Makes the seemingly impossible happen.

The Sorceress of Notorious and showcase half of the lead duo, Jessica specialises in star quality so bright it burns. Once cast as ‘Attractive Girl 1’ in Hollyoaks and latterly ‘Girl at the back 4’ in Hollyoaks after Dark (aka ‘mucky Hollyoaks’ to those in the know), some people appear cast into a life of fame, while others must wait out for the perfect opportunity to secure a notorious destiny in years to come. But more on that later.

Jessica is the ferociously driven front woman of Notorious – a live current of media excitement, with an unrelenting focus on finding opportunities for famous outcomes and making the magic happen. And that she does. Alongside bags of positivity, she is a tenacious problem solver who our clients know they can always rely on to burn down barriers and to offer the team complete clarity that we do not back away from doing the tough stuff.

As much the heartbeat of the team as a leader, she sets the standard for everyone to follow, delivering high levels of ambition, packaged up with gritty determination and wrapped in a smile born of genuine love for what we do and for the people we work with. And that matters. In an industry we are constantly asked to be brave and to put ourselves out there, making the big decisions can be a lonely job. Jessica’s hot line functions part as a call to arms and part coach to drive belief to the heart of every leap.

Once described as ‘a bit full on’ for her fusion of conviction and verbal intensity - yes, she talks a lot (but listens too by the way) - she has form to back up the big words with gongs galore for innovations in travel, fashion, pet food, charity and twice for product innovations that step changed the ability of ITV to create commercial outcomes. None of which should distract from the fact she gives the full on treatment to businesses new to the game just as generously as those with established form.

Very simply, where Eminem sang ‘opportunity comes once in a lifetime’ Jessica’s ferocious drive has born ability to conjure opportunity for notoriety again and again and again. Never content to play the bit part herself she is compelled to make sure that her partners never succumb to such a fate either.

And so back to where we started. Jessica’s days dominating the mid pages of late 90’s red tops were curtailed only after a surprise appearance in the sun (not that one!), waiting to go on set for her debut as ‘lead barmaid’ in the Hollyoaks Dog & Duck one very hot summers day. While a diose of radiation may have put temporary breaks on her flight path to a life of notoriety, she has since gone all out to make it happen for her, for us and for our clients. It will take a hell of a lot more to stop her now.

Nik isn’t your usual comms planner

Sometimes called the architect of Notorious, more often Dr Strange (note nobody adds the Dr bit), Nik is the ambitious, ultra-demanding propositional fusion engine of media science and creative brilliance, complementing Jessica (you look nice, why thank you) to complete the leadership duo and create pathways to notoriety.

Slightly obsessed by space and prone to conceptualising almost any situation with (not necessarily perfect) analogies inspired by the universe and quantum mechanics; Nik takes inspiration from the words of fellow notorious star gazer Carl Sagan; that ‘somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known’ – apply that same logic to the way you solve business problems and you won’t go far wrong.

We digress. When not listening to podcasts about whether super massive black holes hold the galaxy together, Nik drives the belief system that centres our product and an inescapable gravity to our work that attracts both talent and clients alike. Starting media life as part of the inspiring UKTV Team, he still has the mantra given to him on the first day ringing in his ears – ‘we need to make having less money than the big guns work to our advantage’. Get hungrier, harder working, more focussed on creating your own luck and build an advantage competitors won’t see coming.

The whole agency whether broadcast, biddable or buying understand the brief – take responsibility for being the advantage competitors won’t see coming.

Helping businesses to escape the gravity of their legacy, wider category or just getting a great idea off the ground is what gets Nik genuinely quite animated. He goes big on ambition and believes we all benefit from setting ourselves, at least slightly, scary targets that you need to publicly commit to and tool up to deliver.

And it’s not just academic. Across more than 20 years in the game Nik has been part of teams engineering notorious breakthrough moments for brands like Kia Motor, Peroni, Butcher’s, Paco Rabanne, Iceland & ITV. Self-belief, ambition, a bit of guile and confidence to take on the world with a killer plan can be shown to deliver handsome dividends in ways that are otherwise out of reach.

Ultimately, he believes notorious thinking creates choices, do similar work to the competition with less money (guess what happens) or intelligently break rules and shoot for the stars. As Carl famously said, ‘imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.’

Calculated counsel

The Don. Flis is the spreadsheet wielding calculated counsel to Jess & Nik, the process bearing rock to the team and the calm voice at the end of the phone for any queries when our clients’ accounts teams need to unpick an invoice.

