Worklife illuminated.
Inspiring remarkable relationships between companies and their people.
Welcome to Emblaze – a team of consultants, world-class creatives and digital innovators devoted to inspiring remarkable relationships between companies and their people.
We believe in the valuable connection between work and life. A shared experience where business performance and organisational wellbeing are enhanced by people feeling professionally invigorated and personally valued.
We’re trusted by clients around the world to elevate this unique alliance, bringing a new energy to the relationship and igniting a united purpose.
People build businesses.
Relationships illuminate the opportunity.
Experience Emblaze.
Our world
EVP
Work
life
experience
Our value
We explore
Helping you to clarify your challenges and tune in to the inner dialogue, we use strategy to distinguish cultural nuances and build a deep understanding of your business. Together we’ll define your narrative – influencing internal sentiment and setting plans and frameworks for the future.
We imagine
We use creative excellence to elevate every stage of the employee journey, upgrading the standard of communication and inciting a sense of pride in the internal brand. From leadership initiatives and talent attraction to financial education and wellbeing, our creative imagination sets the tone.
We immerse
We embrace the spaceless workplace – the new world of work where the relationship between work and life is united by purpose and belonging; where individuality and choice are celebrated; and where immersive digital experiences inspire people to connect, learn and proactively contribute to the company conversation.
We inspire
Supporting the development of your people, we encourage higher consciousness, coaching, and learning initiatives to inspire a culture of worklife discovery. From content and training to management tools and leadership alignment, we believe in the value of personal and professional growth to enrich the worklife experience.
The team at Emblaze are a pleasure to work with. Creative, diligent, prompt and professional. A truly safe pair of hands on any project with boundless patience and flexibility - always delivering to the highest standard.
BTPS, UK
Our people
Our team of experts are supported by a carefully curated network of partners. They add value to our relationship, complement our core expertise and have helped to inspire countless success stories.
Stephen Willard
Director | Author | Worklife Discovery
An experienced agency leader, people engagement specialist, author and creative strategist, Stephen drives the vision running through Emblaze.
Starting out in recruitment advertising and then employer branding, Stephen spent much of his early career building creative teams in employee benefits communication, servicing some of the world’s leading employers.
But it’s in his era as a workplace consultant, spending time nurturing board-level conversation, that he began to identify the effects that perceived trivialities among people could have on the commercial success of a company. Tuning into the subtleties of internal conversation to help uncover the true essence of a company and empowered with insights across the spectrum of work and life, Stephen saw a more imaginative way of engaging companies and their people and began forming a new type of engagement provider in Emblaze.
Central to Stephen’s career has been a recurring intrigue in the relationship between people and company; identity and career; love and necessity. And, through his persona as a published author, he adopts imaginative literature as a means to express his fascination with human behaviour.
Caroline Thompson
Creative Director
As a leading Creative Director in pensions and benefits for almost 20 years and with a rapidly emerging reputation in the broader space of worklife experience, Caroline is the imagination behind some of the industry's standout visual identities.
Her signature eye for balancing colour and an elegant approach to typography, coupled with her deep understanding of brand strategy, enables Caroline to compose beautiful aesthetics that inspire her mentees and give clients the fortitude to stretch the realms of their creative.
Katie Baxter
Employer Brand Designer | Wellbeing Lead
A creative purist, Katie’s wilful obsession with design sees her express her creativity in all areas of her life. At work, she’s a prolific visualiser of stunning brand identities and glorious suites of collateral.
While away from work, she nourishes her creative attributes, taking design back to its roots through her passion for craft – specifically line art – which she creates for personal fulfilment as well as to support her community.
Morgan Kelly
Operational Performance
A specialist in business management and operations, Morgan optimises core functions across Emblaze in areas such as financial management, legal, HR and wellbeing.
A key point of coordination, her unique overview enables the wider team to perform as a cohesive unit, optimising the flow of client requests and always engaging in the internal conversation.
Neil Strong
Director | Worklife Experience Consultant
A multi-disciplined employee communication specialist and business leader, Neil integrated his consultancy into Emblaze in 2022 to co-create the new look business as it is today.
