LUMEN SEO APPOINTS FORMER POPULATE SOCIAL CEO DANIEL SIMMONS AS NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Cardiff-based digital marketing agency Lumen SEO has appointed entrepreneur and agency founder Daniel Simmons as Non-Executive Director, marking a significant step in the company’s strategy to expand internationally and scale its operations.
Simmons, who previously served as Chief Executive of Populate Social, brings more than a decade of experience building and scaling a successful agency business. His appointment is expected to support Lumen SEO’s next stage of development as it seeks to strengthen its leadership structure and accelerate growth beyond the UK.
Founded six years ago, Lumen SEO has grown rapidly to become the largest search engine optimisation agency in Wales. The company has recorded consistent year-on-year growth and built a reputation for its distinctive workplace culture, including a widely publicised 32-hour working week and a strong emphasis on employee wellbeing.
The business now aims to combine its people-first culture with a more structured leadership framework as it prepares to expand into international markets.
Aled Nelmes, founder and chief executive of Lumen SEO, said the appointment comes at a critical moment for the agency as it transitions from founder-led growth to a more strategically driven model.
“Despite continuous yearly growth, it’s been at the expense of my being incredibly overworked in the business when I should be working smartly on the business.”
Nelmes said bringing in experienced external guidance would allow the company to address key challenges including improving operational efficiency, strengthening leadership capability and focusing on profitability alongside revenue growth.
Under the new structure, Simmons will advise the leadership team on strategic planning, hiring senior leaders and preparing the business for further expansion.
The agency’s ambitions are considerable. Lumen SEO has set a target to significantly increase revenue in the coming years while maintaining the culture that has become central to its brand.
“I believe we can double in revenue in 2026, but it’s more about how we get there,” Nelmes said.
“We must be able to get there by maintaining our cultural values that make Lumen one of the greatest places to work, and we need to get there by making sure I confidently delegate more and hire some great leaders during the year.”
For Simmons, the role represents an opportunity to support a fast-growing digital agency at a pivotal stage in its development.
“I truly believe culture and leadership are two of the most important things when running a people-powered business.
“It’s important to still have a strong commercial focus to sit alongside this, and having the right balance is integral.”
Having previously built a Wales-based agency serving clients across the UK, Europe and the United States, Simmons brings first-hand experience of international scaling that will be valuable as Lumen SEO explores opportunities beyond the UK market.
He said senior leadership in agencies often faces a constant stream of complex decisions that shape long-term performance.
“There are so many decisions you have to make each day as a senior leader in an agency; I can bring knowledge and experience of these decisions to help ensure focus is kept in the right areas, spending time on what really matters and drives impact.”
International expansion, particularly into North America, is now firmly on the company’s strategic agenda.
Nelmes believes the United States represents a natural next step for the business, citing cultural differences in how companies approach risk and innovation.
“The very culture that runs through SMEs in the USA is more experimental, more pro-risk, and more ambitious compared to the UK, where businesses tend to act more conservatively.
“I love working with curious risk takers, and so does our team.”
For Lumen SEO, the leadership change signals a new phase focused on sustainable growth, stronger governance and international ambition. Nelmes describes the company’s next chapter as one defined by “honesty, discovery, and experimentation.”
