Boulder, Colorado-based creative agency and consultancy Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) promoted Cindy Judge to the position of president, tasked with overseeing client service, business development, talent acquisition and all other areas of SRG’s operations.
Judge replaces former president and CEO Walt Freese, who left SRG to “pursue other leadership opportunities.” She previously served as chief client services officer.
Sources tell us that the Freese decision was not mutual, but an agency spokesperson declined to elaborate.
“For 12 years, Cindy has been a talented and tireless client engagement leader, member of SRG’s senior leadership team, and longtime member of our Board of Directors,”SRG co-founder and chairman Rick Sterling said in a statement. “She has exceptional skill in leading teams to solve challenging client problems and has been a key contributor to the development of many of our core intellectual properties. We are grateful for everything Cindy has done to grow our business and are confident in her ability to lead SRG’s next phase of growth.”
“For more than three decades, SRG’s diverse and integrated business model of innovation, strategy and communications has enabled us to deliver consistently above-average returns to many of the world’s premier brands,” added Judge. “As we continue our trajectory of global growth, I am honored to step into this leadership position and help drive SRG’s next generation of success.”
Judge began her career as an account manager with JWT Chicago, working with clients including Kraft, Uncle Ben’s and Oscar Mayer. After eight years she then went client-side to work as brand manager, Kraft Foods North America, tasked with managing strategy, innovation, and business development.