Across three decades, Jonathan Ford has evolved from designing packaging to shaping what he now describes as “designing futures”—helping brands, businesses, and teams imagine and move toward meaningful change for people and the planet.
As Co-Founder and Group Creative Director, Jonathan nurtures senior client relationships and guides high-level creative thinking that goes beyond any single brief. His focus is on making a broader impact—ensuring the work is not only beautiful and effective, but catalytic.
Pushing himself and others to stretch further has led to the creation of some of the world’s most iconic and loved brands—from Cadbury Dairy Milk and Green & Black’s to Waitrose, Target, Wolfgang Puck, Jamie Oliver, Help Remedies, Jim Beam, and Nongfu Spring. This commitment to excellence has earned global recognition, including Design Effectiveness Awards and a Gold Cannes Lion.
Jonathan is a committed advocate for the power of great ideas to ignite progress and cares deeply about mentoring the next generation of creative talent. Outside Pearlfisher, he chairs the Haller Foundation, championing ecological community development in Africa. When fully unplugged, he is increasingly drawn to the quiet craft of garden design.
Private labels first emerged in Europe in the last century. Compared with national brands, they have typically been positioned around strong value for money, mass appeal, and consistent quality, becoming a core pillar of modern retail systems. Unlike the price-led strategies seen in more mature markets, China’s private labels are increasingly defined by premiumisation, curated selection, and differentiated innovation.
Drawing on over 20 years of global insight and experience from partnering with some of the world’s most beloved retailers—including Target, Waitrose, Aldi, Carrefour, CVS, BJ's, and Fortnum & Mason—Jonathan will share three key principles to unlock the "three leaps" in private label design systems, grounded in both global practice and China’s evolving retail landscape.