What was true in the beginning, runs even deeper today.
In 1992, three design pioneers, Jonathan Ford, Mike Branson, and the late Karen Welman, set out to create a new kind of design agency. They wanted to produce intelligent, imaginative, and inspiring work; work that would disrupt the industry and create timeless value and inherent desire for every brand they partnered with.
Inspired by the Ama—a remarkable group of Japanese women who have been free-diving for generations in a brave endeavour for pearls. Our name is the embodiment of a collective passion. It’s the exhilarating quest that begins with a deep dive of discovery and in the end surfaces a unique and valuable object of desire.
Today Pearlfisher continues to do just that—operating from our studios in London and New York, evolving as a multi-disciplinary, integrated global agency, our original principles guide us more than ever.
More than a name. It’s what we do; it’s who we are.
We deliver Wantability.
The brands that win aren’t the ones that simply meet practical needs.
The ones that win have an ability to magnetize—to foster the deep, emotional attraction that turns consumers into loyal advocates.
We call this undeniable power of attraction Wantability.
Wantability is the promise we’re making to our clients. It represents the value we deliver to the market in the form of repeatable, tangible outcomes that drive desire and create value.
Designing a better future for people, brands, and the planet.
At Pearlfisher, we believe creativity unlocks growth, delivers value, and shapes better, more meaningful experiences for all. Our B Corp status reinforces our responsibility to make choices that have a lasting, positive impact. It’s a recognition of our work toward building a more responsible and forward-thinking business. Just as we push ourselves and our clients for creative brilliance, we remain committed to continuously evolving.
For our clients, we can guide them in converting noble intentions into concrete changes through better material choices, recyclable product design, and transparent communications, making environmental responsibility fundamental to their brand expression.
For our teams, it reinforces our commitment to a people-first culture, sustained through practical commitments such as offering livable wages, blind hiring practices, and opportunities for designers from non-traditional educational backgrounds.
We remain committed to continuously evolving—challenging ourselves to dive deeper, think bigger, and drive meaningful change.
Three things you’ll never see us do.
Unethical work
We won’t work with anyone that is dishonest, willfully harming life, consciously enforcing hardship or proactively damaging the environment. We love working with brands committed to change and a better future of all kinds.
Unpaid work
We don’t participate in free creative pitches, offer speculative work or free exclusivity. While sometimes seen as a way to try out a relationship, these practices tend to compromise clarity and effectiveness, and don’t set either party up for long-term success.
Unjustness
We do not tolerate discrimination. We strive to foster a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive workplace culture where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.
Our People
I studied as a linguist, trained in advertising, and landed in design, where I met my future business partners. Building Pearlfisher together, I feel fortunate to be still enjoying this very special 30-year adventure.
My role has evolved over time—from the early days when I drew directly on my background in client management to a wider business leadership role as we have grown and expanded across countries.
An unexpected highlight has been the most recent 12 years living in New York and leading our US business. This period has given me hands-on experience of both our US and UK operations and has equipped me well for my current role as Group Chairman, where I focus on the overall stewardship of the Pearlfisher business across London and New York.
We have always believed in the power of ground-breaking design as a force for good and the potential of a collaborative, independent culture. It’s a culture that, over time, has proved to be resilient and empowering—one where both creative and business excellence are in the spotlight. I see my role as a guardian of that culture, ensuring its continuity in the foundation of Pearlfisher’s growth. In essence, it’s about future-proofing our business.
As Executive Director of Strategic Business Development at Pearlfisher, I accelerate growth both for our clients and for Pearlfisher itself.
I have built transformative relationships with global organizations including Unilever, Diageo, PepsiCo, L’Oreal, and HP. My career journey through renowned global agencies such as Design Bridge, Moving Brands, and Turner Duckworth has shaped my deeply informed approach to brand building, including brand architecture, positioning, and innovation, through to creative expression.
My education in Product Design at the world-renowned Central Saint Martins has given me a foundational understanding of semiotics combined with the role of design thinking in real-life problem solving—knowledge that infuses every strategic decision I make and every creative solution I champion.
I lead multidisciplinary teams that excel at connecting strategy to creative, elevating brands from functional to desirable, and creating measurable commercial impact.
Over three decades, my role has evolved from a graphic designer of packaging to what I can best describe now as a designer of futures as I look to fulfill a broader role that inspires confidence for change and progress for people and the planet.
Day-to-day, as Co-Founder and Group Creative Director, my role sees me nurture high-level relationships with like-minded clients and senior creatives, sharing executive creative thinking above and beyond the needs of a specific project to make a broader impact.
