A fast growing investment platform for e-commerce entrepreneurs, Fearless Adventures, has appointed Rachel McDonald as its first Managing Director this week. The firm, founded by entrepreneurs David Newns, Dominic McGregor and Charlie Yates, hired the former CEO of Dentsu North to accelerate their client partners’ marketing efforts.
McDonald brings a wealth of digital marketing experience from some of the UK’s biggest brands. Her strong track record of using digital marketing to grow high profile brands will benefit Fearless Adventures clients. They are direct-to-consumer (‘DTC’) e-commerce companies, which receive financial capital, marketing and talent recruitment services from the new Manchester-based investment platform.
The newest of these investees include Love Island star Montana Brown’s sustainable swimwear company, Swim Society, and Pets Purest, a natural pet supplement brand which turned over £6m in 2021.
Dominic McGregor, founding partner of Fearless Adventures, said: “Bringing in someone of Rachel’s stature to any business is massively game-changing. We wanted to find an MD for Fearless who agrees with our vision for where startup investment and marketing is going in the future. Having been in the industry for 20 years, Rachel has seen it all and agrees with our idea of what’s next. Our list of investees –our partners– is fast expanding, and they’re all in growth mode, so will truly benefit from a leader like Rachel, who brings unmatched credibility and creativity in marketing.”
Rachel McDonald, Fearless Adventures MD, said: “The founders, hugely successful entrepreneurs in their own right, have an incredible vision for the company and so the potential for my role is huge. I get to help accelerate the growth of some of the most exciting entrepreneurs in the UK, ones with global ambitions. And my team and I will make this happen in the North – a developing region that I’m so passionate about. There’s so much talent here to nurture that I believe we can create the next Hut Group, Boohoo or AO with some of the partners at Fearless Adventures.”
Previously, McDonald was the Managing Director of Dentsu North, the largest agency group outside of London. She managed seven offices in the North of England and Scotland, and a team of more than 800 media, creative, data, and technology specialists, working in digital agencies including Carat, iProspect and Amplifi.
Originally from Cheshire, the Leeds University graduate takes on the role after an exhilarating launch of the Fearless Adventures business in October 2021. Within weeks, the firm has grown at breakneck speed, with more than 400 initial calls with entrepreneurs, 30 startups through to second-stage meetings and 3 investments closed. Additionally, the company has already created 30 new jobs from its Manchester base and is actively working on a further 23 new roles.