After 20 years experience as a qualified Accountant, Flis recently took the leap from the grey suits of professional services, dissolving companies, to build business up and help them to thrive, sitting as the ‘accountant amongst the creatives’ right at the heart of Notorious Communications – an environment she describes as infectious (we’re improving ventilation for anyone concerned).

Flis may control the books but she’s already busy getting her fingers into the bigger pie, taking great interest in the whole advertising industry from how media makes ads famous to dropping the odd creative idea in the ear of the team.

Creating further distance from staid stereotype, Flis is most at home on the dance floor and proud mum to a budding Rockstar, future Cricket champion and a ‘mini me’ finding her own way through the school’s arts corridors to a stage currently under construction.

Isn’t it brilliant when someone properly loves their media?

Like loves it, so much, you sometimes think there ought to be popcorn provided whenever they start talking about it? Well, perfectly cast into the role of TV evangelist is our very own Head of Media Planning Notoriety, and period drama super fan, ‘Lady’ Liz Sloan. The content, the talkability, the scale of it, the spreadsheets(???), that’s right, Liz loves it all.

A bonafide card-carrying member of the ‘get shit done’ brigade. Across ten years in the business, time and again Liz has mixed channel smarts with a sleeves up mentality to deliver some of the biggest and most awarded campaigns in broadcast media.

Liz laughs at the idea AV is some sort of left behind ‘traditional’ platform; lauding the constant tidal wave of change and of opportunities to invent and innovate - be it from AI, data, new technologies, new measurement systems, new platforms, new commercial models, new partnership ideas, new entrants shaking things up…you get the idea.

When taking a break from bingeing on Downton Abbey, Liz can be found, in the sweeping grounds of the National Trust's stately homes with hubby and beloved sausage dog, Figo.

Our grown up

Since time began (or the 80’s anyway) assumption has been that agency life worked best as sort of Boiling Point environment stirred with Wolf of Wall Street values and a Falling Down personal experience. This was the cocktail we drank for ‘getting stuff done’. Enter Jennie, experienced digital transformation specialist, yoga and sound meditation leader – exit bad vibes and bad ways of working.

Jennie is the epitome of Notorious talent; a huge reputation gained across 15 years at the heart of Manchester & London’s digital communities, as well as an entrepreneurial stint teaching digital skills to the next generation and supporting disadvantaged kids to get their shot at making their mark in media. Everybody knows her and every testimony marked by respect. Now tempted back into agency life, Jennie is leading the development of the Notorious digital product where her uniquely calm but committed approach to innovation has set the foundations of an offering set to be far more exciting than your average cookie cutter digital delivery team.

Digital transformation is very much Jennie’s thing. Always attracted to the project of transforming an organisation’s capability, she has delivered the goods on media transformation with the likes of Aldi and then a more formal digital transformation brief with Zenith across an array of businesses in finance, cosmetics and more. What makes her brilliant at this is not just her ambition and knowledge but also her people skills - because Jennie understands that transformation projects are as much about how people feel supported as much as practical infrastructure required. She does both.

In complete contrast to the noisy media masochists, Jennie gets shit done calmly and with precision. By way of great example for the mantra few words can speak great volumes, shortly before signing off on maternity leave, our brand safety supplier marvelled ‘you’ve achieved in three months what most of our agencies deliver in 12’. She is that good!

Making great use of her reputation and network in market, Jennie is also a leader on the Bloom North DE&I committee where her commitment to supporting those less advantaged in life get the level playing field they need, plays out in securing industry commitments and concrete actions.

Media sage, entrepreneur, and good-egg

Media sage, entrepreneur and all-round good egg Dan ‘The Professor’ McNicholas, has joined Notorious to lead the development of our Intelligence Innovations programme.

Dan McNicholas, who founded and ran the culture and training consultancy ‘4&20Million’ for the 7 years up to this June, now steps in to help us bring together the best of established and emerging insight, technologies and data for our growing client portfolio.

In the words of the wise man himself, “Everyone can see the emerging opportunities created by AI, retail data and a media environment undergoing the most exciting changes for a generation. We are looking at the greatest opportunity to build differentiation and competitive advantage in years and I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead this for Notorious.”

A digital meteorite

As if a mercurial explosion of haute couture, fine art and….hair metal….had occurred somewhere far out in the universe and crashed into UK media like a hot digital meteorite, wielding drumsticks and a guide to emergent trends in online – may we please introduce Robin. Now leading our client and digital disciplines, Robin has the sharp line refinement you would expect in a Mayfair boutique, made accessible like a Vinted flash sale. Intrigued? Rightly so.

