Richard Gourlay

Richard Gourlay is an experienced director and non executive director who provides management consultancy a wide-range of companies over the last 30 years.  He provides advice and support to business leaders enabling them to grow and develop their business.  

His experience and expertise enables leaders to grow and develop their business’s from start-up to exit. Richard focuses os a strategic business consultant, ensuring at the core of the business there is a solid and sound value proposition that delivers value to customers.

Richard acts for many business customers as a NED and business advisor, he works with leadership teams creating growth and profitability. 

Richard starts at boardroom level supporting senior people including business owners and directors set their strategic direction, develop new business models and supports leaders implementing strategic changes to their business. 

Background: Richard Gourlay

Richard grew up in rural Galloway on the family farm, where he currently lives with his family.

Berghaus

Richard Gourlay started is career working at Berghaus, which was a privately owned world-class clothing company.  This iconic mountaineering brand was a privately owned premium brand in its market. Based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, above L&D Mountain shop on Dean Street and a manufacturing base at Washington Tyne and Wear it was globally recognised for its innovative products and unique and revolutionary business culture, led by its founders Peter Lockey and Gordon Davidson. A design and made in the UK gave the brand a unique position  within the market. Outstanding products beautifully made to the highest standards.  

“We simply developed and took to market the best technical products in the world that drove the growth of the performance outdoor clothing market”.

That passion and focus on being world-class in what it designed, made and delivered was held by the whole company which created and sustained that culture and an iconic brand within its sector. Working across the outdoor market the brand delivered British made high performance outdoor clothing and equipment and Italian handmade Scarpa footwear.

The brand’s success amongst its core customer base was exceptional. On the back of that it pulled in non-outdoor high-value users which expanded the outdoor market beyond its core base. The business was sold to Pentland PLC who repositioned the brand into a different position down into  the mass market. Like to learn more about what the company does today, then click this link to: Berghaus 

Craghoppers

In 1995 Richard Gourlay was headhunted  to set-up and revive the historic Craghoppers brand. The brand had be bought by Keith Black to relaunch it as a premium outdoor brand within the growing market. Richard’s role involved identifying and developing the strategic opportunity for the brand. From initial identification of the target market for the brand, through to creating the market entry strategy, supported by creating the right product mix and service offering  within the UK  and international markets ,  

From identifying the brand’s competitive advantage coupled with changing market demands, Richard was able to define a sustainable competitive position within the market which enabled the brand became the leading outdoor travel brand. The business model was defined and successfully taken to market, providing exactly what the market needed. 

Craghoppers success was due to its response to changing social, economic and environmental changes within the outdoor market. Craghoppers benefited by identifying the opportunities which these changes created and respond to them quickly using the competitive advantages the company had.  The demand by outdoor customers to travel and explore was supported by emerging growth of low-cost travel. 

This customer demand was matched by new technology in fabrics and permanent performance treatments, enabling improved lightweight products. Retail business demand for new products resulted in a clear market opportunity for the brand. A position which Craghoppers could exploit and own with the outdoor market.

Craghoppers developed its unique service offering of rapid supply and resupply which provided a compelling channel partner relationship. This strategic positioning of the Craghoppers brand enabled it to become the fastest growing brand within the sector. Click here to read more about the development of Craghoppers

Go Outdoors Richard Gourlay

Richard was headhunted  to join the board of directors of this stand-alone Sheffield store originally called CCC as its strategy, operations and marketing director. Richard started this model when the owner of CCC wanted to retire and approached Richard to ask about options for the family exit. Richard worked with to create a vision for the brand identifying the strategic opportunity for a ‘one-stop-shop for the outdoors.  This model was then developed the business model that would revolutionise outdoor retailing.

Richard set an aggressive programme in pace of change, moving the once family owned CCC into a flagship model of modern retailing as Go Outdoors. He developed a complete internal programme of operations to deliver a modern cutting edge outdoor retailer.

Through strategic planning we created a unique business model for Go-Outdoors.  Customer relationship was at the heart of the business supported by our unique loyalty card. The brand was an early adopter of personalised direct marketing to its customers. This innovative approach provided the brand with its sustainable competitive advantage in customer management. By using the Go Outdoors buying power coupled with its retail space the brand provided a genuine one-stop-shop for all outdoor products.

The unique discount card package created a sustainable competitive advantage to Go Outdoors. By linking all promotions to a simple and effective customer relationship management system Go Outdoors created a direct relationship to its customers. This captured and converted loyalty to a focused strategic direct marketing of customers enhancing their experience of the brand while raising the average spend and visitor frequency through a detailed marketing plan delivered by the retail team of over 50 people. Richard created the model which allowed the business to be rolled out across the UK.

“We created the business model for the brand to expand, creating a innovative profitable model which brought in its first external investors with a £15m VC investment”

This unique business model enabled Go Outdoors to ride out the foot-and-mouth outbreak, which hammered the industry overnight as countryside was shut down. Go Outdoors went on to be the largest outdoor retailer in Europe being sold onto the high street. 

