Jonathan Knowles

Jonathan Knowles is a business strategy consultant, author, and founder of Type 2 Consulting, a strategic advisory firm with offices in New York and Toronto. Knowles established Type 2 Consulting after a career spanning roles in finance at the Bank of England, strategy consulting at Marakon Associates, creative brand strategy at Wolff Olins, brand equity measurement at Stern Stewart/Y&R's BrandEconomics, and brand valuation at Brand Finance. This cross-disciplinary background positions Knowles at the intersection of marketing, finance, and business strategy.

Type 2 Consulting advises companies on strategy, purpose, value creation, and value capture, providing a foundation for enduring business success. Knowles draws on his experience across multiple disciplines to demonstrate how strategy, marketing, human resources, and finance can be aligned to create sustainable business models that incorporate stakeholder interests and adapt to change.

Knowles is the coauthor of five articles in Harvard Business Review and 15 in MIT Sloan Management Review, including nine that form "The Strategy of Change" series. His work has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Professional Investor, Intellectual Asset Management, Review of Marketing Research, Journal of Interactive Marketing, The Marketing Journal, and the American Marketing Association's Marketing Management. He has coauthored chapters on "The Marketing Implications of Financial Accounting" and "Orientation and Marketing Metrics," as well as a Marketing Science Institute working paper on "The Value Implications of Corporate Branding in Mergers." Knowles is also coauthor of the book "Vulcans, Earthlings & Marketing ROI."

Among his notable works is "What is the Purpose of Your Purpose?" published in Harvard Business Review, which examines the various meanings of corporate purpose and outlines a process for defining purpose in a way that is both authentic and actionable. Knowles frequently addresses the alignment of marketing and finance, advocating for a "finance first" approach to marketing that highlights the role of marketing in driving growth, profit, and risk management.

Knowles is an experienced speaker at industry events, including those organized by the Association of National Advertisers, and at business schools such as Columbia, NYU, Thunderbird, and Tuck. He has served as managing director of the Marketing Science Institute, contributing to the connection between academic research and practical business strategy. Knowles is recognized for translating complex financial and strategic concepts into actionable frameworks for executives and organizations navigating business transformation, marketing strategy, and value creation.