Great food deserves great design – and at En Route, our Creative and Marketing team makes sure everything we deliver looks just as good as it tastes. From trend-led packaging to insight-driven innovation and brand storytelling, this team brings it all together with purpose and flair.
Before we dive into the teams, let’s meet the person setting the direction and connecting it all…
Tom Lay – Creative and Marketing Director
At the helm is Tom Lay, who oversees our Design, Packaging, Marketing and Insight teams. He brings them together under one clear vision: to create inflight experiences that look incredible, work brilliantly, and tell powerful stories.
Tom’s both strategic and hands-on, zooming out to see the big picture while staying close to the details that make a difference. He’s also a strong believer in empowering people to do their best work. That means giving creatives, marketers, and researchers the space to explore bold ideas, while keeping everything grounded in commercial thinking and customer value.
Put simply, Tom connects the dots, sets the pace, and keeps the creative spark alive.
Design & Packaging: Where Food Meets Form
Our design & packaging teams work hand in hand with New Product Development to make sure what passengers see is just as exciting (and functional) as what they taste. From breakfast boxes to cheese platters, we design with purpose – and plenty of flair.
Hannah Jordan leads as Head of Design & Packaging, bringing strategic thinking and creative finesse to every brief. Joel Hill, our Packaging Development Manager, ensures the materials side of things ticks every box – from functionality to sustainability. He works closely with Karen Dubery, our Packaging Technologist, who makes sure everything we produce is technically sound, commercially viable, and ready for the realities of onboard service. Neil Morley, our Design Manager, keeps things looking sharp, guiding the creative output and ensuring every design hits the mark.
He leads a team bursting with talent:
Nirali Marfatia – Senior Designer
A multi-disciplinary designer with 8+ years of experience, Nirali knows how to build a brand through brilliant design. From concept to creation, she brings serious style to every project.
Jenny Grace – Midweight Designer
Lover of all things creative and colourful, Jenny’s got an eye for photography, branding, packaging, and everything in between. She’s all about turning trends and ideas into vibrant, personality-packed design.
Michael Gates – Junior Designer
Always up for a challenge, Michael’s a curious, enthusiastic designer with a passion for inclusive design. He’s driven by the belief that great design should work for everyone – and look great doing it.
Micaela McTeggart – Junior Designer
The newest creative on the block, Micaela’s already made waves in digital and packaging design. With a natural flair for visuals, she’s quickly become an essential part of the team.
Together, they create packaging that’s functional, bold, and brand-forward – the kind that passengers remember long after the tray table’s been cleared.
Marketing: Telling Stories That Travel
From shaping how the world sees En Route to delivering standout brand moments, our marketing team brings energy, clarity, and creativity to everything we do.
Led by Marketing Manager Rebecca Handford, this small but mighty team is behind the scenes (and often behind the camera) on everything from global events like WTCE, IFSA and Emirates Cheese Hospitality to shaping the voice of our brand across platforms. From stand builds and photoshoots to strategic campaigns, Rebecca brings it all together with smart thinking and a serious love of a well-organised plan.
Working closely with Rebecca is Alice Harvey, Brand Executive, who leads the charge on social media, internal communications and digital storytelling – all with Rebecca’s strategic guidance. From shaping our tone of voice to planning content and bringing it to life through reels, copy, and campaigns, Alice plays a key role in keeping our brand presence fresh, engaging and aligned.
They’re the team making sure that wherever we show up – online, in print, or in person – we look the part, sound the part, and tell a story worth hearing.
Insight: Creativity Backed by Data
Designing beautiful packaging is one thing. Making sure it resonates with passengers, and works operationally, is where our Research & Insight team steps in.
Micheala Gatt Floridia, Research & Insight Manager, and Alice Hedges, Research Executive, dive deep into consumer behaviour, market trends and demographic shifts. Their work helps us stay ahead of the curve, shaping innovations that don’t just look good – but work well.
From detailed customer insight modelling to researching cultural drivers and food trends, this team ensures every decision we make is informed, intelligent, and commercially sound.
Creative with Purpose
We don’t just make things look nice. We create solutions that add value – through design, storytelling, strategy and insight. From packaging that protects and performs to campaigns that connect, our creative team is all about delivering impact.
Curious how our creative and packaging capabilities could elevate your onboard experience? Explore our creative value-add pages
