Alex Hirst and Lizzie Penny

Having been colleagues and friends for many years, Alex and Lizzie founded The Hoxby Collective with a shared belief that talented people can be trusted to work completely flexibly - wherever, whenever and however they want. They believe that this trust can enable the Hoxby  community to fit their work around their lives and in return, act as the most talented and motivated workforce in the world.

Alex Hirst, Founder and Joint CEO, The Hoxby Collective

Alex has a wealth of strategic marketing and account management experience, having directed critical marketing campaigns and innovation projects for a client portfolio that includes The FA, Diageo and Moet Hennessy while holding a leadership position at creative agency, Futureproof. Prior to that, Alex lead a series of high profile events for a client portfolio that included Her Majesty The Queen, for whom he oversaw the Garden Parties and Summer Openings. 

With plenty of hands-on experience in management and a degree in Product Design, Alex brings a highly creative yet pragmatic approach to everyday problem solving in business. By identifying the demand for flexible work and the need for flexible access to talent, he co-founded Hoxby in May 2015 to better meet the needs of people and companies now and for the future.

Lizzie Penny, Founder and Joint CEO, The Hoxby Collective

A highly strategic and commercial entrepreneur from a marketing background, Lizzie has a wealth of experience creating, nurturing and optimising small and large businesses and brands.  Lizzie is co-founder & joint CEO of the flexible working community The Hoxby Collective, which she co-founded at the start of 2015. She founded her first business - marketing agency Futureproof - age 26. She is also a Non Executive Director at the Ethical Fashion Forum. 

Lizzie’s passion, determination and entrepreneurial flair underpin everything she does. Prior to her leadership of over 400 Associates at Hoxby, she founded and grew an effectiveness-focussed marketing agency, and has build two powerful brands of her own to disrupt the marketing industry and the working world more generally. Before her leap to running her own businesses, Lizzie worked at Diageo managing iconic brands such as Pimm’s, Smirnoff and Guinness, and prior to that worked at Sainsbury’s and Masterfoods. Her strategic and commercial nous was also nurtured during her time at and Arthur Andersen, and is underpinned with a first class degree from Warwick Business School.

Lizzie works tirelessly, albeit flexibly, to promote the #workstyle movement and ensure more and more people can spend their time in the way that most inspires them.