Belfast brand and creative agency DHD has appointed Steven Legge as Managing Director as the business enters its next phase of growth.
Steven, who has been with the agency for six years, steps into the MD role following a period of significant expansion for DHD, which has grown from a team of five at the beginning of 2020 to 13 people today.
DHD
The appointment comes as DHD continues to strengthen its senior team and broaden its creative offer across brand, web and film.
The agency has also recently appointed Dan Young as Head of Design, Adam Hipson as Filmmaker, promoted Lucy Edmont to Head of Film, and welcomed Olivia Nesbitt as a Junior Designer.
Founded by David Henderson, DHD has evolved in recent years from a business primarily known for website design and development into a full-service brand and creative agency, supporting clients across strategy, identity, digital, film and photography.
The agency works with clients across the world including Harvard Business School, Ballymena Academy, construction firm McLaughlin and Harvey, Cancer Fund for Children, Arts & Business NI, and Manors Golf, and is targeting further growth across education, sport and lifestyle, charity, arts and culture.
Steven Legge, Managing Director at DHD, commented: “When I joined DHD at the start of 2020, there was a lot going on in the world, and we were a much smaller team. The agency was still very focused on website design and development.
“Covid changed things for a lot of businesses. Many suddenly realised how important their online presence was, and that often started with a website. But what we saw very quickly was that a new website alone wasn’t always enough. For many organisations, the bigger issue was their brand, their story and how they were being perceived.
“That shift has really shaped DHD over the past few years. We have built the team around brand, web, film and photography as our core services, and we are now much more focused on looking at the whole business rather than just delivering a single piece of work.
“We don’t want to be transactional. Instead of a client coming to us and saying, ‘we need a website’, we want to understand what they are trying to achieve, how they are being seen by their customers, and how all of the touchpoints work together.
“To be appointed Managing Director at this stage in DHD’s journey is a real privilege. We have an incredibly talented team and I’m excited about helping to lead the agency into its next chapter.”
DHD’s film and content capability has become one of the agency’s fastest-growing areas. Six years ago, the agency didn’t have a dedicated video department. It now has two in-house filmmakers and a growing portfolio of film, photography and content work.
The promotion of Dan Young to Head of Design ensures consistency in output, while Lucy Edmont’s promotion to Head of Film reflects growth, and Adam Hipson’s appointment adds further capacity to the agency’s production team.
David Henderson, Founder of DHD, said: “Steven has played a huge role in the growth and development of DHD over the past six years, so this appointment is a very natural and well-deserved next step.
“He understands the business, our clients and our team, but more importantly he understands where DHD is going. We have moved from being seen mainly as a web design business to becoming a strategic creative brand partner for our clients.
“The growth of the team, the expansion of our video department and the calibre of clients we are working with all point to the direction of travel for the agency. We are investing in people, promoting from within and building the structure we need for the next stage.
“We are proud to be a Belfast agency, and we believe there is a huge opportunity for creative businesses here to work at a very high level across Northern Ireland, the UK and further afield.”
Steven added that DHD’s focus over the next 12 months will be on continuing strategic growth while supporting clients with more innovative and creative solutions:
“The strongest results come when clients come to us with problems rather than pre-determined solutions.
“If someone says they need a new website because they are not getting enough leads, the answer might involve their website, but it might also involve their brand, messaging, film, photography, social content or how their customer journey works.
“That is where we see the biggest opportunity for DHD. It is about bringing everything together and helping businesses present themselves in a clearer, stronger and more effective way.”
