After 16 years, we said goodbye to employee No. 1, Alan Coates, on 19th September – and his presence in the office will be deeply missed by us all.

We hope we gave Alan the send-off he truly deserved. From a morning breakfast featuring a presentation and quiz all about Alan (with the prize being a 6.5ft cardboard cut-out of the man himself!) to evening drinks joined by colleagues past and present – the day was all about celebrating Alan’s hard work and many achievements during his time at 44.

Emily Moffatt, Director – Creative said: “Alan – we cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve accomplished here. We wish you the very best in your next chapter and know you’ll be absolutely brilliant at whatever you do next.”