Speakers
Agenda, speakers and sessions are being updated regularly. Please check back for the latest.
Bryan Bendo
Principal Sales Consultant, Oracle NetSuite
Bryan is a cloud applications architect focused on helping organization succeed in the cloud. Before joining NetSuite in 2018, Bryan spent 13 years in the marketing industry working for a variety of media and technology companies. In Bryan’s time with NetSuite he has gained expertise working with advertising, media and publishing companies and has developed a business ecosystem solution fit for the industry.
Dean Broadhead
Founder & CEO, broadhead.
Dean Broadhead is the founder/CEO of Minneapolis-based broadhead, one of the nation’s largest independent marketing agencies. Now in its 23rd year, broadhead is a category-driven agency powering brands transforming how we eat, move + live, serving a diverse set of Fortune 500 clients, including Abbott Labs, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone Firestone, Daimler, Norfolk Southern, Purina, United Healthcare, St Jude Children’s Hospital and Trane Technologies. In 2018, Dean formed employee stock ownership program, transferring ownership of broadhead to its employees.
A journalism graduate of the University St. Thomas (MN), Dean has spent his 30+ year career in the Minneapolis market, starting at Colle McVoy before joining Miller Meester Advertising and then later Weber Shandwick before starting broadhead in 2001. Dean proudly serves on several national and regional boards, including the National Advertising Review Board and 4As Regional Board of Governors.
Tom Browning
President, JLB + Partners
Tom joined JLB + Partners in 2021 and has partnered with leading regional, national and global advertisers to elevate their agency relationships. He was a featured speaker at the 2022 ANA Financial Management Conference: “Trends in Agency Compensation” and a panelist at the 2023 Mirren New Business conference. Prior to leading JLB + Partners, Tom had a successful 30+ year agency career as an account leader focused on the success of his team and the growth of his clients' business.
Scott Chapin
President, Marcus Thomas
Scott Chapin, President at Marcus Thomas, is a technologist and a data enthusiast with 25 years of experience in the marketing industry. His career has included leadership roles in six unique departments within the agency and is currently focused on finance and operations. As part of his role, he guides the agency pricing and negotiates client contracts. Scott is passionate about finding innovative solutions for complex challenges and delivering value to clients and partners.
Rhonda Contreras
Chief Collaboration Officer/Principal, TRG
As Chief Collaboration Officer and a principal at TRG in Dallas, Texas, Rhonda's goal is to develop a collaborative environment that fosters creativity, innovation, and growth. In this role, she partners across Agency divisions to coordinate operational activities, identify resources, remove barriers, and share best practices—all of which are influenced by agency pricing models. Rhonda practices what she preaches in her principal role, striving to foster impactful work for agency clients.
Matt Chollet
Chief Growth Officer, Catapult
As President, Matt works alongside agencies every day to help them implement repeatable new business processes that help them generate qualified conversations with their most sought after prospects. Many agencies approach Matt and his team when they are tired of waiting on word of mouth or referrals to cross their path and are in need of driving revenue now. Utilizing marketing automation, CRM, predictive data, and bespoke content, Matt and his team look to provide a truly proactive approach to new business development.
When Matt isn’t in the office he is almost exclusively outdoors either climbing mountains, sailing, or competing in triathlons. Although originally from Florida, he graduated undergrad from St John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, and later moved to Atlanta where he received his MBA from Stetson School of Business at Mercer University.
Kevin Cook
President, Edelman Chicago
Kevin, who serves as President of Edelman’s 600-person Chicago office, is a 27-year veteran of the firm.
As President, Kevin ensures that office-wide business strategy is executed fully, fosters organizational growth and improvement, identifies and puts into operation strategic partnerships and oversees the office’s finance and HR efforts. He serves as a guest speaker for various organizations on Edelman’s global Trust Barometer research.
Previously Chicago’s Chief Operating Officer, Kevin serves as senior counsel for some of the firm’s largest global clients including industrial, consumer, financial services and health care companies. He counsels clients on global reputation and stakeholder campaigns, issues management, strategic transactions and corporate brand transformation.
Kevin led the United Airlines business under the leadership of United’s CEO Oscar Munoz. During that time, he created the airline's transformation strategy that helped advance Mr. Munoz’s turnaround strategy. Mr. Munoz was named Communicator of the Year by “PR Week” during that time.
He also served as the firm’s lead global crisis counselor specific to United Airlines Flight 3411, working with Mr. Munoz and his executive team to repair stakeholder trust and introduce a new standard of customer care. Edelman’s work for United Airlines is highlighted in Mr. Munoz’s book, “Turnaround Time”.
