Transparent Partners Assembles a Powerhouse of Industry Vets to Help Brands Realize AI's Full Potential

CHICAGO, Oct. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As AI transforms marketing, the future belongs to brands that can connect audience intelligence, operational excellence, and technology innovation into one integrated model. Transparent Partners, a Chicago-based marketing services firm, is helping their brand clients build exactly that future. Known for its expertise in marketing technology and data strategy, the firm has expanded into AI solution development and campaign operations. To help clients realize tangible value from this transformation they are expanding a purpose-built leadership team.

Transparent Partners has added three respected industry leaders whose careers span agencies, brands, and technology providers—each bringing deep expertise in audience, operations, and strategy.

Earlier this year, Chris Marshall and Bryan Simkins joined Transparent Partners to lead AI-driven solutions across media, content, and creative operations. Marshall most recently served as Chief Audience Officer at Publicis Groupe, where he played a central role in building advanced audience strategies for global brands and was a critical leader in the launch of the company's Core AI platform.

For Simkins, the move is a return to Transparent. More than a decade ago, he helped launch the firm, at the time focused on bringing transparency to the media supply chain during the rise of programmatic buying and media in-housing. Over the past two decades, Simkins has built deep expertise in marketing, technology, and operations, most recently serving as EVP, Global Lead of Creative Solutions at Publicis Groupe.

Transparent Partners is also proud to announce the addition of Jon Suarez-Davis (JSD) as the company's first Chief Strategy Officer. Widely respected across the marketing ecosystem, Suarez-Davis has held leadership roles across agencies, brands, and technology providers. He served as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at Krux, helping lead the company through its acquisition by Salesforce in 2016, and went on to hold senior strategy roles at Salesforce. Earlier in his career, Suarez-Davis served as VP, Global Media and Digital Strategy at Kellogg's, where he and Fetters were colleagues during a transformative period for the brand.

"I could not be more thrilled to welcome Chris, Bryan and Jon to Transparent Partners," said CEO Aaron Fetters . "This is the most exciting time to be in marketing, as AI is not just a set of tools but a catalyst for redefining how work gets done. Chris, Bryan, and Jon bring the precise expertise—audience, operations, and strategy—that brands need to turn AI into performance. Their leadership ensures Transparent Partners can help clients not just experiment with AI, but operationalize it at scale."

According to Suarez-Davis:

"I joined Transparent Partners because this is where the future of marketing is being built—trusted client partnerships paired with the ability to innovate at the speed of AI. Marketers don't need more shiny objects, they need partners who can connect AI to outcomes. At Transparent Partners, we're focused on making AI work in the real world, delivering clarity, efficiency, and growth for brands at global scale. For marketing leaders aiming to build a durable advantage in the decade ahead, Transparent Partners is the partner to make that future real."

With a client roster including multiple Fortune 500 brands across the CPG, Retail, Financial Services and Life Sciences spaces, Transparent Partners has always solved challenges at a global scale. Now, with an expanded leadership team aligned to the realities of AI-driven transformation, the firm offers brands a modern, purpose-built alternative—combining transparency, expertise, and innovation to deliver measurable performance in the next era of marketing.

Says Fetters, "The brands that win in the next five years will be those that don't just adopt AI tools, but fundamentally reimagine their operating model around them. The question for every CMO is no longer if they should transform, but what it takes and who they can trust to guide them. Is your organization truly ready?"

• "Despite the rush to invest in AI, a recent MIT study shows that just 5% of initiatives realized any return. Transparent Partners was built to close that gap—bringing the strategy, operational rigor, and executional excellence in data operations and audience activation that transforms the promise of AI into a reality."
• * Andrew Swinand , Chairman, Transparent Partners, CEO, Inspired Thinking Group *

About Transparent Partners

Transparent Partners is a Services-as-a-Solution company that helps enterprise brands transform their marketing capabilities with AI-driven solutions. Today's marketing organizations struggle with fragmented technology, underutilized data, and increasing pressure to drive measurable impact. AI and automation have the power to solve these challenges—but only when applied effectively. Transparent Partners delivers AI-powered services and embedded solutions that unlock the full potential of marketing technology and data. They help enterprise brands operationalize AI, automate workflows, optimize investments, and accelerate business growth.

SOURCE Transparent Partners