Across a decade of digital marketing experience, with focus on luxury fashion & travel, Robin has worked with some of the best brands in the world and true giants of style like NIKE, Diesel, Loewe and Belstaff, to name a few. Never one to boast, Calvin Klein selected Robin to spend six months in Amsterdam onboarding the new agency relationship from the inside, working alongside senior stakeholders and internal teams.

In these precise and demanding environments Robin has made a name for himself, at home in all elements of digital and in his element managing complex projects bringing all of these disciplines together. He has learned to understand how good relationships create good business for all and the importance of fostering collaboration.

He has learned the value of exceptional product values backed by delivery and that is what he is now designing with us; making sure all client partners of Notorious receive our unique style of boutique service, on demand and without need of a trip to Mayfair.

Drawn by the hills and persistent wet weather, Robin has eschewed thoughts of New York for Old Trafford and made his home in Manchester. His passion for illustration recently saw him opening an Etsy shop selling self-designed vintage-inspired prints, with buyers all over the world flocking to his shop.

As a massive music fan Robin can be found seeking new sounds across the city or banging the drums in his late-night lessons. His taste in music has brought ‘metal Mondays’ to the office and a peculiar surge in appetite to start the week home working for colleagues.

Award-winning, multimedia-maestro, and protector of Cats

Introducing the brilliant, award-winning, multimedia-literate, comms-planning, passionately purposeful, protector of Cats (and more)…Nadia Coates!

Joining us as Media Director, Nadia has raised the temperature on our partners' media plans and radiated in-genuitive activations from Notorious’ Penthouse HQ through to wherever beams of brilliance might create commercial advantage.

Nadia says she is here because we back bold ideas, think strategically, and challenge the usual way of doing things, all with a clear commitment to doing better for clients and the industry.

Music to our ears and well worth a warm reception.

Brittany is the human embodiment of high-performance algorithms

Gym Shark, boss of the CrossFit and master of minimalist meal planning, Britt is the human embodiment of high-performance algorithms, a restless and relentless learning machine geared towards success.

Was Britt destined to become a Performance specialist? Who are we to say. But if you’re asking, yes, obviously that’s where she was heading. Possibly from birth but at the very least from the day she joined Manchester’s famed tech unicorn, THG.

Cutting her teeth in the hard knock gym of the ecommerce mega group, Britt led a multidisciplinary performance team for ‘My Protein’ and gained fluency in the business of applying media science to drive measurable ecommerce outcomes and now brings those benefits to bear for Notorious and our partners.

Once remarked by a trainer that they had never seen such obvious enthusiasm for the new possibilities of GA4, Britt confesses that she loves working in the fast-paced theatre of Performance. The numbers, the data, the tech, the tools, the innovation, new trends, new tech, new opportunities, the need to plan ahead and respond in the moment – it’s all poetry to Britt.

Though nobody would accuse Britt of being dull, she does confess to have made the same lunch of chicken rice and veg everyday for the last 5 years and bristles at the idea of dabbling in a more vibrant social life. But where some may see proof of Gen Z’s joyless ascension, we see only the triumph of (wo)man and the drive for continuous optimisation towards a goal. And she is absolutely always on target.

Meg is very much the Publisher enthusiast in the room

Megan is the big dog of Notorious HQ. Or should that say Rolo? Big hearted, bounding bundle of joy, quick to grab the paper and sink a powerful set of jaws into the latest offerings of the publisher market. No no, while it can sometimes be hard to separate the inseparable, Meg is very much the Publisher enthusiast in the room, while Rolo (one of three current contenders to the crown of ‘Office Dog’) stands guard at the coffee machine and helps keep meetings punctual by chasing the team into the room, lest they linger too long flipping through Good Food for inspiration.

Never short of inspiration from the ever-evolving press landscape, Meg has spent a decade on the journey with the Publisher market, as the business models race to adapt to the digital landscape and the ad models evolve to create an innovative brand centric media and a sustainable funding model for the future of quality journalism. As a practitioner and enthusiast, Meg is excited by the opportunities created for our partners but also herself and her evolution in this industry.

In a career that has seen her support the likes of Vodafone, Pets at Home, BMW, and Holland & Barrett, Megan sees adapting to change as an obligation for all of us. Immersing herself into the digital landscape, applying new innovations in one of the most competitive and fast changing environments to deliver famous outcomes.

