In 2024, learning, talent and technology solutions business Jam Pan reached a key stage in its growth journey, recognising the need for a more strategic approach to people, marketing, and commercial scalability. Fractional HR specialist People Puzzles introduced the business to a fractional CMO from The Marketing Centre, and together they helped shape a leadership structure and multi-channel growth strategy that delivered a £2m+ sales pipeline, £1.3m in partner-generated opportunities, and an eNPS score of +55 for employee culture and wellbeing.
Liberti Club Director Alex Evans spoke to MD Tom Pape about how Jam Pan has built an agile, end-to-end growth model powered by specialist partnerships, flexible expertise, and fractional leadership.
Alex: What sets Jam Pan apart from competitors in the L&D space?
Tom: Jam Pan is an agile, highly specialised end-to-end learning solutions business. We started more than 11 years ago by supporting medium and large organisations with freelance learning, development, and talent specialists when they lacked the in-house capability or capacity to deliver against their people agendas. Today, we have a network of approximately 850 freelance consultants at any one time.
Much like Liberti’s fractional leadership model, our consultants integrate seamlessly into client organisations — whether that’s a single specialist or an entire delivery team — becoming a genuine extension of the business.
As we’ve evolved, we’ve expanded into broader learning solutions and technology services. We now work with over 100 partners to deliver managed learning services end-to-end, alongside supporting clients with learning technology implementations, optimisation, and systems integration. For example, one client had 13 separate learning platforms across their European operation, and we helped consolidate and optimise these into a single streamlined solution.
Alongside delivery, we also provide consultancy services — from helping L&D leaders build business cases for technology investment through to sourcing and implementing the right tools for their organisation.
What really differentiates Jam Pan is our agility, the depth of expertise we can access through our freelance network, and the value we create by combining specialist capability with a highly flexible delivery model.
Alex: As more businesses use AI to increase speed and reduce cost of delivery, how are you pricing your services to stay competitive?
Tom: Over the last decade, many organisations in our sector have operated with premium pricing models aimed at large corporates with significant budgets. However, the current economic climate is driving a much stronger focus on value and measurable return on investment.
Clients are rightly asking how providers can leverage AI to increase efficiency, improve speed of delivery, and reduce costs — but at the same time, they still need experienced, human-centred expertise to guide and govern that process effectively.
At Jam Pan, we’ve always been highly value-focused, so rather than simply reducing cost, we’re focused on delivering more value for the same investment. That approach is resonating strongly with clients and has helped us secure several long-term managed service contracts.
Alex: Why have you opted to work with multiple fractional leaders in your business?
Tom: Yes, we’ve worked closely with several Liberti partners, including Robin Stirzaker-Philips from People Puzzles for HR, Beth Cooper from The Marketing Centre for brand and marketing, and more recently Richard McCandless from Kiss the Fish for sales.
As an owner-managed business of around 20–30 people, we’ve always punched above our weight. However, as the business grew, we recognised the need for more senior specialist expertise in areas such as HR, marketing, and sales — without necessarily requiring full-time appointments in each discipline.
The fractional model was therefore a natural fit for us. It aligns closely with our own DNA as a flexible, expertise-led business model. We wanted experienced people who could come in, quickly understand the business, and make an immediate impact from day one.
Liberti introduced us to People Puzzles, and Robin has been exceptional. Beth has had a similarly positive impact. She genuinely feels like part of the Jam Pan team — most people wouldn’t realise she’s fractional. Historically, Jam Pan grew rapidly through referrals, partnerships, and word of mouth, so marketing was never a major focus for us. Beth has helped us become far more strategic in our marketing and intentional in how we position the brand and go to market.
For example, we previously invested heavily in large-scale events such as Learning Technologies, whereas now we’re taking a much smarter, more targeted multi-channel approach to marketing spend and campaign activity.
Alex: Is there anything you’ve gained from working with fractional leaders that you didn’t expect?
Tom: What Beth and Robin have brought to the business goes far beyond their core functional expertise. They’ve become genuine members of the Jam Pan team and have added an invaluable external perspective to how we think about the business overall.
Because they work across multiple organisations and industries, they bring fresh ideas, broader commercial insight, and different ways of approaching challenges that we may not naturally see from within our own environment.
That external perspective has been hugely valuable. It’s not just about HR, marketing, or sales support — it’s about having experienced strategic partners who contribute to the wider evolution and growth of the business.
Find out more about Jam Pan learning solutions at https://jam-pan.com/.