Oliver Yonchev has announced he’s leaving Flight Story, the digital marketing and communications company he co-founded with Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett.
Yonchev announced his decision on LinkedIn, saying he was looking forward to the next ‘unwritten’ chapter of his life.
He also singled out Bartlett for special praise after working together for nearly a decade.
The pair launched Flight Story three years ago with the initial aim of changing the way companies approach IPOs and communicate with the increasingly influential retail investor sector.
Today the company describes itself as global marketing and communication company that specialises in strategy, creative, communication and performance media services.
While Bartlett, who hosts his own hit podcast The Diary of a CEO and has written bestselling book Happy Sexy Millionaire, Yonchev has been quietly building his own profile as a successful entrepreneur and public speaker.
Last month he attended the final of the prestigious KMPG Tech Innovator Awards, which he’s previously judged.
Writing today on LinkedIn he said: “Today is my closing chapter with Flight Story.
“Three years ago on August 1st, Steven Bartlett and I sat around a table thinking about what Flight Story could be.
“It started with two simple questions: 1. What are we good at?; 2. Where do we see opportunity?”
“Never would I have imagined that this conversation would start a chain of events that transpired into the most intense and rewarding journey of my life.
“Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of sharing the Flight stage with 150+ of the industries most talented people; supported 213 clients; launched teams across four continents; moved HQ five times (in the same city); developed and launched nine products/services; built a world first technology platform; ran hundreds of failed experiments; evaded two attempted company hacks; rebranded the company three times (at least); written 1.8 gazillion proposals; thrown three legendary Christmas parties;’ and I’ve heard enough aviation puns to last a lifetime!
“I’m tremendously proud of what this team has achieved, but it certainly hasn’t been straight forward. Mistakes, zigs, zags, pivots, you name it, it’s happened.
“I’m grateful for all of it – and I’m especially grateful for all my colleagues, clients and partners who made this journey so special.
“There are way too many people for me to tag and express my gratitude on LinkedIn, but I’d be remised, if after almost a decade of working with Steven Bartlett I didn’t say a massive thank you. Love you brother!
“Aside from being Flight Story’s biggest fan, what’s next for me? Well, my next chapter is unwritten. I plan to start writing again very soon.’
Yonchev started his career on a BBC graduate programme before moving to Bauer Media.
He eventually joined Social Chain, which was co-founded by Bartlett and Dominic McGregor.
“I saw the rocket ship that was Social Chain when there was about 30 people in Manchester and I was inspired by the entrepreneurial flair and ambition and joined the business in the UK,” he told BusinessCloud in 2022.
“About 18 months in I was heading up the commercials for the UK and then I moved to New York to support US growth,” he said.
“The US was becoming an increasingly important market for Social Chain. I was there for three years and by the time I left it was the largest proportion of Social Chain. It was a great team and a great business.”
Yonchev left Social Chain in October 2021 to launch Flight Story.
Yonchev’s mother is English and his father is Bulgarian. They met when she went on holiday to Bulgaria: she fell in love with the lifeguard and they moved to Barnsley and had two children.