Gareth Sandler

Gareth Sandler is the Founder and CEO of ORRJO, a Glasgow-based business-to-business marketing agency that is a true rising star within the sector. Gareth’s story is a masterclass on beating the odds and a testament to the power of kindness in business.

Gareth was driven towards success from a very young age, taking part-time work in hospitality and retail before he was 16. By the time he was ready to choose a university, Gareth needed an institution that could match his ambition.

“I think the best bit about being at Glasgow Caledonian was very much about that practical way of learning. I need to do things practically for it to go into my brain and for me to then be able to do it.”

Gareth joined the BA Retailing course at Glasgow Caledonian, and it quickly proved to be a hugely valuable experience.

“The experience with the degree was actually a fairly broad one. It allowed me to get a really good understanding of lots of different parts of business in general - from marketing to sales, retail, and everything in between.

“One of the things that really benefitted me was learning how to begin to connect with people, beginning to do what is technically networking. At the time you’re maybe 18 or 19 and you don’t think of it as networking, but that is very much what you’re doing.

“So, you’re building relationships, you’re building connections. That’s something that I’ve been strong at for the majority of my career. I think that probably started at school, but it was definitely nurtured through my time at university.”

Gareth graduated in 2006, and after a brief turn working in sales, he and a friend set up their own contract cleaning and car valeting business. The business saw significant growth over just a few years, soon becoming one of the largest companies of its type in Scotland.

“We didn’t make a huge amount of money, to be honest. But there was a huge amount of real-world learning. What I did feel at the time was that I needed to learn and develop more skills in a more corporate, structured environment.”

Gareth spent the next decade working with the software company Fleetmatics (now Verizon Connect), steadily working his way through the ranks. The role took him all across the world, from London to North America to APAC.

“I’ve been really fortunate to have a very diverse career so far. That’s probably what’s given me the experience and grounding to get to where we are today with the business.”

In 2022, Gareth set up ORRJO, a business-to-business sales and marketing company specialising in opening doors for businesses with their ideal client profile. Working across Europe, North America, Australia, and the UK, ORRJO boasts a growing roster of clients and shows no signs of slowing down.

“The trajectory has been amazing. We’re now at seven figures revenue-wise, and we’ve been profitable since day one. We’ve never borrowed any money, we’ve got zero debt, we’ve never had any funding or grants or support in that way.

“It’s been blood, sweat, and tears. Literally every single day has been hard, but amazing at the same time. I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to build as a team.”

So, what’s next for Gareth and ORRJO?

“The profit that we generate here at ORRJO, pretty much all of it gets reinvested back into the people and the business. And that is what allows us to grow.

“We’ve recently implemented a lot of structure in the business that we needed. We’re also just about to complete a rebrand, which is our first major rebrand as a business. It’s a really exciting time because it’s much more now about who we are and where we’re going, rather than where we’ve been.”

In the meantime, Gareth remains committed to that mission of supporting his team and the next generation of university graduates. He says the secret to his success is simple: Work hard and be kind to people.

“You can be kind and still be successful. A lot of our business has been built through my connections, through referrals, through people that I’ve worked with in the past.

“Don’t get me wrong, there are always ups and downs, and you always have challenges, but if you’re ultimately good to people and you put your best foot forward, it always comes back in spades.”