Independent Kansas City-based agency Barkley named Susan Neuman as its first head of production, while also elevating her to senior vice president status.
“The creation of the role comes after a year of supernova growth in our production department—not only in size, but the array of things we’re producing and kinds of companies we’re working with,” Barkley executive creative director Jason Elm said in a statement. “Susan has already been instrumental in that growth, and she’s the right person to lead it going forward.”
Neuman joined Barkley as vice president, executive producer at the start of 2014, focusing on the agency’s Dairy Queen account. While with Barkley she has worked on national broadcast and digital campaigns for brands including Wal-Mart, Time Warner Cable, Hostess, Petsmart, McDonald’s and Ruby Tuesday. Prior to joining the agency she spent a year as senior manager, broadcast production for Applebee’s. Prior to that she spent around nine years at Bernstein-Rein, rising from senior producer to vice president, director integrated marketing before departing for Applebee’s in June of 2012.
“I hate to see an amazing idea get killed because it’s not clear how to make it happen,” said Neuman. “In this new role, I’m even better positioned to push forward solutions.”