Fallon Names Kara Buckner as President/CSO, Nikki Baker and Leslie Shaffer Co-CCOs
The strategic-creative trio will scale their collaborative leadership model across Fallon's Minneapolis and New York offices
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fallon announced today the promotions of Kara Buckner to agency President and Nikki Baker and Leslie Shaffer to the roles of Chief Creative Officer. Buckner has been elevated from the role of Managing Director and retains her title as Chief Strategy Officer. Baker and Shaffer have been promoted to co-CCOs from their role co-leading the agency's creative department in New York.
"Fallon is at its best when we are creating smart, human-centric work—strategically rigorous, with plenty of room for creative magic," said Fallon CEO Rocky Novak. "Beyond being masters of their respective crafts, Kara, Nikki and Leslie bring a level of humanity and joy to their work that's palpable. Our teams love them. Our clients love them. And I couldn't be happier to have them helping lead the agency."
As a strategic-creative leadership team, Buckner, Baker and Shaffer have honed a leadership model that combines listening, collaboration, and welcoming ideas from different people with sparring, reflection, and a unified desire for the very best creativity and work. This past year the team has led new work for brands like Walmart, KeyBank, American Home Shield, and Back Market.
Fallon has charted consecutive years of growth, with momentum coming through new work for clients like Walmart, Arby's, KeyBank, Hotwire, Comedy Central, Showtime, Back Market, Minnesota Timberwolves, and more.
"The irony of creativity is that collaboration makes it easier and harder at the same time," said Fallon president and CSO Kara Buckner. "Tapping into diverse and plentiful perspectives creates more kindling for ideas, while also requiring more challenge and compromise. But when you have partners willing to work through that process, you can bring something to life in its purest and most powerful form. Which isn't just meaningful for a brand, it can change the fortunes of a business."
"The CCO title at Fallon comes with a high bar," said Fallon co-CCOs Leslie Shaffer and Nikki Baker. "Fallon has a legacy as a magnet for brave brands and talent. A place that creates things real people love, not things only advertising people love. We're talking famous, quotable, sometimes weird, sometimes funny, sometimes heartfelt, simple smart work. No pressure."
Together, Buckner, Baker and Shaffer will be responsible for helping the agency navigate client and cultural challenges related to the pandemic and a rapidly shifting media environment while tapping into the opportunities of new talent, new clients, and modern ways to help brands reach their objectives through creativity. Matt Garcia, who joined the agency from Publics Groupe partner agency Rokkan last summer, will continue in his role as Managing Director, New York. All four will report to CEO Rocky Novak.
Buckner previously worked for Fallon from 1997 to 2010 when she helped lead Emmy and Effie-winning efforts for PBS and United Airlines. After running her own consulting practice for nearly a decade and working with brands like Google, Nestle Purina, and Target, she returned to the agency in 2019 as Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Director. She now heads the account leadership and strategy departments, setting vision and driving strategic, creative, and operational excellence across the agency. Baker and Shaffer joined Fallon as co-Executive Creative Directors in 2018 with accolades that include Cannes, Clio, D&AD and The One Show awards, and being named to Adweek's "Creative 100" and Business Insider's "30 Most Creative Women in Advertising" lists.
"One of the best parts of this business that we get to create culture and affect change," said Buckner. "We're itching to do big things. Take big creative swings. You could look around at what's happening in the world and just decide to go hide under your makeshift at-home desk. But we're a glass-half-full kind of place, so we also see opportunity in the chaos and change."
ABOUT FALLON
Fallon Worldwide is a Minneapolis-based advertising agency that's part of Publicis Communications, the hub of creative agencies within Paris-based Publicis Groupe S.A. Fallon clients include Arby's, KeyBank, Comedy Central, Hotwire, Showtime and more. Fallon is one of the world's most critically acclaimed creativity companies, delivering breakthrough ideas for some of the world's leading brands. Additional information can be found at www.fallon.com.
Contact: Kappie Kopp, 919.741.9446, [email protected]
SOURCE Fallon
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