For almost 20 years, Neil has worked with some of the world’s leading organisations across the spectrum of worklife experience, providing senior strategy and hands-on tactical communication expertise in areas such as EVP, reward and benefits, retirement, talent development, wellbeing, and complex change.
His work has seen him build strong relationships with senior leaders in the UK and the US, as well as be invited to speak at conferences and events, contribute to industry steering groups and evaluate international award submissions.
Prior to integrating with Emblaze, Neil spent six years on the leadership team of one of the world’s largest and most respected employee experience agencies, before establishing his own independent consultancy in early 2021. His integration with Emblaze sees the creation of a more comprehensive full-service proposition, underpinned by world-class creativity and imagination.
Merlyn Jeffery
Digital Experiences Design Strategist
An expert in digital workplace experience who has advised numerous corporate employers as they navigate their approach to worklife experience during times of change.
Merlyn has a particular focus on behavioural psychology, coupled with an ambition to bring consumer-grade excellence to the employee experience and engagement space.
Katie Hamilton
Employee Experiences Designer
Katie is a passionate designer who believes that design has the power to tap into our subconscious minds, evoking emotional responses that can shape our perceptions of the world around us.
With a skill set including 3D modelling, motion graphics, audio, and video editing she explores the psychology of colour, shape, and visual language to create designs that communicate on a deeper level. She is always looking for new challenges and opportunities to push the boundaries of what’s possible, with a sharp eye for detail and a commitment to excellence. Inspired by sustainability and wellbeing, Katie strives to create work that not only looks great but also has a positive impact on the world around us.
Molly Dennis
Digital Experiences Designer
Molly has a determined eye for digital edge. With a spectrum of skills covering user experience, interface design and motion, Molly is most at home when exploring the psychological triggers that motivate certain behaviours.
Her passion for exciting experiences and beautiful design, coupled with her desire to influence, sees her flourish when presenting her concepts to clients as she continues to emerge as a next-generation digital consultant.
Stephen Willard
Director | Author | Worklife Discovery
An experienced agency leader, people engagement specialist, author and creative strategist, Stephen drives the vision running through Emblaze.
Starting out in recruitment advertising and then employer branding, Stephen spent much of his early career building creative teams in employee benefits communication, servicing some of the world’s leading employers.
But it’s in his era as a workplace consultant, spending time nurturing board-level conversation, that he began to identify the effects that perceived trivialities among people could have on the commercial success of a company. Tuning into the subtleties of internal conversation to help uncover the true essence of a company and empowered with insights across the spectrum of work and life, Stephen saw a more imaginative way of engaging companies and their people and began forming a new type of engagement provider in Emblaze.
Central to Stephen’s career has been a recurring intrigue in the relationship between people and company; identity and career; love and necessity. And, through his persona as a published author, he adopts imaginative literature as a means to express his fascination with human behaviour.
Neil Strong
Director | Worklife Experience Consultant
A multi-disciplined employee communication specialist and business leader, Neil integrated his consultancy into Emblaze in 2022 to co-create the new look business as it is today.
For almost 20 years, Neil has worked with some of the world’s leading organisations across the spectrum of worklife experience, providing senior strategy and hands-on tactical communication expertise in areas such as EVP, reward and benefits, retirement, talent development, wellbeing, and complex change.
His work has seen him build strong relationships with senior leaders in the UK and the US, as well as be invited to speak at conferences and events, contribute to industry steering groups and evaluate international award submissions.
Prior to integrating with Emblaze, Neil spent six years on the leadership team of one of the world’s largest and most respected employee experience agencies, before establishing his own independent consultancy in early 2021. His integration with Emblaze sees the creation of a more comprehensive full-service proposition, underpinned by world-class creativity and imagination.
Caroline Thompson
Creative Director
As a leading Creative Director in pensions and benefits for almost 20 years and with a rapidly emerging reputation in the broader space of worklife experience, Caroline is the imagination behind some of the industry's standout visual identities.
Her signature eye for balancing colour and an elegant approach to typography, coupled with her deep understanding of brand strategy, enables Caroline to compose beautiful aesthetics that inspire her mentees and give clients the fortitude to stretch the realms of their creative.
