Paul Allen of Allen & Gerritsen Steps Aside as the Agency Prepares to Open 2 New Offices

When an agency founder steps down, there can be a loss of identity. But Allen & Gerritsen, which has been a steadily growing presence in the independent agency world since its founding in 1985 in Boston, looks to continue the forward progress it’s been making as it changes up leadership and transitions into two new office spaces. As A&G approaches its fourth decade in business, it is letting go of its original roots as founder Paul Allen steps down and hands over the reins to longtime CEO Andrew Graff. Co-founder Peter Gerritsen stepped down from the agency in 2002 and is now president of Taan Worldwide, a growth incubator for independent marketing agencies. How to Successfully Fill the Shoes of a Larger-Than-Life Founder Allen told Adweek that Graff’s elevation is part of a long-term plan, one that involves the new offices and a continued step forward doing purpose-led work. New leadership, new spaces Allen said that A&G hit an inflection point as it signed leases for two new office spaces. Both will open soon in the hearts of the cities it operates in with an eye toward recognizing its pride in being an independent agency. In Philadelphia, the office will be located in Old City near the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and the Boston office is going in across from Independence Wharf. “The leases were probably the biggest trigger, but frankly, the current environment, the remoteness of the workforce, coupled with the fact that I felt that Andrew and the leadership were really ready to go and do their thing on their own [led to my decision to step down],” said Allen. The new spaces don’t require the workforce to come in daily, but rather will serve as gathering places for employees and clients. “We’ve reimagined the role of the office in these spaces. We're using the word hospitality a lot,” Graff told Adweek, noting that the spaces will feature connective technology and will encourage idea sharing and “intentional togetherness.” Allen isn’t retiring from the industry, however. He’ll be running a consultancy that was started within the agency five years ago called Primal A&G. It’s a practice to help companies position themselves to their greatest advantage. “It takes a lot of strategic methodologies and provides a toolkit and advisory kit to help clients position themselves agnostic of creative, particularly for up-and-coming companies [from] $50- to $100 million. I'm going to take it as an independent practice now and continue to grow it,” said Allen. Graff inherits a role he’s already been doing for nearly three decades as CEO, but he is excited about the team he has built, one that includes multi-generational members, and continues the entrepreneurial spirit that originally built A&G. His executive team includes CFO Kevin Sweeney, chief creative officer Jennifer Putnam, managing director Mike Raetsch, strategy evp Monica Lorusso and analytics evp Darshan Sampathu. That team will help grow a business that recently added the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, Thermo Fisher Scientific, the Philadelphia Flyers and Sallie Mae as clients. The agency is also growing its healthcare practice and counts Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts as a client in that category. One of the major recent additions came not from an account win but from an acquisition, as A&G acquired CX agency Carter Edwards & Co., adding end-to-end CX capabilities. A move toward more purpose Over its nearly four decades in business, A&G has resisted being gobbled up by networks or holding companies, all the while growing into new areas of business. It started in complex b-to-b and expanded into retail and CPG, and as it moves forward, the agency is centered on working with brands who have purpose. Recent wins find A&G getting into social justice with the Legal Defense Fund, clean energy with Ameresco, economic development with Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau and philanthropy with Penn State’s THON, which raises money for families affected by childhood cancer. “We're elevating our work to places where we can use creativity to meet purpose,” said Allen. Graff added that the agency desires to work with brands who want to have an impact on the world to make it a better place. That has helped to attract a new generation of employees who want to grow with the agency. It hires a diverse workforce that celebrates its entrepreneurial spirit and its independence, and A&G has operating principles that promote allyship and supportive employee groups, as well as a view of “progress over perfection,” which means everyone is doing their best to improve their performance and themselves. Ultimately, Allen wants to see A&G live up to its promise to be the “most comprehensive agency in the U.S. and still stay independent,” and he’s confident that the new spaces and new leadership will allow it to do just that.