Yellow Fish has announced a leadership restructure designed to support the agency’s continued growth, with Jess Charles appointed managing director and Laura Pace moving into the role of chief executive officer.
Charles will take responsibility for the day-to-day running of Yellow Fish, while continuing to oversee major client accounts. She joined the agency in 2023 as head of live, where she spent two years driving business growth alongside a focus on client and talent retention.
Charles said: "The move from head of live to managing director reflects our agency’s continued growth in the brand experience and events space. The focus for 2026 and beyond will be on designing brand experiences that do more than bring people together, they will be experiences that inspire teams, motivate performance and turn moments into measurable business outcomes. Our ambition is to scale our offering, invest in innovation and create experiences that sit at the intersection of culture, creativity and commercial results."
Laura Pace has been appointed chief executive officer, overseeing both Yellow Fish and its sister agency, Blue Panda. In her new role, Pace will focus on the long-term strategic direction of the business, supporting growth and diversification across the group.
Pace said: "I’m so excited to be surrounded by these incredible women as we continue to grow and diversify Yellow Fish. They are all absolute experts in their fields, and I can’t wait to see what we do together. Each of these women strives for excellence for their clients, pushes for creative brilliance and ensures they bring the team along with them at every step of the way."
As part of the wider leadership changes, Janine Hart joins Yellow Fish as client director, bringing more than 18 years’ experience in the events industry. Previously managing director at events agency Pure, Hart will focus on strategic client growth and diversifying the agency’s offering.
Rachel Douglass has also been promoted to head of live, taking responsibility for the overall delivery of Yellow Fish’s live work following a decade with the agency.
