Getting to know... Charlie Terry

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Getting to know... feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Charlie Terry, founder and chief executive of London, Brighton and Manchester-based digital marketing agency CEEK, talks about swapping sport for business, finding the right work/life balance and the pull of London...

We know you as the founder of CEEK, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick…

Growing up, rugby was the focus. 

I wanted to be the best in the country in my position, and that was always the goal. 

I played for England a couple of times, and was due to go to university to essentially focus on pursuing that path. 

At the same time, I’d always had a passion for business. 

Instead of going to university, I ended up moving to New York, and that really kickstarted my working career. 

I’ve always been very competitive. 

I love my sport, but business became the focus. 

Over the years, I’ve built events businesses, recruitment businesses and a talent management business, which I’m still involved with today, as well as a marketing agency.

Did you always want to work in marketing?

I didn’t always want to work in marketing. 

However, in many of the roles I’ve had and the businesses I’ve built, sales and marketing ended up being the area where I focused most. 

Even when we had an events business, we thought of it as an events company and it was essentially a marketing business. 

I’ve kind of always done it, and I’m really proud of what we’ve built at CEEK.

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst?

The best bit about my job is the people.

I’m very lucky to work with a really special team. 

We also get to meet a lot of very inspiring business leaders and founders.

The worst part is the pressure. 

We’re responsible for the revenues and the jobs of a lot of people across a lot of businesses. 

That can be difficult, and managing stress, time and everything that comes with it can be challenging.

You have to sacrifice a lot to run businesses, which can mean less time with family and friends.

But I firmly believe that if the work is fulfilling, you should take the opportunities that are there. 

Life is short, but as you grow in business you should also look to buy back your time so you can do those things. 

When you do, you appreciate them even more.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

I don't think I've achieved my greatest thing yet. 

As a business, we've achieved a lot, but that's not down to me. It’s down to the business and the team.

How do you relax outside of work?

The main one at the moment is padel. I love it. 

I also love to travel, and I’m really lucky I get to do a lot of that through business. 

Dog walks are another one. 

I recently visited my mum and dad, who have a Shih Tzu–pug cross. 

He’s called Dexter and is big and quite athletic. He’s very cool.

What makes London such a great place to live and work?

London gets a bad rap because it can be brutal, the same way New York can be.

But there’s more opportunity in London than almost anywhere. 

It’s a huge city with lots of different areas that have their own personalities. 

There’s so much history, so much beautiful architecture and the business community is thriving. 

The food scene is undoubtedly one of the best in the world too. 

That said, like with any big city, you do need to get out regularly, whether that’s into the countryside or down to the beach.

I grew up next to the sea, so that’s very important to me. 

But when I’m in the city, it’s go time.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

If I took my mother’s maiden name, my actual name would be Charlie Barley.

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