The team

Above all else, Further people have a passion for making things happen.

  • John Thew Likes:
    • Italian food
    • Arsenal
    • Mini Coopers
    • Gin
    • Genealogy

    John Thew
    Managing Director

    John graduated in Econometrics & Statistics at London University, is a Fellow of The Institute of Direct Marketing and has amassed over 20 years marketing experience.

    He started his career client-side at Reader's Digest, before joining the agency world with Wunderman - where he led the team that designed & built Ford Motor Company's first European websites. Having firmly caught the interactive bug, John went on to be Managing Director at Agency.com (working with a wide variety of clients including British Airways, Heineken, Intel & T-Mobile) and most recently at Flow interactive, the award-winning user experience design consultancy.

    John joined Further in June 2011 to add some grey hair to the next stage of our growth.

  • steve Likes:
    • White Rioja
    • Paulo di Canio
    • Willing Weasel
    • Mike Leigh
    • Massive Attack

    Steve Jaggard
    Director of Communications

    Former Business Studies graduate, advertising copywriter and Creative Director.

    For 11 years, Steve was a Director and Creative Director of one of the UK's first regional marcomms consultancies before starting 'Frank and Fresh', his own customer consultancy. Steve has won awards for his work at regional, national and international level; lectured on brand, marketing, understanding customers, lateral thinking and concept generation. In 2006, he was Creative Judge for the Annual Marketing Awards for the Newspaper Society.

    Set up Further with Zak in May 2006.

  • zak Likes:
    • NYC & Amsterdam
    • Non-fiction
    • Aim
    • 60s architecture
    • Woodblock type

    Zak Ireson
    Director of Operations

    History graduate from Brunel University, Zak has worked in the design and advertising industry for over 15 years with companies such as Young and Rubicam, Lambie Nairn and Archant.

    In 1999 appointed Head of Online Design at Archant with responsibility to lead team of designers and developers creating and delivering web based products to commercial customers and the Group as a whole.

    Set up Further with Steve in May 2006 after running his own successful web marketing practice.

  • joe Likes:
    • Flight of the Conchords
    • The Mighty Boosh
    • Triumph Bonneville

    Joe Gass
    Technical Director

    Head techie and Microsoft Certified Solution Developer.

    In September 2001, he became Web Development Team Leader in the Electronic publishing department at Archant and later System Developer responsible for development and build across over 30 titled sites.

    In November 2004, Joe joined the Online Media Group as a Senior Developer working with the biggest brands in consumer finance and insurance, including MBNA, Alliance & Leicester, Norwich Union, More Th>n and Virgin Money.

  • lou Likes:
    • Earl Grey Tea
    • Pink Champagne
    • Shoes
    • Body Pump
    • Angel

    Louisa Mann
    Client Services Director

    Like Steve, Lou has an offline marketing background and is a CIM graduate with an impressive track record in managing clients of all sizes - from both B2B and B2C sectors.

    Lou joined Further to return to agency life in May 2007, fresh from working client side for an online business.

    Her marketing expertise and experience provide Further's clients with more than just a smooth-running account.

  • rob Likes:
    • Home cinema
    • Alice in Chains
    • Thai green curry
    • Mountain biking
    • Dark rum

    Rob Welsby
    Strategy Director

    Rob joined Further in September 2008 from digital agency zoomzoom, where he was Head of Online Marketing working on clients including Feather & Black, VideoArts, Organix and Tunisia.com

    Having launched his first website back in 1998, and later founded his own successful online parenting community, Rob brings a combination of search marketing expertise and real world commercial experience to Further.

    Rob has a proven track record across both paid and natural search, and more recently, the areas of conversion optimisation and social media engagement to maximise client return on investment.

