Newcastle-headquartered product design consultancy, hedgehog lab, has appointed Julian Leighton as its new chair. This move comes as the firm continues to implement its expansion strategy, following a reported 30 per cent increase in turnover during 2025.
Julian Leighton brings nearly 30 years of experience in the technology sector to the role. He previously co-founded the digital agency Orange Bus in 2006, scaling the business to 150 employees before its sale to Capita 10 years later. He subsequently served on the board of Capita Software and later helped develop the software company Therion.
In his new position, the chair will provide guidance to the board and work alongside Malcolm Seagrave, who recently moved from managing director of UK operations to the role of chief executive officer. The B Corp-accredited consultancy is currently backed by growth capital investor BGF and has stated ambitions to increase revenues five-fold in the coming years.
The consultancy currently operates in Newcastle, Leeds and Edinburgh, following the acquisition of Label Sessions last year. It also maintains engineering teams in Romania and Bulgaria, with future expansion planned for Manchester and Glasgow.
Julian Leighton said: “Orange Bus and hedgehog lab started around the same time. I was always aware of its success and potential, so when the opportunity to get involved with the company came up, it immediately felt like a good fit. 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 are going 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.”
Malcolm Seagrave added: “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 further scale hedgehog lab 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, now it’s time for us to execute our plans and drive the business forward into its next chapter.”
Image source: hedgehog lab
