Vibrandt lures Pearcy to new CEO role

Former Pauffley managing director Nigel Pearcy is being brought in by Windsor consultancy Vibrandt and its sister group Impackt to the newly created role of chief executive, overseeing the two businesses.

The appointment follows the departure of Vibrandt joint managing director Simon Gore, who left after six years at the end of December to set up a new consultancy called Viability.

Pearcy is hoping to promote to clients the ‘potency’ of working across both the Vibrandt and Impackt consultancies. ‘There aren’t that many businesses that deliver both branding and structural design. The two businesses can work independently, but are quite potent when brought together,’ claims Pearcy.

He will work alongside Vibrandt managing director Jayne Lilly, chairman Ray Armes and Impackt managing director Guy Harrison. The joint managing director role held by Gore has been dropped.

Separately, Gore has formed Viability as a partnership with Tangible Design directors Sean Chamberlain, Gail Balfour and Martin Palmer. The two groups will remain independent, but will work in partnership, he says.

‘Viability’s specialism will be new product development. We will offer the creative element too, but I want to focus on the process of NPD in turning ideas into sustainable products and profits,’ says Gore. He adds that the consultancy will focus more on ‘tangible results’ and less on ‘theatrical creative workshops’.

Gore intends to build a team at Viability, with skills in the ‘creative and value-added areas’ of NPD.

Pearcy was replaced at Pauffley by Patrick Eastwood in autumn last year.