  • chris Likes:
    • Adrenaline
    • Forced induction
    • Playing live gigs
    • Socialising
    • Track days

    Chris Gedge
    Head of Search

    Chris Gedge graduated from Norwich City College with a degree in E-Commerce in 2005. He became interested in SEO and web design when his own father began his cheap laptops business in 1993. Since then he has designed, programmed and 'SEO'd' two successful e-commerce websites which support the family business.

    Chris' first professional SEO role was at a Norwich-based web agency where he was project leader for large clients such as Bernard Matthews, Organix, Godfrey DIY and Norfolk Motor Group.

    He now manages search campaigns for some of the UK's top online retailers, as well as the search marketing team at Further.

  • fran Likes:
    • Purple
    • VW Beetles
    • 80s cheese
    • Football
    • Proper pubs

    Francesca Woollon
    Project Manager

    Fran graduated from the University of East Anglia in 2000 where she had studied Computer Science.

    A lady of many talents, Fran has expertise in web design and development, as well as database design.

    Before she joined Further in May 2009, Fran was Web Communications Manager for Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

  • rachel Likes:
    • Tulips
    • Russian Vodka
    • Peanut butter on toast
    • Sunshine - Lots of it!
    • Silly scary movies

    Rachel Davis
    Project Co-ordinator

    With a strong retail and consumer background (she successfully ran her own business for 15 years) Rachel brings a clear understanding of business and customers services to the Further party.

    After spending the past three years with a Norwich based full service marcomms agency, Rachel, or Ray to her buddies, joined the team in June 2008 to 'Further' her career. Recently promoted, Ray now works alongside Fran in our busy production department.

  • amy Likes:
    • Red nail varnish
    • Pizza Express
    • Funky House
    • Talking
    • Scuba Diving

    Amy Smith
    Account Manager

    A graduate of Leeds Metropolitan University, Amy joined Further in March 2010 from affiliate marketing company OMG, where she was Merchant Account Executive on brands such as Barclays, WHSmith, NSPCC, Cancer Research and play.com.

    After graduating Amy travelled for eight months visiting the Far East and Australasia.

  • annette Likes:
    • Funky wallpaper
    • Green
    • Quantic
    • 51 Japanese Characters
    • Thai food

    Annette Ireson
    Designer

    Annette (no relation to Zak whatsover she's keen to point out) joined us from a Norwich-based web agency in January 2007 having graduated from Norwich Art School in 2005 with a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design.

    Strong on brand creation and website design, Annette is a lover of great typography and a real perfectionist who is now translating those skills into other areas of online marketing.

  • phil Likes:
    • Bourbon
    • Gadgets
    • Creating gadgets
    • Loud music
    • Tickling the ivories

    Phil Howard
    Web developer

    Phil started his professional career as a Graphic Designer, but it wasn't long before his wealth of ASP expertise was discovered, and his pathway to full time development plotted for good.

    Phil joined Further in April 2010 following a successful short-term contract with us developing an in-house project. Prior to that he spent five years as Web Developer at leading affiliate agency, OMG. In his spare time, Phil runs Gadgetoid.com and acts as a technology journalist.

  • colin Likes:
    • Football
    • Cricket
    • Music
    • Laughing
    • Italian food

    Colin Watts
    Web developer

    A former graduate of De Montfort University, Leicester, where he gained first class honours in BSc Multimedia Computing, Colin joined Further in November 2008 from a Bournemouth based agency, where he had been responsible for starting and leading the company's web design and build capability.

    A strong advocate of web standards and a php guru, Colin believes in creating websites that are as usable as they are beautiful.

  • wes Likes:
    • Hockey
    • NFL
    • Travelling
    • Playing sax and piano
    • Alexander Keith's IPA

    Wes Penrose
    Head of Strategy

    Wes joined Further from Aviva in October 2010, having managed the Paid and Organic search for Aviva's core insurance products for the past two and a half years.

    After graduating from the University of Windsor, Ontario, Wes moved to the sunshine of Bermuda for two years before coming to the UK in 2006 where has settled with his young family.

