By: Rovie Erlandez
Alison and Laice didn’t just step into leadership roles, they’ve redefined them. With decades of combined experience in TV, digital, and integrated production, the duo has brought a new energy to the agency, fusing strategic thinking with creativity. Their leadership is thoughtful yet bold, rooted in a shared belief that agencies thrive when their people are empowered, their culture is nurtured, and their work speaks for itself, rather than being driven by egos.
Over the past year, this vision has materialized: Fall Off The Wall has officially transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), placing the company’s future in the hands of its team. With recent industry recognition highlighting Alison and Laice as two of the sector’s most exciting female leaders, it’s clear that this marks more than just a milestone—it reflects an ongoing shift.
A Year of External Recognition and Results
Photo Courtesy: Management Today’s 35 Women Under 35
Since taking on joint leadership roles in 2024, Alison and Laice have infused FOTW with renewed energy, profitability, and direction. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Laice Jackson was included on Management Today’s 35 Women Under 35 list, recognizing young women making a significant impact in business. Meanwhile, Alison Rattary-Clarke earned a place on Campaign’s 40 Over 40, celebrating senior industry professionals who continue to break boundaries in later stages of their careers.
Photo Courtesy: Campaign’s 40 Over 40
Together, these recognitions reflect a powerful message: two women at different stages of their careers, united in vision, reshaping what modern agency leadership can look like.
Transitioning to Employee Ownership
One of the most significant developments has been guiding FOTW through its transition to an Employee Ownership Trust. While the original founders remain on the board, ownership has shifted to the people who shape the work daily…the employees.
Similar to the U.S. ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) model, an EOT doesn’t involve individual stock holdings, but it does provide a way for shared success. The trust ensures that profits and performance directly benefit the team, and importantly, it helps safeguard the agency’s independence in an industry that is consolidating.
Marking the first anniversary of the EOT structure, the team is already seeing positive cultural changes: stronger collaboration, higher motivation, and a deeper sense of personal investment that transcends typical agency hierarchies.
Building a Culture That Collaborates
Culture isn’t just a buzzword at FOTW—it’s a strategic focus. Under Alison and Laice’s direction, the agency won the Breakthrough Culture Award, a recognition of their deliberate efforts to make the studio a place where creativity, safety, and collaboration can flourish.
From studio rituals to leadership accessibility, the agency has created a space where every team member is encouraged to bring their whole self to the table. That cultural ethos is reinforced through regular 90-day planning cycles, which create space for team-wide reflection, goal-setting, and momentum-building.
This approach, a blend of pragmatism and vision—gives the agency its competitive edge: always focused, never complacent.
Community Beyond the Walls
Leadership for Alison and Laice extends beyond FOTW’s doors. The duo also co-founded the FOTW Female MD Roundtable, a growing quarterly forum for independent female agency leaders to gather, connect, and have candid conversations about the challenges and realities of leadership.
The goal is to support and strengthen the network of women-led agencies, offering solidarity in an industry where female leadership can still be a challenge.
What’s Next for FOTW?
With profitability rising, a clear culture established, and employee ownership firmly in place, Fall Off The Wall is far from finished in its evolution.
Fall Off The Wall (FOTW), a UK-based creative production agency, is embracing its 90-day cycle rhythm, a pace that strikes a balance between operational rigor and creative freedom. This iterative mindset of learning, building, and refining is a philosophy that will likely shape FOTW’s future.
With a leadership duo that blends vision with empathy, a talented team behind every project, and an employee-owned structure designed to elevate all voices, FOTW is setting the pace. As the agency looks to expand its presence in the U.S., it is actively exploring opportunities to support both established and emerging brands and agencies—bringing its signature blend of agility and storytelling to new markets.