Merlyn Jeffery
Digital Experiences Design Strategist
An expert in digital workplace experience who has advised numerous corporate employers as they navigate their approach to worklife experience during times of change.
Merlyn has a particular focus on behavioural psychology, coupled with an ambition to bring consumer-grade excellence to the employee experience and engagement space.
Katie Baxter
Employer Brand Designer | Wellbeing Lead
A creative purist, Katie’s wilful obsession with design sees her express her creativity in all areas of her life. At work, she’s a prolific visualiser of stunning brand identities and glorious suites of collateral.
While away from work, she nourishes her creative attributes, taking design back to its roots through her passion for craft – specifically line art – which she creates for personal fulfilment as well as to support her community.
Katie Hamilton
Employee Experiences Designer
Katie is a passionate designer who believes that design has the power to tap into our subconscious minds, evoking emotional responses that can shape our perceptions of the world around us.
With a skill set including 3D modelling, motion graphics, audio, and video editing she explores the psychology of colour, shape, and visual language to create designs that communicate on a deeper level. She is always looking for new challenges and opportunities to push the boundaries of what’s possible, with a sharp eye for detail and a commitment to excellence. Inspired by sustainability and wellbeing, Katie strives to create work that not only looks great but also has a positive impact on the world around us.
Molly Dennis
Digital Experiences Designer
Molly has a determined eye for digital edge. With a spectrum of skills covering user experience, interface design and motion, Molly is most at home when exploring the psychological triggers that motivate certain behaviours.
Her passion for exciting experiences and beautiful design, coupled with her desire to influence, sees her flourish when presenting her concepts to clients as she continues to emerge as a next-generation digital consultant.
Morgan Kelly
Operational Performance
A specialist in business management and operations, Morgan optimises core functions across Emblaze in areas such as financial management, legal, HR and wellbeing.
A key point of coordination, her unique overview enables the wider team to perform as a cohesive unit, optimising the flow of client requests and always engaging in the internal conversation.
Stephen Willard
Director | Author | Worklife Discovery
An experienced agency leader, people engagement specialist, author and creative strategist, Stephen drives the vision running through Emblaze.
Starting out in recruitment advertising and then employer branding, Stephen spent much of his early career building creative teams in employee benefits communication, servicing some of the world’s leading employers.
But it’s in his era as a workplace consultant, spending time nurturing board-level conversation, that he began to identify the effects that perceived trivialities among people could have on the commercial success of a company. Tuning into the subtleties of internal conversation to help uncover the true essence of a company and empowered with insights across the spectrum of work and life, Stephen saw a more imaginative way of engaging companies and their people and began forming a new type of engagement provider in Emblaze.
Central to Stephen’s career has been a recurring intrigue in the relationship between people and company; identity and career; love and necessity. And, through his persona as a published author, he adopts imaginative literature as a means to express his fascination with human behaviour.
Neil Strong
Director | Worklife Experience Consultant
A multi-disciplined employee communication specialist and business leader, Neil integrated his consultancy into Emblaze in 2022 to co-create the new look business as it is today.
For almost 20 years, Neil has worked with some of the world’s leading organisations across the spectrum of worklife experience, providing senior strategy and hands-on tactical communication expertise in areas such as EVP, reward and benefits, retirement, talent development, wellbeing, and complex change.
His work has seen him build strong relationships with senior leaders in the UK and the US, as well as be invited to speak at conferences and events, contribute to industry steering groups and evaluate international award submissions.
Prior to integrating with Emblaze, Neil spent six years on the leadership team of one of the world’s largest and most respected employee experience agencies, before establishing his own independent consultancy in early 2021. His integration with Emblaze sees the creation of a more comprehensive full-service proposition, underpinned by world-class creativity and imagination.
Caroline Thompson
Creative Director
As a leading Creative Director in pensions and benefits for almost 20 years and with a rapidly emerging reputation in the broader space of worklife experience, Caroline is the imagination behind some of the industry's standout visual identities.
