31 Oct 2023 | Omar Oakes

Leaving 'my baby': Rob Pierre exits Jellyfish after summer sale to Brandtech Group

Leaving ‘my baby’: Pierre exits Jellyfish

Rob Pierre, the founder of Jellyfish, is stepping down months after completing the digital marketing agency’s sale to Brandtech Group.

Pierre will step down from his role as Jellyfish non-executive chair effective tomorrow (1 November).

He co-founded Jellyfish in 2005 and grew the business to more than 2,000 employees across 38 countries, working with clients including Google and Netflix.

Pierre sold the business to French group Fimalac in 2019 and it was acquired by The Brandtech Group in June 2023. At the time of the acquisition, Nick Emery was appointed Jellyfish CEO.

Pierre said: “A wonderful extended summer break gave me precious time with my family and also the breathing space to reflect. I co-founded Jellyfish 18 years ago and I’m immensely proud of everything we’ve achieved in that time. From the unique organisational infrastructure to the company culture and values, we’ve worked tirelessly to create the optimal conditions for employee and client success.

“Now that the business has come of age, I believe it’s the right time for me to step away and focus on other ambitions, including projects that have the potential for wider societal impact.

“This is obviously hard when you think of a company as ‘your baby’ but with Brandtech’s track record and historic success I’m excited to watch Jellyfish develop and grow as part of the world’s number-one digital marketing group.”

Emery plans to bag ‘bigger and more global clients’

Emery, who spent 23 years at WPP’s Mindshare before founding You & Mr Jones Media (now Brandtech Media) in 2021, told The Media Leader ahead of June’s completion announcement that he would spend his first few months in charge “connecting the dots” and focusing on the US market—where Jellyfish has a number of global clients—as a key growth area.

Brandtech Group founder and CEO David Jones said of Pierre: “We totally understand Rob’s reasons for wanting to step back and fully support him. To say he deserves a break is an understatement! He built a brilliant company. I’ve been so impressed by its fantastic people, products, and culture, which speak volumes about Rob’s leadership.

“It’s not totally unexpected, which is why we’d put Nick into the CEO role earlier this year. Nick is doing a great job leading Jellyfish and building in new capabilities to solve our clients’ biggest challenges. We wish Rob our very best.”