William Maughan joins Pearlfisher London as Managing Director

We’re pleased to announce that William Maughan has joined Pearlfisher London as Managing Director. William initially joined us in August 2025 as Interim MD, reinforcing our strategic direction and helping to shape the next phase of our evolution. He now steps into the role full-time, leading our London team and driving our continued growth.

In his role, William will focus on shaping Pearlfisher’s future model. Enhancing our premium strategic and creative offer, evolving ways of working and ensuring the continued creation of brands that drive irresistible human connection. He will oversee the London business across strategy, growth, talent and culture, partnering closely with the global leadership team to strengthen how Pearlfisher delivers value and long-term brand impact for our clients.

William is a seasoned strategy, brand and marketing leader with more than 25 years’ experience in high-level consultancy, advising start-ups, SMBs and global organisations across sectors. His expertise spans brand creation and development, business strategy, service design, and the design of customer and employee experiences for brands including Phoenix Group, John Lewis & Partners, BT, Virgin and 20th Century Fox. Throughout his career, he has originated and executed impactful B2B, B2B2C and B2C strategies grounded in deep insight, emotional intelligence and organisational effectiveness. At Pearlfisher, he now brings this experience to clients looking to meet new expectations of relevance, creativity and growth.

A note from Pearlfisher’s Founding Partner, Mike Branson

“William has a long and very special history with Pearlfisher. In the late ’90s, he worked with us as a consultant and played a fundamental role in defining our original ‘Desire’ positioning. This was groundbreaking at the time for the way it tapped into this innate human need and reshaped how brands could create deep emotional pull. It guided over two decades of work and helped us build some of the world’s best loved brands.

Now, as many agencies talk about the power of desire, William has led the development of an evolved and truly ownable Pearlfisher positioning – one that connects back to the meaning of our name, and to our unique human-centred approach. He’s helped us articulate the way we dive deeper, using imagination and creativity to surface the brilliance and essence within every brand. We couldn’t be more excited to have him leading our London studio into the future and have already felt the impact of his highly strategic, empathetic and collaborative approach to business leadership over the past few months.”

A note from William

“I’ve always admired Pearlfisher, ever since we first partnered all those years ago. I’ve long been inspired by the work, the relationships they build with their clients, the fact they’ve never relied on a house style, and by the way the Pearlfisher Founders built something truly distinctive. The culture they created – collaborative, human, imaginative – has always been the soul of Pearlfisher, and it’s incredible to see it alive and well today.

After 25 years in consultancy, there aren’t many businesses I’d want to join full-time, but Pearlfisher is one of them. Coming back felt natural, and staying on feels even more so. I’m excited to help write the next chapter for Pearlfisher and our clients, continuing to define premium brand design and building the kind of meaningful human-connection that brands increasingly need to compete today.”