Where they may be competition for status of official Office Dog, there is no doubt who takes best in show for Commercial delivery. Where she may carry herself like a gentle St Bernard, Meg can just as easily find the Beagle within, upon finding the scent of a deal and chasing it down to an inevitable and favourable conclusion. Proud clients best friend, Meg excels in negotiating and trading, always striving to bring back the best possible outcomes for our clients.

Away from HQ, Meg & Rolo are united in a mission to unite the best of cosmopolitan and country. They enjoy walking, camping and coffee dates, a roaring fire and a lovely magazine they can both get their teeth into

Remarkably cool when the pressure steps up

Grace has 10 years experience in media planning, built on broadcast foundations and now fluent across the connected world of our modern digitised media estate. Her category experience spans travel, digital commerce, fashion, gaming and pet care. She brings extraordinary attention to detail and a remarkably cool head when the pressure steps up.

The social siren

Social siren Yolandi is a beauty creator who spends her free time brushing up on how to get maximum traction across all key platforms so you don’t have to. This absolute dynamo of energy and ideas only recently walked into agency world from one of the UK’s largest beauty brands at The Hut Group and wow! What an impact she’s already made.

Having established form for purposeful innovations within Meta and building returns through platform diversification into the likes of TikTok & Snapchat, Yolandi has shown she can make her passion payback big time for her clients. Her zeal for an uncomplicated, open approach to social is already helping clients to feel more in control and better able to get involved in the many brilliant opportunities these platforms provide.

Since joining Notorious Communications, Yolandi has helped to ensure our Paid Social capabilities embody the same inventive and dynamic people focused approach we put at the heart of every other channel offering and extended this impact into the wider digital ecosystem where she is busy matching up how the complete picture comes together.

When Yolandi is not with us she’s……at home, making beauty content, to cascade on social – with wine. Sometimes dancing.

Makes everything happen

A spell binding talent, raised by a witch (long story) and now making media magic as the ultimate all-rounder - with powers on show in all areas from digital to planning to client service to buying, brainstorming, data and activation – she also organises the Christmas party.

Alicia is a curious, creative, people person with incredibly high delivery standards and a passion for her craft. Having started in education because she enjoys ‘watching people grow’, she has now set her sights on the science of how brands grow and combines this skilfully with the art of making happy clients.

When not practicing the dark arts of making notorious comms work with us, margarita connoisseur Alicia winds it up in search of big vibes and tasty drinks across the bars of Manchester and festivals wherever she can pitch her tent. When her brain needs a break look out for her in full waterproofs and maybe a fire somewhere cosy in the Lakes.

The AV Architect

With over five years of heavy-hitting media experience under her belt, Imani joins us as a Media Manager with a portfolio that speaks for itself. She’s navigated the landscapes of global giants like Microsoft, Santander, and Pandora, as well as household staples like Co-op and Holland & Barrett.

While her foundation is built on elite-level AV planning and buying, Imani is at her best when she’s pushing boundaries. She has a natural flair for high-impact partnerships and the kind of media innovations that sit far outside the standard buy - making her the perfect fit for the Notorious "Brilliance, Ingenuity, Graft" mindset.

A true citizen of the world, Imani has called Australia and Amsterdam home before settling in Manchester. Her passion for travel is legendary - she even took a six-month sabbatical to trek across South America - and she is perpetually in the "planning" phase of her next big trip.

When she isn’t decoding a media brief or boarding a plane, Imani is usually mastering a Pilates flow or lost in a book. That said, her cultural tastes have a distinct "guilty pleasure" edge - she is almost exclusively fuelled by Bravo content. If it involves The Real Housewives or the chaos of Vanderpump Rules, Imani is watching. It’s all about the drama, the narrative, and the strategy - whether it’s on a media plan or a reunion special.

"It's CAH-HULL!"

Cathal (pronounced CAH-HULL, we've all had the lecture) is our resident Media Executive who recently swapped the streets of Dublin for the hustle of Manchester. Despite the move, his loyalties remain firmly at Anfield - a brave choice in this city, but one that fits perfectly with the Notorious spirit.

Bringing a wealth of experience in TV and media buying across the Irish Sea, Cathal knows exactly how to navigate complex landscapes to find the best spots for our clients. He’s a strategist who understands that impact isn’t just about being seen; it’s about being heard.

Speaking of being heard, Cathal has already made his mark on the Notorious HQ airwaves. He’s the architect of the now-mandatory ‘Thin Lizzy’ hour, ensuring the office has a healthy dose of Irish rock and roll to keep the energy high. For Cathal, media is like a great riff - it needs precision, timing, and just the right amount of volume.

