Possible has added a pair of executive creative directors whose hires it says has helped the agency achieve a 50/50 gender balance among its executive creative leadership team.
Valerie Carlson and Jason Marks join the agency as executive creative directors for Possible’s Los Angeles and New York offices, respectfully.
Carlson will lead the creative team for Possible’s developing Los Angeles office. She arrives at the agency from Method Products, where she led global brand experience development and direction as the brand’s global vice president, creative director. Prior to joining Method last May, she spent around a year and a half as executive creative director for EVB, following two years in that role with SapientNitro. Over the course of her career she has worked with brands including Kraft Foods, Fox Entertainment, Chrysler, Abbott, Lululemon and MGM Resorts.
Marks will help lead Possible’s creative team in New York. He joins the agency from McCann New York, where he has spent the last three years as executive creative director. Prior to that he spent over two years in the same role for Partners and Napier, following over two and a half years as senior partner, group creative director at Ogilvy & Mather. He has worked with brands including Nike, IBM Watson, Burger King, Mastercard and Philips.
Carlson and Marks complete an executive creative leadership team under chief creative officer, Americas Danielle Trivisonno-Hawley that also includes executive creative director, Possible mobile Danielle Reubenstein and executive vice president, innovation and experience Jason Brush.
“Martha Hiefield, our CEO, is passionate about making Possible a place where people can do the best work of their careers and feel they belong. When that’s the message coming from the very top we all strive to make the vision real,” Trivisonno-Hawley said in a statement. “We were adamant about making the executive creative leadership team a 50/50 split because then the entire department is able to look up and see themselves in leadership roles, too—they see a path for themselves. We’re certainly proud of how balanced we are, but realize we still have a long way to go, not just on gender but also on diversity and inclusivity. The more diverse we are the better the work will be and that’s the ultimate pursuit of any creative agency.”
“It feels very natural and necessary,” Marks added. “I’ve been lucky enough to have been hired by and worked with some of the great women leaders in our industry today: Joyce King-Thomas, Sharon Napier, Lauren Crampsie, Susan Westre, Chloe Gottlieb and my wife, Madison Wharton. And now Danielle, of course. So, to learn of Possible’s total commitment to gender balance, not to get there in the future, but happening right now, sealed the deal for me.”