    Wes provides strategic direction (and fast-talking Canadian enthusiasm!) for our search marketing clients and ensures that as an agency we are providing the right mix of marketing channels for all of our clients.

  • roy Likes:
    • Real Ale
    • Joy Division
    • Gangster Movies
    • Liverpool FC
    • Glenn Baxter cartoons

    Roy Smith
    Design consultant

    A graduate of Norwich School of Art, Roy has worked in leading ad agencies as a Senior Designer and now brings a wealth of expertise and experience in creative design to Further. When clients require a new brand identity for their site or business, Roy's our key man, having designed identities for many well known brands.

  • Mark Hannant Likes:
    • Music
    • Camping
    • Food
    • LOLcats
    • Being happy

    Mark Hannant
    Marketing Strategist

    Mark is a self-taught search marketing expert who has had five years on the coalface implementing SEO, PPC and Social Media campaigns for brands such as Hoseasons, Celotex and BennettsOnline

    A professional with a keen eye for design and usability, Mark has also put his skills to the test with his own personal online projects, s uccessfully creating and managing specialist interest communities and blogs.

    Someone who is never happier than when learning new skills and applications, Mark joined the growing Further search team from Magic in July 2009.

  • Vicky Anscombe Likes:
    • Good manners
    • Stilton
    • Making mixtapes (using actual cassette tapes)
    • Sue Townsend
    • Bitter lemon

    Vicky Anscombe
    PR & Social Media Consultant

    Social media aficionado Vicky graduated from Goldsmiths University in 2006 after studying for a BA in Media and Modern Literature, and recently joined Further from ITV.

    After a short stint with The South London Press in February 2007, Vicky landed a position at ITV as their Editor for Interactive in April 2007, copywriting and editing the editorial for ITV's red button applications. In 2011, she moved to Norwich to join the newsroom at ITV Anglia as an Online Journalist, working with fellow journalists, reporters and producers to look after and develop their Facebook and Twitter sites, and their website.

    Vicky joined Further in November 2011 as part of our developing PR and social media team.

  • Liam Tarry Likes:
    • Running
    • Blues music
    • German beer
    • Xbox
    • His many guitars

    Liam Tarry
    PR & Social Media Consultant

    With a BA and MA in History, Liam started his career as a financial journalist in London. He spent over four years writing for some of the biggest business-to-business and consumer finance magazines in the UK, including Moneyfacts, E Financial News and Moneywise.

    Liam moved into PR in 2009 where he managed the online communications for Flagship, one of East Anglia's largest housing associations. He's a big fan of social media and how it can be used to inform, engage and educate.

  • Ryan Baxter Likes:
    • Guitar
    • Travelling
    • Pizza
    • Dennis Bergkamp
    • Mighty Boosh

    Ryan Baxter
    SEO Consultant

    Ryan graduated from the University of Lincoln's School of Journalism with a BA Hons in Journalism before taking his first role in marketing. Two years later he made the move into online content, working within one of the UK's leading optimised content producers, where he quickly mastered the arts of SEO copywriting, web copy editing and organic search strategy development. A guitar-playing lead singer with a love of Arsenal FC, he joined Further in November 2011, fresh from his travels through Europe and Asia.

  • Ben Hamment Likes:
    • Ice Hockey
    • Bots
    • Computer security
    • Techno
    • Burgers

    Ben Hamment
    SEO Consultant / Network Administrator

    Before joining Further's search team in April 2010, Ben ran his own IT Support Business, catering for homes and small businesses.

    A self-confessed internet geek and gamer, his real passion lies in Computer Security - a subject he blogs about when not maintaining Further's infrastructure, or 'pulling things apart for fun, just to see how they work.'

    Ben is self-taught in the fundamentals of search marketing and provides vital network support, technical consultancy and hosting management for Further's internal and client projects.

Norwich +44 (0)1603 878240 Norwich +44 (0)20 7681 4090 Email info@further.co.uk twitter.com/furthersearch