Kevin is a member of the Better Government Association, Executives’ Club of Chicago, and Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
A graduate of Purdue University-Calumet with a bachelor’s degree in communications, Kevin resides in Hinsdale, Ill.
Steve Erich
Co-Founder & President, Erich & Kallman
Steve Erich is the Co-Founder of Erich & Kallman, honored by AdAge three times as Small Agency of the Year and named on the AdAge A-List. Erich & Kallman believe in the power of great advertising to drive brand growth and has produced business driving, award-winning work for Amazon, Hershey, General Mills, iRobot, Disney, Great Wolf Lodge, Kelly, Chick-fil-A, Fisher and many others.
As a business strategist and account lead prior to E&K, he led some of the most successful work of the recent past including American Express “Small Business Saturday”, Burger King “Whopper Freakout” and “Subservient Chicken”, Microsoft “I’m a PC”, Taco Bell “Yo Quiero Taco Bell”, and Kraft Mac & Cheese “You Know You Love It”.
Natalie Evans
Industry Solutions Advisor, Oracle NetSuite
Natalie Evans is a customer-focused, data-driven leader. She’s driven to get at the core of a business issue and solving for the underlying need, not just the consequences. At NetSuite she focused on Advertising Agencies, and Media and Entertainment customers, ensuring the NetSuite solution meets agency and media company’s needs. For over 25 years, she has worked for service-based organizations, implementing country-wide SaaS-based software, including NetSuite.
Matthew Ferebee
Founder & Chief Creative Officer, FerebeeLane
Matt Ferebee is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of the award-winning brand communication agency FerebeeLane. He has more than 25 years of multi-discipline advertising and marketing experience shaping and sharing the stories of luxury market leaders like Le Creuset, Blackberry Farm, Baker Furniture, Hunter Douglas, Miele, Chimay and The Ritz-Carlton. Featured in various publications like HOW, AdWeek, Hotels Magazine and the Wall Street Journal, Matt’s work focuses on human-centered narratives that solve real problems and create significant brand value for premium products and premier destinations.
Katy Friday
Vice President, Business Development, Agency, The Trade Desk
Katy Friday is the Regional Vice President for the Central U.S. Region, where she manages all business development activities on behalf of some of the company’s most important markets and clients.
As one of the first to work out of the Chicago office, Katy has been an integral team member who enjoys solving client challenges and bringing creative solutions to the table. Katy started her career in media in 2007 working on local and national media plans for MillerCoors before transitioning to digital work on Kimberly Clark at Mindshare. She also has experience in the game-publishing industry from her time at WildTangent.
A graduate of Illinois State University, Katy currently lives in Chicago’s West Loop with her husband and two children.
Katy Gajewicz
CSO, Laughlin Constable
With over 25 years of agency experience, Katy leads all strategic intelligence at Laughlin Constable, focusing on business, brand and growth strategy. Her client experience spans healthcare, finance, CPG, QSR, retail, nonprofit and tourism categories and audiences, most recently including Northwestern Medicine, North Shore Bank, ASPCA, Master Lock, Vienna Beef, True Value, Sherwin-Williams and Yuengling. Previously, she led the development of multi-channel brand strategies for macro brands McDonald’s, Kraft, Gatorade, Suave, SpaghettiOs, Tropicana and S.C. Johnson global brands Raid, OFF!, Pledge, Ziploc and Glade, the first billion-dollar brand for SCJ.
Andrew Graff
CEO, A&G
Andrew Graff is CEO of independent, integrated creative agency A&G (Allen & Gerritsen) in Boston & Philadelphia leading the charge of creativity designed to transform. A&G loves working with the C-Suite who challenge themselves to be their best self by doing better, being better and creating new opportunities for a better world through Brand Communications, Brand Performance & Brand Experiences. A&G clients include Meet Boston, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Legal Defense Fund, The Giant Company, Museum of Science, Freight Farms and Boston Symphony Orchestra to name a few.
Andrew is now Secretary/Treasurer on the 4A’s National Board. And is a member of the Government Relations Committee. He is Co-Board Chair of the Ad Club Boston, Board Chair of Big Sister and serves on several non profit boards including The Sports Museum and Boys & Girls Clubs.. In addition, he is an Advisory Board member of ad tech company, Pixability. Andrew was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Boston Business” by Boston Magazine and part of Boston Business Journal’s “Power 50” list. A&G was ranked twice by Advertising Age as the nation’s #1 “Best Place to Work in Marketing & Media.