Always pushing myself and others to stretch further, I’m proud to say we’ve built some of the world’s best-known and loved brands, including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Green & Black’s, Waitrose, Target, Wolfgang Puck, Jamie Oliver, Help Remedies, and Jim Beam—while gaining us countless Design Effectiveness Awards and a much-coveted Gold Cannes Lion along the way.
I am a passionate advocate for the role great ideas and design play in adding value, igniting progress, and making a positive impact on brands, industry, and the world. From working with entrepreneurial brand founders to mentoring young talent, both within and outside of the business, I am committed to challenging and inspiring others to push the limits of creative potential.
Over three decades, my role has evolved from a graphic designer of packaging to what I can best describe now as a designer of futures as I look to fulfill a broader role that inspires confidence for change and progress for people and the planet.
Day-to-day, as Co-Founder and Group Creative Director, my role sees me nurture high-level relationships with like-minded clients and senior creatives, sharing executive creative thinking above and beyond the needs of a specific project to make a broader impact.
Always pushing myself and others to stretch further, I’m proud to say we’ve built some of the world’s best-known and loved brands, including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Green & Black’s, Waitrose, Target, Wolfgang Puck, Jamie Oliver, Help Remedies, and Jim Beam—while gaining us countless Design Effectiveness Awards and a much-coveted Gold Cannes Lion along the way.
I am a passionate advocate for the role great ideas and design play in adding value, igniting progress, and making a positive impact on brands, industry, and the world. From working with entrepreneurial brand founders to mentoring young talent, both within and outside of the business, I am committed to challenging and inspiring others to push the limits of creative potential.
With over two decades of industry experience, I’ve honed my skills in brand identity, visual systems, packaging, and brand world across diverse categories—ranging from food and beverage to pharmaceuticals, fashion, wellness, and premium spirits.
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with both iconic brands like McDonald’s, General Mills, PepsiCo, Starbucks, Colgate, Campari, GoMacro, Diageo, Suntory, and AB InBev, as well as challenger brands such as Brew Dr., Genio Della Pizza, Intelligentsia, Thistle, and Sylva.
As a designer, I’m passionate about transforming big ideas into stories that drive positive business impact. I believe the magic is in crafting the details and breaking rules for the right reasons to truly stand out. As a partner, I see trust as the foundation for creating inspiring collaborative spaces. As a leader, I’m driven to continue to elevate the quality of our work and our partnerships.
What I love most about what I do is the opportunity to work alongside an incredibly talented and thoughtful team of specialists. Together, we dive deep to uncover creative solutions that empower brands to lead with purpose and create meaningful connections with their audiences.
Outside the world of branding, you can find me in the kitchen exploring ways to innovate and perfect recipes, writing and performing music, or using my hands to build, sculpt, and create in some shape or form.
Throughout my 18-year career, I’ve had the privilege of working with exceptional teams at Design Bridge, Brand Union, and Big Fish. My work has been recognized with various accolades, including D&AD Pencils, Pentawards, New York Festivals, FAB Awards, and DBA Design Effectiveness Awards. But beyond the trophies, what truly drives me is a passion for design excellence and the power of big ideas to transform brands.
Fostering emerging talent and advancing our industry remains close to my heart. As Co-President of Pentawards and as an Executive Creative Director and mentor at D&AD Shift Studio, I’ve dedicated myself to mentorship and advocacy.
I’m proud to bring my creative energy and passion for big ideas to guide our talented multidisciplinary design team while overseeing our diverse client portfolio that spans tech, beauty, healthcare, food and beverage, lifestyle, and beyond.
I studied as a linguist, trained in advertising, and landed in design, where I met my future business partners. Building Pearlfisher together, I feel fortunate to be still enjoying this very special 30-year adventure.
My role has evolved over time—from the early days when I drew directly on my background in client management to a wider business leadership role as we have grown and expanded across countries.
An unexpected highlight has been the most recent 12 years living in New York and leading our US business. This period has given me hands-on experience of both our US and UK operations and has equipped me well for my current role as Group Chairman, where I focus on the overall stewardship of the Pearlfisher business across London and New York.
We have always believed in the power of ground-breaking design as a force for good and the potential of a collaborative, independent culture. It’s a culture that, over time, has proved to be resilient and empowering—one where both creative and business excellence are in the spotlight. I see my role as a guardian of that culture, ensuring its continuity in the foundation of Pearlfisher’s growth. In essence, it’s about future-proofing our business.
As Executive Director of Strategic Business Development at Pearlfisher, I accelerate growth both for our clients and for Pearlfisher itself.
