GEL Studios Wins Global Award for People-First Business Approach

Swindon-based creative agency GEL Studios has been named a winner at the Haier Zero Distance Excellence (ZeroDX) Awards, receiving international recognition for its people-first approach. 

Run in collaboration with the Haier Model Institute and Business Ecosystem Alliance, the awards recognise organisations applying the principles of ‘Zero Distance’ within their operations. They celebrate businesses that build stronger connections between employees and the customers they serve, challenge conventional structures and show how giving people closest to the work greater ownership can create more meaningful impact. 

For GEL Studios, the award reflects a long-standing commitment to creating value through a deeper understanding of customer needs, underpinned by a business model that gives employees greater ownership and accountability. Since working with Simon Reindl, CEO of Advanced Product Delivery, the agency has continued to shape its operations around direct client engagement and self-managing teams. 

By removing barriers between decision-makers, teams and clients, GEL Studios has built a culture where trust and ownership guide how work is delivered. Team members are encouraged to take responsibility for the relationships they build and the outcomes they create, allowing decisions to be made quickly, confidently and with purpose. 

That culture has supported strong employee retention and high levels of client satisfaction, with team members empowered to help shape the future of the agency. It has also strengthened charitable and community partnerships, which have become a defining part of GEL Studios’ identity. 

Over the years, this model has continued to evolve, helping the agency balance commercial success with strong values and a commitment to responsible business. 

Success at the ZeroDX Awards marks an important milestone in more than a decade of organisational development at GEL Studios, during which the agency has intentionally challenged traditional management structures. International recognition provides strong validation that alternative business models can deliver meaningful results for both employees and clients. 

While the award celebrates what GEL Studios has achieved to date, the team sees it as encouragement to keep evolving and to demonstrate that businesses of any size can build commercial success by putting people and purpose at the heart of decision-making. 

Graeme Leighfield, Founder and Managing Director of GEL Studios, said: 

“Winning this award is incredibly special because it validates a way of doing business we’ve believed in for years. While many organisations still operate through layers of hierarchy, we’ve worked hard to build an environment where people are trusted to make decisions, solve problems and create value directly for clients. To see that recognised on a global stage is a fantastic achievement for our team.”