ZEAL Named One of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2026

Jun. 01, 2026

Brand activation group ZEAL has been named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2026, recognising its commitment to building a culture where people can thrive creatively, professionally and personally.

The accolade places ZEAL among an impressive group of businesses celebrated for outstanding workplace culture, including fellow creative industry names such as Mother and other leading UK employers recognised in this year’s list. It also follows ZEAL’s recent inclusion in Campaign’s Best Places to Work, announced on 18 May.

Compiled in partnership with employee experience platform WorkL, The Sunday Times Best Places to Work celebrates organisations with the highest levels of employee engagement and wellbeing across areas including reward and recognition, empowerment, wellbeing, instilling pride, job satisfaction and information sharing. 

For ZEAL, the recognition marks an important milestone in the agency’s growth journey and reflects the culture the business has worked hard to build across its London and Manchester teams.

The Sunday Times highlighted ZEAL’s people-first approach and employee wellbeing initiatives as key factors behind the agency’s inclusion in this year’s list. The publication noted the agency’s ambition to ensure its employees are central to its goal of becoming “the world’s most recommended agency”, alongside initiatives including access to counselling through the Myndup platform, trained mental health first aiders, enhanced parental benefits and dedicated “ZEAL Days” designed to help staff properly disconnect and recharge. The agency’s internal Culture Club was also recognised for helping drive inclusion and celebrate key moments across the business.

Rob White, co-founder of ZEAL, said:

“We’ve always believed great work starts with great people. Building a business where talented people feel trusted, supported and inspired has been a priority from day one, so being recognised by The Sunday Times is something we’re incredibly proud of.”

 

Zoe Thomas, Editor of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, added:

“In an evolving world of work Britain’s leading employers are helping staff forge careers that count today – and in the future. In turn, the Best Places to Work have the resilience to weather the current economic storms baked in, thanks to engaged workers who go above and beyond with a smile. Our winning employers span sizes and sectors – from tiny charities and specialist law firms, to multinational fast-food chains and utility giants, and everywhere in between. The thread joining them is the belief that a happy workforce is a stepping stone to better performance, faster growth, and bigger profits. More than that, there’s a collective instinct that a contented rank-and-file is a worthwhile business goal in and of itself.”

 

Ali Sargeant, Head of People at ZEAL, concluded:

“This recognition means a huge amount because it reflects the experience of our team. We’ve focused on creating an environment where people feel empowered, connected and able to do their best work, while genuinely enjoying being part of the journey.”

 

The recognition follows a period of significant industry momentum for the group. ZEAL has received widespread recognition for both its creative output and business performance. It was shortlisted for Independent Agency of the Year at the Campaign Agency of the Year Awards 2025.