I have built transformative relationships with global organizations including Unilever, Diageo, PepsiCo, L’Oreal, and HP. My career journey through renowned global agencies such as Design Bridge, Moving Brands, and Turner Duckworth has shaped my deeply informed approach to brand building, including brand architecture, positioning, and innovation, through to creative expression.
My education in Product Design at the world-renowned Central Saint Martins has given me a foundational understanding of semiotics combined with the role of design thinking in real-life problem solving—knowledge that infuses every strategic decision I make and every creative solution I champion.
I lead multidisciplinary teams that excel at connecting strategy to creative, elevating brands from functional to desirable, and creating measurable commercial impact.
Over three decades, my role has evolved from a graphic designer of packaging to what I can best describe now as a designer of futures as I look to fulfill a broader role that inspires confidence for change and progress for people and the planet.
Day-to-day, as Co-Founder and Group Creative Director, my role sees me nurture high-level relationships with like-minded clients and senior creatives, sharing executive creative thinking above and beyond the needs of a specific project to make a broader impact.
Always pushing myself and others to stretch further, I’m proud to say we’ve built some of the world’s best-known and loved brands, including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Green & Black’s, Waitrose, Target, Wolfgang Puck, Jamie Oliver, Help Remedies, and Jim Beam—while gaining us countless Design Effectiveness Awards and a much-coveted Gold Cannes Lion along the way.
I am a passionate advocate for the role great ideas and design play in adding value, igniting progress, and making a positive impact on brands, industry, and the world. From working with entrepreneurial brand founders to mentoring young talent, both within and outside of the business, I am committed to challenging and inspiring others to push the limits of creative potential.
Over three decades, my role has evolved from a graphic designer of packaging to what I can best describe now as a designer of futures as I look to fulfill a broader role that inspires confidence for change and progress for people and the planet.
Day-to-day, as Co-Founder and Group Creative Director, my role sees me nurture high-level relationships with like-minded clients and senior creatives, sharing executive creative thinking above and beyond the needs of a specific project to make a broader impact.
Always pushing myself and others to stretch further, I’m proud to say we’ve built some of the world’s best-known and loved brands, including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Green & Black’s, Waitrose, Target, Wolfgang Puck, Jamie Oliver, Help Remedies, and Jim Beam—while gaining us countless Design Effectiveness Awards and a much-coveted Gold Cannes Lion along the way.
I am a passionate advocate for the role great ideas and design play in adding value, igniting progress, and making a positive impact on brands, industry, and the world. From working with entrepreneurial brand founders to mentoring young talent, both within and outside of the business, I am committed to challenging and inspiring others to push the limits of creative potential.
With over two decades of industry experience, I’ve honed my skills in brand identity, visual systems, packaging, and brand world across diverse categories—ranging from food and beverage to pharmaceuticals, fashion, wellness, and premium spirits.
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with both iconic brands like McDonald’s, General Mills, PepsiCo, Starbucks, Colgate, Campari, GoMacro, Diageo, Suntory, and AB InBev, as well as challenger brands such as Brew Dr., Genio Della Pizza, Intelligentsia, Thistle, and Sylva.
As a designer, I’m passionate about transforming big ideas into stories that drive positive business impact. I believe the magic is in crafting the details and breaking rules for the right reasons to truly stand out. As a partner, I see trust as the foundation for creating inspiring collaborative spaces. As a leader, I’m driven to continue to elevate the quality of our work and our partnerships.
What I love most about what I do is the opportunity to work alongside an incredibly talented and thoughtful team of specialists. Together, we dive deep to uncover creative solutions that empower brands to lead with purpose and create meaningful connections with their audiences.
Outside the world of branding, you can find me in the kitchen exploring ways to innovate and perfect recipes, writing and performing music, or using my hands to build, sculpt, and create in some shape or form.
Throughout my 18-year career, I’ve had the privilege of working with exceptional teams at Design Bridge, Brand Union, and Big Fish. My work has been recognized with various accolades, including D&AD Pencils, Pentawards, New York Festivals, FAB Awards, and DBA Design Effectiveness Awards. But beyond the trophies, what truly drives me is a passion for design excellence and the power of big ideas to transform brands.
Fostering emerging talent and advancing our industry remains close to my heart. As Co-President of Pentawards and as an Executive Creative Director and mentor at D&AD Shift Studio, I’ve dedicated myself to mentorship and advocacy.
I’m proud to bring my creative energy and passion for big ideas to guide our talented multidisciplinary design team while overseeing our diverse client portfolio that spans tech, beauty, healthcare, food and beverage, lifestyle, and beyond.