Leo Burnett Chicago names Venables Bell + Partners Kate Jeffers CEO

Leo Burnett Chicago is appointing a new CEO. Kate Jeffers, president and partner at Venables Bell + Partners, is taking on the role effective May 15. Jeffers, who will relocate to Chicago, has spent more than 20 years with Venables Bell + Partners. She joined the San Francisco-based agency as an account director before working her way up to the chief operating officer role in 2019 and president in 2020. Jeffers will oversee Leo Burnett clients including Bank of America, Beam Suntory, WK Kellogg, Molson Coors, Nintendo and Tillamook. She will report to Susie Nam, who was named CEO of Publicis Creative U.S. in December 2023. Andrew Swinand previously held the dual role of CEO of Publicis Creative in the U.S. and Leo Burnett. As CEO of Burnett, Swinand oversaw the agency’s Chicago and Detroit offices, according to a spokeswoman, who confirmed there won’t be a CEO named in Detroit moving forward. Swinand left the agency to pursue other opportunities, the agency previously said. See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Creativity Award winners here “I’ve long admired Leo Burnett for its bold creative ambition, driven by a longstanding belief that what helps people, helps business,” Jeffers said in a statement. “Few agencies have a 90-year track record of consistently innovating to build brands at mass scale, to activate audiences, and to impact culture.” Venables Bell + Partners won’t fill Jeffers’ previous role as the agency looks to adopt a “nimble structure that is right for a modern independent agency and our clients’ needs today,” said Paul Venables, founder and chairman. During her time at Venables Bell + Partners helped oversee clients such as Audi of America, Chipotle, Intel and Reebok, and helped expand the agency’s experience design, production and retail offerings. Jeffers also led the launch of the agency’s AI consultancy, Braive, and multiple equity investments in AI startups, according to a statement by Leo Burnett. Venables Bell + Partners parted ways with its longtime client Audi in 2022, with the account going to Ogilvy. Last year, the shop picked up clients including Bob Evans Farms and Girl Scouts of the USA.

Leo Burnett Chicago names new CEO

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