First Event has promoted Adele Woods to the role of chief operating officer, which will see her take responsibility for the agency’s vision and strategy.

With a career spanning 23 years and roles including head of brand events and regional marketing at Marks & Spencer, Woods joined Leeds-based First Event in 2021 as head of client services.

Since then, the agency has been through a significant period of growth, and she will now oversee the team as they further expand their client offering; ensuring creativity and innovation are at the heart of the business.

She will be responsible for the day to day running of the business, ensuring that the agency operations foster further growth and ongoing opportunities for the First Event team.

“This growth is absolutely powered by the team at First Event who continuously go above and beyond for each other and our clients. The industry is changing, and our clients’ needs are changing along with it. This has led to the need to evolve our proposition, incorporating new services to better meet the needs of both new and existing clients,” said Woods.

“I’m so excited to continue the next phase of our journey. I’m honoured to be working alongside a brilliant team, and we’re looking forward to bringing in new skills and talents from across the industry to enhance our offering to clients.”

Woods will continue to report into MD Richard Murphy, who will drive tangible growth whilst maintaining a thriving company culture.

Murphy commented: “I am thrilled that Adele will be working alongside me to set a clear vision for the future direction of First Event. As we lead our team through this period of change, Adele is infinitely qualified to provide the kind of stability and organisational structure that will make us thrive both now and in the future. I have every faith that she’ll build on our existing culture to ensure that our brilliant team continues to feel supported, with ample opportunities for both personal and professional development.”

The promotion follows recent appointments to the First Event team, including Marc Allot as creative director and Alex Stonall as client development director, and Louise Gee as head of sales.