Heather Hopkins
Consulting Solution Principal, Oracle NetSuite
Heather Hopkins is a Consulting Solution Principal with Oracle NetSuite. She is responsible to helping companies identify and implement ERP solutions based on high value needs. With over 25 years of consulting experience spanning industries such as Digital Media, Advertising and Marketing, she is a proven leader of business strategy and dedicated to helping companies implement strategies to quickly recognize revenue and easily adapt to changes in the industry.
Marla Kaplowitz
President & CEO, 4A's
Bringing over 30 years of industry experience in marketing, media and communications, Marla joined the 4A's in May 2017 as the President & CEO to help define and shape the future focus for the association. Under her leadership, the 4A’s works to improve the health of the industry through the power of collective experience, expertise, and impact to help empower success for its members across business transformation and talent needs.
Prior to joining MEC (now Wavemaker, part of WPP) where she was CEO of North America from 2011 - 2017, Marla spent 12 years at MediaVest (now Spark Foundry, part of Publicis). She began her career at DMB&B before moving to Ammirati Puris Lintas.
Marla serves as a director on the Board of Penn Entertainment and is the Committee Chair for the Nominating/Governance Committee and a member of the Compensation Committee. In addition, she is a member of several non-profit Boards including The Ad Council, BBB National Programs (includes Audit & Finance and National Advertising Review Board Committees), Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA). Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) and MediaVillage.
Josh Lane
Head of Creative Partnerships, Google
Josh has become a trusted advisor to senior executives on brand strategy and organization-wide brand integration based on the thoughtful perspective and intentionality he brings to each relationship.
For 30 years at agencies like EP+Co, Doe-Anderson and since the founding of FerebeeLane in 2005, he has helped brands transform not only marketing and advertising but how the brand is operationalized throughout the organization.
At FerebeeLane, Josh leads client strategy, new business and charts the vision for the agency’s growth and careful evolution.
Jeremy Lockhorn
SVP Creative Technologies & Innovation, 4A's
Jeremy Lockhorn looks after the Creative Technologies & Innovation practice for the 4A's - focused on helping member agencies and the industry at large to navigate the turbulent waters of emerging technologies. While relatively new to the 4A's, he brings more than 25 years of industry experience including a long leadership stint at various shops that ultimately became Razorfish. The vast majority of his career has been focused on helping agencies and brands envision the future, understand the impact of emerging technologies, separate the paradigm shifts from the parlor tricks, and architect solutions to capitalize on new opportunities while mitigating risk.
Ali Mahaffy
Co-CEO, Signal Theory
Ali Mahaffy is Co-CEO at Signal Theory, an independent ad agency headquarters in KC, MO. With agency and client-side experience, Ali has a great perspective on client challenges and how agencies can best partner.
She is a KC Business Journal "Woman Who Means Business", was the 2019 KC Ad Professional of the Year, and has served as the President and Chairperson of the US Board of AMIN, with 50 + independent member agencies globally.
Signal Theory was named a 2024 Ad Age Best Places to Work agency, incredibly rewarding in these challenging times.
Sharon Napier
Executive Chair & Founder, Partners + Napier
Sharon Napier is the Executive Chair & Founder of Partners + Napier, a full service creative and media agency twice ranked among the Top 20 Most Effective Agencies in North America by Effie Worldwide and proud to have just celebrated their 20th anniversary. Sharon is also Board Chair of the 4A's, and she sits on the Global Strategic Leadership Team of Project Worldwide, an independent and employee-owned holding company of 14 leading agencies.
Honored by Ad Age as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Advertising, Sharon has earned her reputation as a trusted voice in our industry. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, Adweek, and Forbes, and has spoken at Ad Age Small Agency Conference, Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Advertising Week, and the ANA Financial Management Conference.
Stephanie Parker
Chief Client Experience Officer, BarkleyOKRP
Stephanie has made a career of chasing the thrill of big ideas and weaving them through everything to ultimately impact the trajectory of a brand. In her role as Chief Client Experience Officer, Stephanie is accountable for the experience clients have with BarkleyOKRP end-to-end, leading the Brand Leadership and Brand Operations teams to deliver connected thinking across Barkley. She has mastered her ability to uncover business opportunities and honed brand-building to create ideas with purpose. She loves the momentum of uncovering a brand idea that fuels everything inside and out. Stephanie has deep experience in retail, restaurant and financial services categories and loves applying cross-category inspiration. She has worked on brands including Sonic Drive-Ins, Dairy Queen, Applebee's, IHOP, Wingstop, U.S. Bank, Planet Fitness and Justin’s. She's passionate about mentoring talent, sharpening her skills as an amateur chef and adventuring to new places with her husband and twins.
