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Andy Knell
FOUNDER AK CREATIVE AND JOLT
Professional Background
Andy Knell boasts a distinguished career in the creative industry, where he has been instrumental in paving the way for innovative and effective talent acquisition. As the Managing Director at AK Creative, a leading creative recruitment agency in the UK, he has dedicated over a decade to connecting top-tier talent with some of the best creative companies in the world. Under Andy's leadership, AK Creative has not only established itself as a frontrunner in recruitment but has also been recognized for its commitment to diversity and inclusion within the creative sector.
One of Andy's most significant contributions is the establishment of the JOLT Academy, a holistic grassroots diversity program aimed at nurturing a more inclusive and representative creative industry. This initiative has played a vital role in empowering underrepresented talent and is a testament to Andy's belief that diversity not only enriches the creative process but is also essential for business relevance and success. The impact of this work has been acknowledged by industry leaders, with AK Creative receiving the prestigious Campaign magazine Diversity TrailBlazer status, highlighting their groundbreaking efforts in this area.
Throughout his career, Andy has held various influential positions that reflect his expertise and commitment to the creative community. Before taking the helm at AK Creative, he contributed his talents as an International Creative Headhunter at WithUs and played a pivotal role at OurCreativeCommunity and EPIC as a Director. His background also includes valuable experience as a Senior Creative Consultant at NABS and as an Account Manager at renowned advertising agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, along with an earlier role as an Account Executive at Banks Hoggins O'Shea FCB. Each of these positions has helped shape Andy's comprehensive understanding of the creative landscape and reinforced his passion for helping talented individuals realize their potential.
Education and Achievements
Andy Knell has a solid educational foundation, having earned a BSc in Psychology from the esteemed Royal Holloway, University of London. This academic background in psychology has undoubtedly equipped Andy with a unique perspective on human behavior, creativity, and the dynamics of teamwork, all of which are crucial for fostering relationships between talent and employers in the creative sector.
Along with his professional accomplishments, Andy's commitment to the development of talent in the creative field is further exemplified by the success of the JOLT Academy. This program not only assists diverse talent in honing their craft but also ensures that creative companies are equipped with inclusive practices, thereby fostering a more dynamic and innovative industry.
Through his multifaceted work, both at AK Creative and beyond, Andy has continuously demonstrated his dedication to advancing diversity, promoting talent development, and enhancing the overall evolution of the creative industry. His strategic vision, combined with a genuine passion for people, positions him as a leader and a key influencer in the creative recruitment space.
Notable Achievements
- Diversity TrailBlazer Status: AK Creative's recognition by Campaign magazine as a Diversity TrailBlazer is a significant marker of Andy's impact on the creative recruitment landscape, showcasing his commitment to inclusive practices.
- JOLT Academy: The establishment of the JOLT Academy underscores Andy's innovative approach to diversity within the industry, enabling a new generation of creative talent to gain essential skills and opportunities.
- Extensive Industry Experience: Andy's diverse roles—ranging from International Creative Headhunter to Senior Creative Consultant—have provided him with extensive insights into the creative market, allowing him to effectively match talent with opportunities.
- Networking and Relationship Building: Andy’s prowess in networking has allowed him to forge strong connections within the industry, enabling AK Creative to become a trusted partner for both job seekers and creative businesses.
- Advancement of Talent: Through his efforts at AK Creative and the JOLT Academy, Andy has played a crucial role in not just finding talent but also enhancing the capabilities of people in the creative industry, ultimately elevating the industry's standards and output.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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