The Social Sniper

Performance Executive by day, and a self-confessed coffee and matcha snob also by day, Gabby is one of our resident experts on all things Social. A natural-born navigator of the digital landscape, she attributes her fluency in the social space to "being Gen Z" - a superpower she uses to ensure our clients are always at the centre of the right conversations.

When she isn't scrolling for the next big trend or fine-tuning audience engagement, Gabby is usually heading for the hills. Her dream Saturday involves a long hike in nature, followed immediately by a proper pub lunch. Who said Gen-Z were responsible for the death of the pub? Certainly not us.

Whether she’s brewing the perfect matcha or building a high-impact social strategy, Gabby brings a fresh, energetic perspective that keeps Notorious HQ (and our campaigns) moving forward.

The Performance Powerhouse

Matt originally joined the fold as a contractor (MTC! MTC!), but we quickly realised he was far too valuable to let go - so we made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Now a permanent fixture as our Performance Executive, Matt is the engine room of our digital delivery.

What he lacks in legwear (seriously, we’re yet to see the man in a pair of actual trousers), he more than makes up for in elite-level Paid knowledge. Matt can usually be found deep within the gears of Google Ad Manager, fine-tuning the technical magic that ensures our clients' campaigns aren't just seen, but are performing at peak efficiency.

He’s a specialist who understands that the best results come from a mix of technical precision and staying cool under pressure - which might explain the shorts.

The Shire's Secret Weapon

In another life, Sarah would have been a Hobbit. Instead, she’s Felicity's right-hand woman, Finance Assistant, and invoice extraordinaire.

While she might be new to the world of media, Sarah is no stranger to the high-stakes world of numbers. Having spent over 3 years in invoice finance, she knows exactly how to keep the wheels turning behind the scenes, ensuring everything is as balanced as a perfectly poured pint at The Green Dragon.

When she isn’t crunching numbers or supporting the team with their finance queries, Sarah is the literal epitome of "cosy." She is perfectly content when curled up with a book - preferably one set in Middle Earth - daydreaming of a life in the Shire.

Whether she’s balancing the books or lost in a narrative, she brings a level of meticulous care that keeps the agency (and the invoices) in top shape.

The Creative Catalyst

Fresh out of college and already making waves, India has quickly become indispensable at Notorious HQ. From wrangling Prisma to deep-diving into competitor analysis, she’s a multi-tasking powerhouse who proves that being a Media Assistant is as much about precision as it is about perspective.

When she isn’t decoding the media landscape, India is a flourishing artist, seamlessly blending traditional drawing with digital innovation. She’s a creator at heart, though most of her masterpieces are produced while binging Gossip Girl in the background.

She knows that in both art and media, it’s all about the details - and she’s here to make sure every campaign is a work of art. You know you love her. xoxo

The Multi-Hyphenate.

Amelie is a Media Assistant who doesn't just do "busy" - she does high-impact. After moving up from a small village in the Midlands for uni four years ago, she fell in love with Manchester and never looked back.

While studying marketing, Amelie was the ultimate multi-hyphenate: juggling a part-time job, a social brand ambassador role, and acting as a uni course rep. It was a marketing internship that first opened her eyes to the strategic world of media, and she hasn’t stopped decoding its complexities since.

When she isn’t helping the team navigate the media landscape, you’ll find Amelie in full detective mode, binging true crime documentaries with a Diet Coke in hand. And if she’s not solving mysteries from her sofa, she’s likely raiding the shelves of Zara for her next "notorious" look. Whether it’s analysing a brief or hunting for the perfect outfit, Amelie brings a sharp eye for detail to everything she touches.

The people watcher!

Originally cutting her teeth in marketing at university while juggling a fast-paced hospitality gig, Georgina quickly realised that her real passion lay in the 'why' behind the 'what.' Watching how people think and act in the wild turned out to be the perfect field research for a career in media.

After a specific uni module opened her eyes to the sheer scale and strategy of the media world, she knew exactly where she wanted to be. She might be at the start of her journey, but what she lacks in years, she more than makes up for in pure, unadulterated passion.

Since joining Notorious, every day has been a deep dive into the industry. She’s a natural sponge for knowledge, growing more strategic by the hour and constantly looking for the next big insight.

When she isn’t decoding audience behaviour at Notorious HQ, you’ll find Georgina putting her collaboration skills to the test on the hockey pitch for her local team or getting lost in a new book. For Georgina, it’s all about the narrative - whether she’s reading it or building it for our clients.