Sandi Preston
Chief Strategy Officer, Translation
Sandi Preston is currently the Chief Strategy Officer of creative solutions company Translation, occupying the role for the past five years. She contributes her Chicago-bred work ethic and journalist-trained storytelling sensibilities to her day-to-day role where she is responsible for guiding brands towards work that is award-winning at the least and culturally seismic at best. Throughout her tenure over the past 14 years, Sandi has led accounts with a distinct point of view, always upholding the virtue of clarity as the means to drive breakthrough and connection.
Dan Prince
Principal, Prince Communications
Dan Prince is an accomplished marketing and communications executive, serving clients across professional and financial services, advertising, media, and marketing. He develops and executes campaigns that build brands and generate growth. He is known for his relentless pursuit of success for clients.
Before starting Prince Communications, he was Chief Communications Officer for Deloitte Consulting and Global Director of Marketing and Communications at Marsh. He previously was a communications and marketing leader at several financial services firms.
Dan has a BA in Political Science from Tufts University and an MA in Public Relations from the Boston University College of Communications.
Anthony Romano
CEO, Laughlin Constable
Anthony is CEO of the independent agency, Laughlin Constable. He has been operating at the center of creativity, data and technology for over 30 years, driving growth for some of the world’s most iconic brands like Porsche, Harley-Davidson, Samsung, Pepsi, Hershey’s, General Mills, Best Buy, MasterCard, Verizon, Citi, Braun, and Ralph Lauren. He’s the former CEO at BBH NY, US Chief of Client Services at R/GA when the agency earned 2015 Agency of the Year, and the former President of Wunderman Thompson’s Midwest region. He was named to Campaign’s Digital 40 Over 40 list, and is currently a Board Member at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, The BrandLab, and the 4A’s Central Region Board of Governors
Alex Sapoznikov
Chief Information Solutions Officer, Active International
With 20 years of experience in marketing analytics and data strategy, Alex has worked with a wide range of brands including Tylenol, Microsoft, PNC Bank, Novartis, and Expedia, primarily at NYC based agencies DeutschNY, Assembly, and Broadbeam Media.
Alex currently oversees information technology, data science, and MarTech innovation for Active International and its subsidiaries Involved Media and XACTV. He is passionate about connecting brands with consumers via creative combinations of tech, data, and analytics and has led the development of patented solutions that power media strategy and performance for Active’s clients. Alex leads the 40+ person Information Solutions team that is dedicated to leveraging technology to improve our offering and achieve company growth.
Tracey Shirtcliff
CEO & Founder, SCOPE Better
Tracey is passionate about business and bringing ideas to life. In 2004 she founded Traffic LIVE that was used by agencies across the globe and received multiple awards, before being acquired in 2024.
Tracey has launched SCOPE Better to improve pricing and scoping for professional services businesses. SCOPE Better is a CPQ (configure, price, quote) tool that is digitally transforming pricing and scope management, focusing on margin management, consistency and connectedness. SCOPE Better has already won an award.
Tracey is a passionate advocate of smarter business practices and connected processes. She believes in easy-to-use products that solve everyday business challenges.
Rich Sullivan
CEO, We Can’t Stop Thinking
WCST’s portfolio is concentrated in the hospitality and gaming industry, complemented with a mix of high-profile brands in CPG, technology, healthcare and finance.
Sullivan joined the company in 2000, and has worked across account service, strategy and creative. He began running the agency in 2004 and has grown it from a local, family-owned shop to a national, private equity-owned firm with more than 150 professionals and offices in Mobile, Chicago, Tulsa and Reno.
His work has been recognized by SXSW, HOW, Print, OMMA, Graphis, FWA, Communication Arts, Archive and the WEBBY Awards.
Ian Verschuren
CTO, Marcus Thomas
Ian is a tech-savvy business leader who has helped Marcus Thomas grow successfully on two continents. He is an integral member of the firm’s consulting group, offering Marcus Thomas’ clients applied experience and a comprehensive understanding of technology and its potential intersections with business. Client experience includes Ohio Lottery, New Hampshire Lottery, Georgia Lottery, Key Bank, Stanley Black and Decker, and others. He holds a Master of Business Administration in strategic business management from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.