Julian Leighton named Chair as hedgehog lab expands

The firm, hedgehog lab, has appointed Julian Leighton as Chair as the Newcastle-based product design consultancy pursues expansion plans.

Leighton has worked in the technology sector for nearly 30 years and is best known in the North East digital industry as co-founder of Orange Bus. He launched the agency with Mike Parker in 2006 and helped grow it from two staff to 150 before its sale to Capita a decade later.

He later served on the board of Capita Software until 2020, then worked again with Parker on software company Therion during its early development. He now runs his own consultancy focused on non-executive support, advisory work and mentoring for established businesses.

At hedgehog lab, he will work with the board and chief executive Malcolm Seagrave, who took on the top job after 18 months as managing director of the company's UK operations.

Turnover rose 30% during 2025, and backed by growth capital investor BGF, the business has set out plans to increase revenue five-fold over the coming years.

Its footprint has also widened. The consultancy now operates from Newcastle, Leeds and Edinburgh, following last year's acquisition of innovation consultancy Label Sessions in the Scottish capital. It also has engineering support teams in Romania and Bulgaria.

Management has identified Manchester and Glasgow as target locations for further expansion. The group also holds B Corp accreditation.

Leighton said the role had personal resonance because of his long familiarity with the business and its roots in the region's digital sector.

"Orange Bus and hedgehog lab started around the same time and, in fact, we were even in the same building in the early years. I was always aware of its success and potential, so when the opportunity to get involved came up, it immediately felt like a good fit."

"This is a hands-on role and will help me scratch the itch I still have from founding and building an agency myself. I am inspired by working with talented people, and from my meetings and conversations so far I already know the team at hedgehog lab are good fun. With my experience, I want to support Malcolm and his team, get to know the business better, and help create value."

"AI has put the tech industry at an inflection point, and hedgehog lab is at the forefront of that. It's an exciting time, but making sure we move at the right pace is critical. Agencies that strike the right balance have the potential to grow exponentially, and hedgehog lab is firmly in that sweet spot."

The appointment gives Seagrave another senior figure as the company looks to build on its recent growth. Leighton's background combines agency leadership, software board experience and advisory work with scaling businesses, a mix likely to be relevant as the consultancy broadens its geographic reach and seeks to translate that into higher revenues.

Seagrave said Leighton's experience would be valuable as the company moves into its next phase.

"Julian has been there and done it before - he knows our industry and our business really well. His experience of building Orange Bus from the ground up will be hugely valuable to our team, and it's great to welcome him on board in such a hands-on role as we look to scale hedgehog lab further in the months and years ahead."

"Having a Chair of Julian's quality is another key foundation stone for hedgehog lab. With a great team, funding to scale and an experienced leadership team in place, it is now time for us to execute our plans and drive the business forward into its next chapter."