A Little about Us

Tony Dowling is the co-founder of CNVRG (formerly Real Inbound), a consultancy built to close the gap between business strategy and CRM execution. With decades of experience in commercial leadership roles at organisations like The Guardian Media Group, Local World (DMGT), and Team Rock, Tony brings a rare blend of hands-on delivery expertise and executive-level perspective.

His background is rooted in sales and marketing leadership, where he first encountered HubSpot as a customer—not a consultant. That practitioner experience shaped his belief that the real challenge isn’t in choosing the right tool—it’s in aligning the tool with the actual goals of the business.

Since founding CNVRG with long-time friend Mark, Tony has led on Business Analysis, System Architecture, and Revenue Operations. He holds over 30 HubSpot certifications and brings deep domain expertise in CRM design and implementation.

But what truly sets Tony apart is his ability to bridge the top-down and bottom-up divide: helping leadership define strategy, and then translating it into measurable, repeatable, and adopted systems inside HubSpot.

He’s not just here to optimise a platform. He’s here to help your business operate better—by connecting people, process, and platform in a way that actually sticks.

Mark is the co-founder and marketing director of CNVRG (formerly Real Inbound), where he leads on inbound strategy, HubSpot CMS, and digital growth execution. With a deep background in performance marketing and web development, Mark blends technical skill with commercial instinct to help B2B businesses grow strategically—and sustainably.

Originally from Swansea, South Wales, Mark has worked with leading local and national brands—most notably delivering standout campaigns and digital platforms for institutions like Swansea Building Society. His work consistently bridges creativity with conversion, ensuring that marketing isn’t just beautiful—it’s measurable, impactful, and aligned with business goals.

At CNVRG, Mark specialises in translating business objectives into digital experiences that perform. Whether he’s building out a growth-ready HubSpot CMS, mapping inbound journeys, or aligning marketing automation with revenue teams, Mark is the go-to for strategic execution that sticks.

He's not just a marketer—he's a systems thinker with a growth mindset, helping leadership teams transform their marketing from fragmented activity into a unified, scalable engine.

Richard joined CNVRG (formerly Real Inbound) to bring another layer of strategic depth to the leadership team. With over 25 years of experience in digital strategy, SEO, and performance marketing, Richard’s track record includes senior roles across major media and tech brands.

He began his digital journey in 1999 as Head of SEO at The Telegraph and has since held influential positions including Audience Director at Team Rock, Head of Product (News) at Newsquest, and Head of Performance Marketing & SEO at Rated People. Richard has also consulted on digital transformation and product strategy for international brands such as The Toronto Star, Dow Jones, and the BBC.

At CNVRG, Richard leads on digital strategy and platform performance—helping clients build smarter, more scalable, and measurable customer acquisition systems. His expertise spans the intersection of audience development, data strategy, and digital product.

Richard brings a sharp analytical mind, a pragmatic approach to growth, and the ability to connect audience behaviour with commercial outcomes. In short, he helps clients make digital make sense.

Hey! I’m James, the HubSpot Implementation Manager for Real Inbound/CONVRG. I am the lead strategist for HubSpot onboarding, implementation and integration projects, regardless of their complexity.

My particular areas of interest are in marketing, sales and business process automation. I love helping companies to work better, automating manual tasks and connecting different teams, so that your visitors seamlessly go for visitors to prospects, to customers and to repeat buyers/evangelists. By using automation and integration, we can remove friction across your whole organisation, with HubSpot at the centre.

My career has been centered around ensuring successful project onboarding, implementation, and integration, making sure every piece of the puzzle fits seamlessly.

I take the lead in guiding businesses through the intricate process of integrating solutions to meet their needs. Whether it's streamlining operations, enhancing customer experiences, or optimizing processes, I'm the one who makes it happen.

My expertise extends to project management, where I've tackled a variety of challenges across different industries. My goal is always to enhance efficiency and boost customer satisfaction.

Anka is a part-time marketing consultant advising on creatives and paid advertising.

In the other part of her time Anka is a multifaceted professional combining a strong background in science education with a passion for fiction writing.

She holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours, is a qualified science teacher, and possesses a Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI).