“This company can’t be any better or bigger than the growth of the people in it.”
There’s not one type of person who works at Leo Burnett. We’re all different and bring something unique to the table.
But you’ll know a Burnetter when you meet one.
Because we all aspire to carry on Leo’s legacy of being courageous, staying humble and having absolute belief in creative solutions that create change for the better.
The values we value.
As an agency and as individuals, we have four key principles that we aim to bring to our work every day. We call them the 4 Cs.
Eyes of a Child
Chooses to believe. Emanates joy. Knows that sincerity and curiosity are the ingredients for true transformation.
Heart of a Champion
Acts bravely. Protects ideas. Defends the interest of the people and leads with principle.
Hand of a Craftsman
Sees what no one else notices, but everyone will feel. Asks how can I make this better? But also knows when to stop.
Soul of a Citizen
Respects the work and one another. Always says thank you. Is tough but constructive. Draws people in, never pushes them away.
Building a workplace that reflects the world we live in.
It’s not enough to be a diverse workplace. Our people need to fearlessly bring their unique points of view to the table. It’s the only way our work can ever reach its fullest potential. We’re committed at all levels of our agency to growing a more inclusive Leo Burnett. Together with our parent company, Publicis Groupe, we’ve made a $50 million commitment to attract and grow Black talent, as we continue to nurture a culture of belonging in which our people feel empowered to bring their whole selves every day.
We support eight employee-created resource groups, representing different populations and helping to build a greater sense of belonging throughout the agency.
Our peer-reviewed Inclusivity Product Council challenges stereotypes in our work at all stages of the creative process.
Marcel, our AI-enabled platform, provides all employees with ongoing, anti-bias and cultural sensitivity training, along with live workshops, 30,000-plus online courses and conversations with industry change-makers.
We’re unwavering in our commitment to providing the Black community and people of color with more opportunity in creative fields through scholarships, mentorships and education-focused relationships.
We’ve formed an alliance with Free the Work, a talent-discovery platform for underrepresented creators, and are committed to awarding at least 25% of outsourced production to minority partners.
Our work will never be finished, but we’re proud of the recognition that our efforts have earned.
Our Leadership
Kate Jeffers
Chief Executive Officer
Kate recently joined us as CEO to—in her own words—help “seize our existing momentum and amplify our advantages.” She comes to Leo Burnett with an impressive track record of building agency cultures that inspire creativity, nurture innovation and deliver for today’s brands. Kate spent the past 20 years at Venables Bell & Partners, where, in her most recent role as president and partner, she did it all: She brought in new business and diversified the agency’s offerings to include capabilities in experience design, integrated production, retail and advocacy marketing. Kate was also pivotal to the agency’s early adoption of AI, leading the launch of its AI consultancy, Braive, as well as multiple equity investments in AI start-ups.
Katie Ogarek
Head of Finance
Katie has worked across our entire finance discipline for more than 20 years and now leads a department dedicated to delivering our clients’ needs while driving the agency’s financial strategy and operations. The keys to Katie’s success and longevity: understanding every aspect of our business and considering her fellow Burnetters as family. Throughout Katie’s career, she has helped strengthen financial and internal controls; navigated the demands of complex, often highly regulated categories; led client and new-business finance teams; and helped manage various acquisitions and integrations. Prior to leading Leo Burnett’s finance department, Katie oversaw finance for Arc, the Leo Burnett Group agency specializing in commerce and shopper marketing.
Renato Fernandez
Chief Creative Officer
When Renato moved with his family to the U.S. from his native Brazil in 2011, he had two ambitions: to grow his career and to show his two kids that the “entire world is their backyard and that everything is possible for them.” He’s made good on both goals. Renato recently joined us after 11 years at TBWA/Chiat/Day, where he rose from ACD to leading the agency’s creative department. Prior to moving to the U.S., Renato rose through the ranks of the industry in Brazil, including working for 10 years as an art director at AlmapBBDO, where he helped the agency win back-to-back Agency of the Year titles at Cannes and the Clios. Renato’s work on such brands as Gatorade, Levi’s, Volkswagen, Airbnb, Visa, Adidas and Pepsi has been awarded at The One Show, Clios, Cannes, London International Awards, D&AD and Effies. And as for Renato’s children, they’ve indeed made the world their backyard: His daughter now lives in Barcelona, and his son is preparing to move to Tokyo.
Peter Loftus
Chief Marketing Officer
Creativity and empathy are at the heart of Peter’s approach to business development. As our CMO, he works with client partners across categories to imagine new possibilities for their brands through ideas that are unexpected and inspiring. Prior to joining Leo, Peter led business development at Energy BBDO, where he helped establish partnerships with brands such as Kenvue, The General Insurance and SodaStream. Before Energy, Peter led business development and marketing for the digital-first agency Barbarian, helping to triple its client roster and transform its image through 90-plus news articles. He also spent more than seven years at Grey Group working in new business and account management. During his new business tenure, Grey added more than $100M in net new revenue. Peter is an avid movie fan and enjoys writing film treatments in his spare time, but he is holding off on his next project until Daniel Day-Lewis gets back to him on his availability.
Samantha Cescau
Head of Strategy
Samantha is passionate about using fearless creativity and purposeful strategy to grow brands and businesses. She has delivered disruptive solutions across categories. Recently Samantha led the launch of bubly bounce, which became the No. 1 caffeinated sparkling beverage. She also led Vaseline’s global repositioning, which helped reverse 25 periods of market share and earned a silver Effie, and led 25+ brands under Newell Rubbermaid, helping the company to earn $500M in added revenue as well as winning gold and silver Effies. Samantha has an MBA from Columbia University.
Nicole Wright
Head of HR
Ten years into a rising career in account management at Leo Burnett, Nicole had an
epiphany: The most rewarding part of her job was guiding the growth and development of
the people on her team—and watching them succeed. So she pivoted to a role in HR and
has never looked back. Today Nicole leads a team whose mission is ensuring that Leo
attracts and retains top talent while fostering an environment where employees are
engaged, empowered and set up for success in their roles. Above all, Nicole is dedicated to
creating a workplace where employees feel motivated, valued and well equipped with the
resources, tools and communication they need to thrive. In her free time, Nicole is a
frequent speaker at industry and campus career events, and volunteers with Chicago
Scholars, an organization that supports academically ambitious high school students from
under-resourced Chicago communities in enrolling in, persisting through and graduating from college. A diehard college football fan, Nicole has recently (and somewhat secretly) shifted her allegiance from her University of Florida alma mater to the University of South Carolina, where her son plays sousaphone in the marching band.
Make something great with us.
Interested in helping our team develop creative solutions that earn distinction, grow our clients’ businesses and help people? Then check out our open career opportunities.
Waiting for the perfect role but not ready to apply just yet? Keep in touch by joining our talent community.