Her signature eye for balancing colour and an elegant approach to typography, coupled with her deep understanding of brand strategy, enables Caroline to compose beautiful aesthetics that inspire her mentees and give clients the fortitude to stretch the realms of their creative.
Merlyn Jeffery
Digital Experiences Design Strategist
An expert in digital workplace experience who has advised numerous corporate employers as they navigate their approach to worklife experience during times of change.
Merlyn has a particular focus on behavioural psychology, coupled with an ambition to bring consumer-grade excellence to the employee experience and engagement space.
Katie Baxter
Employer Brand Designer | Wellbeing Lead
A creative purist, Katie’s wilful obsession with design sees her express her creativity in all areas of her life. At work, she’s a prolific visualiser of stunning brand identities and glorious suites of collateral.
While away from work, she nourishes her creative attributes, taking design back to its roots through her passion for craft – specifically line art – which she creates for personal fulfilment as well as to support her community.
Katie Hamilton
Employee Experiences Designer
Katie is a passionate designer who believes that design has the power to tap into our subconscious minds, evoking emotional responses that can shape our perceptions of the world around us.
With a skill set including 3D modelling, motion graphics, audio, and video editing she explores the psychology of colour, shape, and visual language to create designs that communicate on a deeper level. She is always looking for new challenges and opportunities to push the boundaries of what’s possible, with a sharp eye for detail and a commitment to excellence. Inspired by sustainability and wellbeing, Katie strives to create work that not only looks great but also has a positive impact on the world around us.
Molly Dennis
Digital Experiences Designer
Molly has a determined eye for digital edge. With a spectrum of skills covering user experience, interface design and motion, Molly is most at home when exploring the psychological triggers that motivate certain behaviours.
Her passion for exciting experiences and beautiful design, coupled with her desire to influence, sees her flourish when presenting her concepts to clients as she continues to emerge as a next-generation digital consultant.
Morgan Kelly
Operational Performance Manager
A specialist in business management and operations, Morgan optimises core functions across Emblaze in areas such as financial management, legal, HR and wellbeing.
A key point of coordination, her unique overview enables the wider team to perform as a cohesive unit, optimising the flow of client requests and always engaging in the internal conversation.
Our company
What companies do you work with?
Our clients include professional service providers, centuries-old global manufacturing brands, not-for-profit member associations, insurance companies and some of the biggest pension schemes in the UK.
It’s fair to say that typically our clients are UK or US-based companies with 250 to 10,000 employees, but we also have clients well outside of that – so a broad-range in terms of shape and size, industry and sector.
However, more importantly they all have two things in common:
- They recognise the value of communication and its role in inspiring a better worklife experience.
- They’re brilliant people to work with – the relationships we have with our clients matter to us, personally, and that’s what we look for beyond everything else.
Are you independent?
Completely. We are an entirely independent and owner-operated company, humbly scaled from start-up with consistent reinvestment in our team. Unencumbered by group or investor ownership, our focus centres on our clients, our people and our proposition. This freedom means we can be as flexible or as decisive – or as courageous – as we choose.
Where are you based?
By definition, we’re a remote-first, UK business with office locations and collaboration space in London, Kent, Hampshire and Lincolnshire. However, we’re set up to serve a national and international client base, regularly travelling to client locations and adapting where and how we work to suit the individual needs of our clients and their people.
How can we work with you?
It goes without saying that we’d love to have a conversation about how we could work together. Our size means we can be agile and react quickly if needed, but we don’t like to rush unnecessarily and will take our time when engaging in new opportunities.
Relationships fuel our business and so we’ll always have the time to build some initial foundations and make sure the opportunity is right for everyone.
Are you hiring?
We’re on a mission to build a remarkable worklife experience business – and that takes remarkable people. Check out our Careers page here for our current opportunities.
Inspire me!
If you’ve read this far, then we’d love to say thank you by gifting you a complimentary copy of the book 'You’ll…’ – Stephen Willard’s imaginative take on our inner voice. You can request your copy here.
Share your story
We'd love to hear about some of the things you're thinking about when it comes to the world of work. You can send us a message below or reach out to the team on our social channels.
Get in touch