Our Story
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.
Our Value
We promise human connection.
If brands are going to flourish in today’s market, now more than ever, they must navigate an intricate set of human aspirations that determine and drive selection and loyalty.
Find the Pearl In Every Brand is our way of looking at brands. To understand and unlock this intricate set of human desires that drive people to want and choose your brand. Not because you’re the loudest, but because you drive real human connection and contribute to a sense of purpose and community.
Our Commitment
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.
Our Non-Negotiables
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
Mike BransonFounding Partner & Group Chairman

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.
We have developed Pearlfisher around strong values and principles, and this has always been a guiding light for me. I’m driven by a desire to build a progressive, world-class design business that can be ethical, as well as a platform for outstanding creativity, within a highly collaborative environment where talented and ambitious people can truly flourish.
As Group Chairman, I’ve now graduated to my ideal role within the business, which plays to my natural mentoring style and active, facilitative approach to leadership. I’m inherently optimistic, thoughtful, pragmatic, and even-handed—I can be the voice of reason in the room and am always looking for the ‘win-win’ outcome.
Outside of Pearlfisher, over the past decade, non-profit trusteeships with Amantani, championing education in Peru, and the Iyengar Yoga Association in New York have stretched and enriched my experiences. Beyond the working day, road biking stretches and enriches me in other ways—I love the speed of the downhill, the struggle of the uphill, and the view from the summit.
Jonathan FordFounding Partner & Group Creative Director

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.
My sustainable interests see me chair the Haller Foundation, a not-for-profit organization providing a model for ecological community development in Africa, and when totally offline, I am graduating towards garden design.
Elliott CaloGlobal CFO/COO

With more than 30 years’ experience in the creative, advertising, marketing, and non- profit worlds, I’ve taken on a range of roles from agency shareholder to founder of a financial advisory practice for creative businesses. My journey has allowed me to support global agencies through key transitions—managing growth, guiding organizational change, and helping teams navigate both uncertainty and opportunity.
During my career, I’ve overseen financial planning, business operations, and strategic initiatives across multiple sectors and agency models. I aim to bring steady guidance, foster collaboration, and support colleagues at every level.
I enjoy learning from others, building trust, and creating an environment where people can do their best work. Outside the office, I spend my time traveling, cycling, playing drums and bass, and living out my faith with family. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to Pearlfisher’s ongoing journey and support our teams in reaching their goals.
Maddie FortescueGlobal Head of People

I am the Head of HR / Human Resource Director with extensive experience in managing people practices, recruitment, performance management, learning and development, and resource management.
With over 10 years of experience managing a global team, I have worked effectively with different cultures, teams, and time zones. I have strong experience in managing change within an organization and in managing the relationship between HR and business leaders, as well as business performance and operations.
I am a principle-led leader who is proactive, approachable, and embraces challenges. I believe in the importance of creating and maintaining a strong culture that underpins an organization's values and ambitions. By focusing on developing and embracing talent, organizations can unlock their human capital and competitive advantage in the market.
William MaughanManaging Director | LDN

My career has been shaped by a genuine commitment to helping organisations grow strategically and creatively in ways that strengthen both their brand and their culture. At the heart of my approach is emotionally intelligent leadership and a belief in the power of thoughtful, human-centred strategy.
I’ve been fortunate to work with leaders across sectors spanning retail, financial services, global travel, hospitality, media, and telecoms. Many partners came to me at pivotal moments of complexity or ambition, where combining brand-led thinking with clear leadership made a meaningful difference. My client experience includes global names such as Phoenix Group, 20th Century Fox, Radisson, Aviva, and BT, as well as iconic British brands including John Lewis & Partners, British Airways, Asda, Tesco, Waitrose, and Virgin Group.
At Pearlfisher, I’m energised by the chance to guide and support our team in uniting commercial ambition with deep human connection. Whether redefining purpose, shaping new propositions, or revitalising visual ecosystems, I’m driven by the pursuit of diving deeper and surfacing the pearl in every brand we touch.
Colleagues and clients describe me as constructively challenging, emotionally intelligent, and highly collaborative. I aim to bring calm, clarity, and true partnership to every project.
Justine AllanManaging Director | NYC

As Managing Director at Pearlfisher NYC, 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.
What sets my approach apart is an intuitive understanding of brand commercial value paired with forthright communication. I bring a rare capacity to truly listen—translating what clients need rather than simply what they ask for—offering empathetic insight while maintaining a refreshingly low threshold for anything that doesn't serve a brand's authentic purpose.
Matt SiaExecutive Creative Director | NYC

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.
Chloe TemplemanExecutive Creative Director | LDN

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.
Kim StoreySenior Director, Finance | LDN

