Real businesses.
Real progress.
Different businesses. Different challenges.
The same approach: clarity, focus and commercial momentum.
The Lightbulb Moment
It’s not about more ideas.
It’s about the right ones,
executed with discipline.
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&SONS
Founder-led fashion brandDavid helped me build the structure, solved difficult problems and turned ideas into measurable growth. — James, co-owner
Scaling without losing what
made the brand special.
Fractional Support
Demand exploded during COVID. Risk of the founders becoming the growth bottleneck
Created commercial rhythm, prioritised decisions and protected the brand and customer experience.
Founder confidence, stronger operations, sustainable loyal growth
Growth isn't about replacing the founder. It's about removing the weight only the founder is carrying
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AUSTIN REED
Heritage Formalwear brandWe had the brand and the stores. David helped us build the digital engine to match our ambition. — Nick, CEO
Turning ecommerce into a core growth engine
Digital transformationeCommerce was small compared to the opportunity. Systems, stock, team and operations weren't built to scale.
Built the digital offer, improved stock and operations. Built the team and connected digital to the wider business.
Stronger team. Better features. International expanision.
Digital transformation is rarely a website project. It's a business transformation with a website at the front.
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ACE HARDWARE UAE
Retail and DistributionWe had 30,000 products and no eCommerce. David helped us build something we didn't think was possible. — Wayne, Managing Director
Launching digital inside a complex family-owned group
transformationNo live websites or team. 30,000 products, multiple business units. Different systems and ways of working.
Defined the digital model, built the platform, created capability and brought the business together behind the vision.
New revenue stream. New capability. One commercial direction.
Technology can launch a website. People, process and shared belief build an eCommerce business.
Experience behind the work
Two careers.Six turning points.One shared approach.
Before bringing our experience together through The Digital Lightbulb, we helped build, lead and transform businesses across international retail, ecommerce, product, partnerships and founder-led growth. Different companies. Different challenges. The same instinct: get closer to the customer, find the friction and turn opportunity into action.
The stories below show the wider leadership and commercial experience that David and Rasool now bring into the work.
Ted Baker
International, digital and commercial growth
Combine creative ambition with commercial discipline.
Ted Baker was entering a period of ambitious international and digital expansion. The opportunity was not simply to sell more, but to translate a distinctive creative brand into a commercial operation capable of growing across markets and channels.
What changed
- Digital became a more significant growth channel
- International opportunities became commercial plans
- Operating capability developed alongside revenue
- Brand distinctiveness remained central to growth
Creativity scales when commercial discipline helps it travel.
Liwa Trading Enterprises
Head of Business · GCC
Growth through people, product and local relevance.
Rasool led two home brands across the GCC, working with more than 200 colleagues, 50 stores and a wide supplier network. The brands needed greater local relevance, differentiated products and the confidence for people to contribute and take ownership.
What changed
- Private label reached approximately 70% of category sales
- Digital and B2B channels created additional revenue
- International partnerships strengthened relevance
- Ownership developed across 200+ colleagues
Create the conditions for good people and strong ideas to flourish.
The Central Group
Group omnichannel and digital leadership · Team of 90
Turn omnichannel complexity into commercial growth.
Reporting to the Group CEO, David was responsible for online trade, CRM, data transformation, digital strategy and omnichannel development. Customer experience, merchandise, marketing and logistics needed to operate as one connected growth system.
What changed
- Conversion increased by 60% and mobile conversion doubled
- Site speed improved from eight seconds to two
- Availability increased from 70% to 90%
- Delivery reduced from six days to three
- Order cancellations reduced from 40% to 15%
- Email reached 9% of online sales within three months
Growth accelerates when experience, data, operations and ownership move together.
Mighty Fresh
Commercial range and route-to-market development
Find the growth already riding in the van.
Mighty Fresh already had customers, vehicles, delivery routes and trusted relationships. Rasool helped uncover a complementary product opportunity that could use the existing infrastructure without creating an entirely new operation.
What changed
- A higher-margin complementary range was introduced
- Existing customers provided a ready route to market
- Current vans and delivery routes could be used
- Commercial value increased with little added complexity
The next opportunity may already be travelling through the business. It simply has not been noticed yet.
MAGRABi
Principal adviser · Digital strategy and capability
Build the digital business—not simply the website.
David supported the strategy, capability and operating direction behind an emerging digital business. Working alongside internal product, technology and commercial teams, the work connected customer journeys, content, product data and commerce across 40,000+ products.
What changed
- Digital marketing capability established from scratch
- Conversion increased by 15% and add-to-cart by 80%
- Organic traffic increased by 40%
- Order cancellations reduced by 25%
- Catalogue production effort reduced by 20%
Technology creates possibility. Ownership, connected data and capable people turn it into growth.
Tesco
Buying, sourcing and product development
Remove the friction. Unlock the opportunity.
Across UK and Hong Kong roles, Rasool worked with suppliers, designers and commercial teams to take products from initial idea to market. The opportunity was to strengthen direct sourcing while improving both customer relevance and commercial performance.
What changed
- Greater confidence and capability in direct sourcing
- Supplier partnerships strengthened across Asia and Europe
- Product-development routes became more effective
- Major seasonal and gifting categories were supported
- Christmas ranges exceeding £100m in sales were managed
A strong idea creates no value while the route to market remains too difficult.
Experience attribution: These examples reflect David and Rasool’s work in previous leadership, commercial and advisory roles. For MAGRABi, David acted as principal adviser supporting the strategy, capability and operating direction, working alongside the internal team responsible for implementation and platform delivery.
Different strengths. One shared purpose: turning commercial clarity into action.