More Growth, Less Stress
Doug Baxter
Managing Partner
"Founders don’t just build agencies — they build identities, cultures, and lives around them. Transactions work best when people are understood first, numbers second. That’s what empathetic M&A means to us.
A progressive approach to agency value
Alongside his M&A practice, Doug is the driving force behind Robot & Child — Agency Futures' AI consulting proposition for agency owners. Robot & Child is built on a straightforward premise: that artificial intelligence delivers its greatest value not as a replacement for expertise, but as an amplifier of it. The name says it: the machine and the human, working together.
In practice, Robot & Child helps agency leaders understand where AI can accelerate their operations, sharpen their positioning, and improve the metrics that buyers care about most — EBITDA, utilisation, and scalable process. It's a natural complement to the M&A work: better-run agencies attract better buyers and transact on better terms.
It's also a philosophy shared across the Agency Futures partnership. Simon Morgan brings the same technology-operator mindset to every transaction — having built and exited technology-driven businesses himself, he applies AI and modern data tools to financial modelling, buyer intelligence, and deal preparation in ways that compress timelines and reduce the risk of surprises in due diligence.
Between them, Doug and Simon represent an advisory practice that is genuinely built for how agencies operate now, not how they operated a decade ago.
Background and credentials
Founded, scaled, and sold three independent creative agencies
Something about agency leadership???
Specialist in creative dealmaking and founder-led transactions
Advisor to independent agency networks across the UK, North America, and APAC
Champion of empathetic M&A — transactions that create positive outcomes for people as well as businesses
Founder, Agency Futures — buy-side, sell-side, and merger advisory globally
Founder, Robot & Child — AI consulting for agency owners
Co-Host, Agency Principals Podcast -- Conversations on Unlocking Agency Value
Thinking about what comes next?
Whether you're considering a sale, exploring a merger, or simply want to understand what your agency is worth — Doug would welcome a conversation.
Connect directly on LinkedIn or get started below.
"Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via" — To the tenacious, no road is impassable.
What is empathetic M&A?
Empathetic M&A is Agency Futures' approach to transactions — one that puts the human experience of a deal alongside the commercial outcome. Selling a business you've built is rarely just a financial event. It involves identity, relationships, team, and legacy. Doug Baxter has been through that process himself, three times, and brings that firsthand understanding to every mandate. The goal is transactions that work for people as well as balance sheets.
What is Robot & Child?
Robot & Child is Agency Futures' AI consulting proposition for agency owners, championed by Doug Baxter. It's built on the premise that AI delivers its greatest value not as a replacement for human expertise, but as an amplifier of it. In practice it helps agency leaders identify where AI can improve operations, sharpen positioning, and strengthen the metrics buyers care about most — EBITDA, utilisation, and scalable process. Better-run agencies attract better buyers and transact on better terms.
How long does it take to sell a marketing agency?
Most transactions take between 6 and 18 months from initial preparation to completion. Preparation -- including financial clean-up, positioning, and CIM development -- is the most important phase and should ideally begin 12-24 months before you want to transact.
What types of agencies does Agency Futures work with?
Independent marketing, creative, PR, and communications agencies -- typically with revenues between $2M and $50M. Founders across Australia, the UK, and the US who are considering a sale, merger, or acquisition, or who simply want to understand their options before committing to a path.
What's the difference between sell-side and buy-side advisory?
Sell-side supports founders who want to sell or merge -- managing positioning, buyer outreach, negotiation, and process. Buy-side supports acquirers looking to identify and acquire agencies that fit a specific brief. Agency Futures runs both.
Where is Doug based and who does he work with?
Doug works with agency founders and networks across the UK & Europe, North America, and APAC. Agency Futures operates globally, with active mandates across multiple markets, and is well-positioned to advise founders on both domestic transactions and cross-border deals.
