period will be key.

My background is in graphic design, but as The Bigger Boat has grown, so too has my skill set in leading a business, having expanded my own knowledge through the GS10ksb and H2G programmes. Over the years, I’ve also become increasingly interested in the cultural side of running a business by engaging and empowering a team. It’s those qualities that I’m most looking forward to plugging in.