Learn more about how Richard Gourlay develops a successful business strategy by clicking here: Cowden our approach

Richard also developed the rapid expansion of the Go-Outdoors brand developing the strategic business model which turned this stand-alone shop into the UK’s largest and fastest growing UK retailer. Through strategic planning Richard developed a clear business plan which succeeded in gaining venture capital expansion backing of £15 million, enabling the business to buy multiple identified sites throughout the country starting the Go Outdoors chain.

This model is still the template for the business today demonstrating the robustness of this strategy, Go Outdoors is the largest outdoor retailer in the country, with stores throughout the UK.

Equip Outdoor Technologies

Richard joined the leadership team of Equip Outdoor Technologies (EOT) as a strategic consultant to develop the the company and its leadership team into a market leading brand within the outdoor performance sector. The company at the time was a specialist product and OEM supplier of accessories for retailers, including hats and gloves.

After a strategic review and analysis of the available opportunities for growth and strategic fit analysis, Richard identified the ideal opportunity in a highly regarded and technically competent brand looking for a new owner.  In buying Rab clothing brand, Equip Outdoor Technologies (EOT) was able to bring its expertise and core competencies to revitalise this historic British brand. We restructured the in-house team and added in external expertise to strengthen the brands ability to target and reach a new emerging market for young outdoor adventures.

Richard led the relocation of EOT company from dilapidated WW2 nissen huts to a cutting edge Derbyshire HQ, with significant capacity to facilitate EOT and Rab to be able to expand its range and stockholding, including building additional functions such as a bonded warehouse, indoor loading and unloading facilities as well as manufacturing capacity with easy access for effective logistics.

Richard enabled the leadership team to grow the business, by bringing in new people with diverse skills created a leadership team capable of supporting the brand’s growth and supporting the re-development and positioning of the Rab brand. The development of the leaderships mindset of moving the brand into the premium outdoor clothing market was critical in ensuring this plan succeeded.

Rab 

With the successful acquisition of the Rab brand and redeveloping Equip Outdoor Technology value proposition, Richard was able to lead the expansion of its brand into 28 export markets through distributors and agents to premium retailers around the world. Setting up agents and distributors across Europe and beyond.

Cowden Richard Gourlay

Cowden is Richard Gourlay’s business, working in partnership with Alison Gourlay a Chartered Accountant. Since 2003 we have provide companies with the support and expertise allowing companies to grow and develop as a successful business with their clear plan to succeed.

Cowden has worked with a wide range of companies developing clear strategic direction for owners and leaders of companies over the last 20 years, enabling them to accelerate their growth. Richard has worked with companies from PLC’s including global names like TUI, Office Depot, and Caterpillar, amongst a host of others. Richard works in developing their long-term success by supporting the leadership team create and deliver their strategic shifts in their business models.

He has also worked with a wide range of specialist SME businesses from renewable technology sectors, IT, SaaS software, Fintech, SaaS companies and consumer goods business, in both B2C and B2B specialist product sectors. Richard’s consulting services provides resources, research insight and accelerator skills to businesses across sectors.   

Our joint expertise in strategy, financial accounting, and director support, enables leaders to move their businesses into new emerging or growing markets, making them stronger, more successful within the markets which they operate. From developing a successful business strategy through to supporting leaders directly and as a NED, Richard enables business growth and success. 

Richard provides support to high growth companies and aspirational directors in creating, developing and driving growth. He works with senior leaders and business owners creating the direction and focus which creates and sustains successful businesses.

Developing leadership skills, competence and confidence is at the heart of what Richard Gourlay delivers to clients.  Richard focuses on how to create and sustain a clear achievable vision for the business. Richard supports leaders from strategic planning through to creating and sustaining change towards  delivering precise goals. Richard works in a number of roles from advisor to NED with owners of high growth companies to grow and deliver their personal objectives. 

Richard Gourlay Interim Director and Non Executive Director (NED)

Richard acts as a non-executive director (NED) and interim director, supporting businesses through interim or long-term management consultancy programmes tailored around customer needs. His work is focused around high growth businesses, in market sectors where challenges require innovative strategic thinking.

Interim Director

As an interim director Richard provides leaders teams with a highly experienced strategic leader, often operating as an interim commercial director. His ability to focus on strategic leadership, creating a market focus for growth and change within an organisation enables them to grow and develop intone with growth opportunities with existing and emerging new markets.

Non Executive Director

As a Non Executive Director (NED) Richard’s external independent advice focus’s high growth companies on their strategic goals and supports them keeping them on track to their goals. His external advice and a different perspective provides business leaders with an experienced NED who can add real value to the executive directors.

Like to discuss how Richard may be able to support you? Then drop me a line click ‘Connect to Richard Gourlay now to learn more or contact us at here at Richard Gourlay

Strategy The Leader’s Role by Richard Gourlay

Strategy: The Leader’s Role by Richard Gourlay

Richard Gourlay’s book Strategy: The leader’s Role provides a complete step-by-step guide to developing your leadership skills in creating and delivering a successful business strategy.

With 164 pages broken into chapters covering every aspect of leadership skills needed to create your business strategy, Strategy: The Leader’ Role is your step-by-step guide into how to create your bespoke strategic plan for your business.

To order this book now by clicking the image above or click here.

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