Jody Osman

Our annual BD100 List ranks the UK’s top 100 business developers – it’s a showcase of the brightest talent driving client-agency relationships in UK marketing today. We shine a light on the skills, the pitches, the wisdom and the techniques of the best in the business – of business development.

Upstream keeps you at the source of the latest sector and company insights and provides up to the minute contact details of the UK's key decision makers

Upstream gives our clients and subscribers access a wealth of valuable and up-to-date company information across 27 different sectors. This includes names and contact details of over 50,000 key decision makers in more than 7,000 companies

I launched Upfront business development in 2005 with the ambition of providing clients with a complete solution to developing long-term new business strategies.

Upfront is now one of the UK's leading business development consultancies, specialising in the marketing sector. We help our clients win new clients.

We have helped a wide variety of marketing, creative and digital companies deliver new business success and achieve agency defining client wins. We have initiated contracts valued in the millions and regularly help our clients achieve wins from £50k to £250k upwards.

I develop and implement Upfront's company strategy and work closely with the senior team at Upfront to keep us ahead of the game. I also provide strategic business development consultancy to clients and take overall responsibility across Upfront for client delivery.

Silence is the British advertising technology company that launched cost-per-engagement advertising in Europe, a media-buying model for digital display campaigns where you only pay when customers and prospects engage with your ads. Co-founded Silence Media in early 2009, worked closely with Owner to set up and develop UK market strategy and playing hands on role in helping establish business - providing support with both winning and delivering on early clients and partnerships.Successfully exited business in 2013 on completion of 5 year launch plan with business well established.

Helped establish reputation of DMS - a charity specialist direct marketing agency - amongst the top 100 not-for-profit organisations in the UK. Instigated and developed opportunities with top tier Charities as part of a long-term new business strategy. Business relationships forged and wins generated with The National Trust, Cats Protection League, Asthma UK, SSAFA, YMCA, RSPB, Oxfam, Leonard Cheshire, The Princes Trust, Macmillan and Arthritis Research Care.

Early experience was won with former Ogilvy chairman and CEO, Paul Simons, helping establish the brand and business consultancy Paul Simons and Partners.I was responsible for developing the new business strategy for Paul Simons and Partners, and tasked with generating both awareness and a client base amongst C-level decision makers by applying a little 'Predatory Thinking'. Early wins included Coca Cola and BT.

Business development career begun at new business agency Winning New Business, working on a wide range of clients such as Tribal DDB, Universal McCann, Weber Shandwick, Unique Digital, Weapon7 and Media Square. Following great success in account manager role, with new business wins including: Grattan, HSA, National Lottery Commision, Mark Warner, Land Rover and Comet, I was promoted within a year to Account Director role, managing a team of account managers, with key responsibility for over 20 clients.