Yo! Sushi appoints first creative brand director ahead of sale

Yo! Sushi has hired Liz Norris, former global marketing director for Le Pain Quotidien, to become its first creative brand director.

Liz Norris: joining Yo! Sushi as first creative brand director

Norris will report directly to Yo! Sushi’s CEO, Vanessa Hall, and oversee an in-house team of five marketers, plus external agencies. She will be tasked with driving the sushi restaurant’s growth both in the UK and internationally, in the wake of Yo! Sushi’s expansion to the US earlier this year.

Prior to her position at Le Pain Quotidien, Norris held marketing roles at Italian food chain Zizzi’s and car hire firm Hertz.

Norris’ appointment comes as Yo! Sushi’s owners, equity firm Quilvest, seek a buyer for the sushi chain which is reportedly valued at £120m. A spokeswoman for Yo! Sushi would not confirm whether Quilvest had found a buyer. It’s possible Norris is also tasked with boosting Yo! Sushi’s brand perception and value ahead of a sale.

CEO Vanessa Hall said: "Given the attested strength of YO! Sushi as a lifestyle brand, we want to take a different approach to how we increase our share of voice and awareness.

"Liz’s creativity, sense of fun and energy makes her ideally placed to take up the role as our first creative brand director."

Yo! Sushi has 81 restaurants in the UK and internationally, with more than 6m customers a year.