As Senior Director, Finance, I oversee the bigger business picture to ensure our creative and commercial success.
My education was always angled towards finance. I achieved a degree in Banking and Finance and qualified as an accountant, but I deliberately chose the path less traveled, taking my expertise into a finance career within the branding sector. I love working with inspiring and creative people, and the fluid and dynamic environment at Pearlfisher gives me the perfect balance.
I am sport mad—the more unusual or exciting, the better—and weekends will see me doing anything from rock climbing to boarding down active volcanoes!
Courtney TightHead of Client Partnerships & Program Management | NYC

As Head of Client Management, I’m responsible for all of our client relationships and overseeing our world-class Client Partnerships and Program Management teams. Since starting at Pearlfisher in 2014, I have led a whole suite of our clients to award-winning, impactful work. I’m always thinking about how to best ensure quality (and joy) in the delivery of our strategic and creative engagements with the full team.
I’ve partnered with challenger brands and iconic Fortune 500 companies and have led initiatives at Pearlfisher, including those with McDonald’s, Tecate, Yoplait, HP, Intelligentsia Coffee, Suntory Global Spirits, Driscoll’s, and Wolfgang Puck. Prior to Pearlfisher, I started at FutureBrand, where I worked with The Walt Disney Company and Axalta Coating Systems.
Now, with more than a decade in the industry, I am seriously passionate about building meaningful, long-lasting relationships that are rooted in trust and curiosity. I love to transform challenges into growth opportunities and ensure our partnerships evolve strategically for long-term success. I’m all about building brands because brands have that magical ability to affect how we think, feel, behave, and experience our world.
Born in Australia, I grew up in Thailand and lived in four countries before moving to New York in 2012, so I bring a global mindset to the table, alongside a real Aussie love of laughter. At work and in life, I like to tackle problems head-on with an empathetic, strategic, and creative touch. Outside of the studio, you can find me running around with the Prospect Park Track Club, cooking up a storm, or solving the New York Times Crossword.
Margot ColeouHead of Client Partnerships & Program Management | LDN

A born Parisian who fell in love with London, I bring trilingual skills, a degree in Global Communications, and two Master's degrees in Branding to Pearlfisher. Efficient, straight-talking, and dedicated to achieving perfection for my clients, I have worked for a range of companies, including Havas and Publicis, across all aspects of the communications industry, from journalism to graphic design. Now, I tap into my extensive knowledge to help manage and nurture Pearlfisher's global clients.
Out of the office, I exercise my creative urges constantly, whether cooking, painting, going to the ballet, or taking photos on my travels. My love of exploration and learning about different cultures provides me with the empathy and curiosity that make me ideal for not only handling but also devoting myself to Pearlfisher's clients and brands.
Christina PapaleHead of Strategy | NYC
I’m both an entrepreneur and an intrepreneur — so Pearlfisher’s innovative spirit is like wind under wings. Here, I can challenge what branding as a service can be, on projects where going into the deepest depths and coming up for air is encouraged.
My years as Founder of Verboten Group and time spent at CBX and Interbrand have prepared me well for the future. I can’t say there are many Fortune 500 categories I haven’t touched in 20 industry years—I’ve taken learnings from F&B, beauty, and technology and cross pollinated them with motor oil, women’s health and cannabis. I’ve learned that a shift in perspective is how we can make real change in this industry and in the world.
New York is my home but the time I spend away from her, engaging with other places and people, is what drives me to build brands that humans fall in love with, and that love humans back.
Adam BentleyHead of Production | NYC

Moving into my fourth decade working in the design industry, I remain committed to learning, evolving, and applying my expertise in production to the teams and partners I collaborate with. Currently specializing in brand design at Pearlfisher, my career has encompassed digital photo restoration, prepress and reprographics, as well as production management for leading design agencies across London before transitioning to New York.
I have played a key role in bringing globally recognized brands to market, including Molson Coors, Campari, LVMH, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, and McCain, along with numerous private label and supermarket campaigns.
My passion for luxury packaging stems from its emphasis on precision and craftsmanship. I take great satisfaction in crafting distinctive tactile and visual experiences, carefully developed over extended timeframes to ensure exceptional quality and impact.
Jon NichollsGlobal Technology Director

I may spend my life behind the scenes, but I am always one step ahead when it comes to IT and my responsibility for leading the global IT team and the management, strategy, and execution of IT for the business.
I oversee IT and technical projects in alignment with organizational goals, constantly finding new ways to design, develop, and integrate new technology to enable the business and each individual to operate more easily and efficiently. I enjoy the challenge of constantly looking for ways to benefit the team's daily interactions and how we enable and future-proof our global operation.