The Leadership Behind the Work

It’s no surprise that one of Kevin’s passions has been coaching high school soccer. He’s a natural coach to our expansive and experienced performance marketing team. He guides them through the ever-changing digital world to deliver sophisticated, data-driven solutions for a wide range of brands. In fact, Kevin has built a premier digital performance marketing, planning and data science discipline that helps brands stay competitive, achieve sustainable growth and leverage their data to inform decisions.

Kevin has over 30 years of industry experience in marketing and digital transformation, including SEM; programmatic, display and social media; SEO; data integration and security; analytics and application development. During his time at Merkle and IMPAQT, Kevin focused on strategy, proprietary software development, data integration, analytics and reporting. He’s led successful engagements with brands such as JPMorgan Chase, Penske, USAA and Office Depot.

Kevin is a Pittsburgh guy. He grew up in Mount Lebanon and earned a bachelor’s from Robert Morris University. He is a soccer player/enthusiast who, after 20 years, just recently retired from coaching one of the top high school soccer programs in western Pennsylvania. While he enjoyed helping teams reach section, conference and state championships, he is finding that life with his wife, Kathy, and their six kids keeps him more than busy.

Erin fell into advertising nearly 20 years ago when she felt a connection with Michael Brunner and decided to leave the familiarity of a Big Four accounting firm to enter the unknown but exciting world of agency life. And we’re glad to say she’s barely looked back.

It goes without saying that as CFO, Erin is responsible for overseeing the financial health of our agency. But her right-brained analytical skills also mesh perfectly with her left-brained people skills, which is why she oversees our IT and HR teams too. With decades of experience, Erin is well-equipped to offer her expertise to meet each client’s specific and unique needs while fostering a people-first culture to attract and retain top talent here at Brunner.

When not working on financial modeling or risk management, Erin can be found rooting for her alma mater, Penn State, or, more likely, spending quality time with her husband, Dan, and her two girls, Jenna and Auggie, who always keep her on her toes. And when you meet Erin, be sure to ask to see a picture of her dog, Chewy, because you’ll be stumped as to whether Chewy is a real dog or a treasured teddy bear.

Ken originally joined Brunner as a young account guy. After a brief stint at several shops serving as Group Account Director and Head of Client Services at other agencies, he returned to Brunner in 2000 to help lead and integrate a growing digital practice into the larger organization. Today, Ken is not only an original Brunner Boomerang – he also helms the ship for all client relationships.

With his rich background in client relations and a passion for enhancing customer satisfaction, Ken always delivers exceptional service and fosters meaningful connections. His intuition and experience in developing strategic plans are equally matched by his ability to translate client feedback into actionable insights. Just ask some of the brand managers of national and global brands with whom he has worked. Aquafresh, Sensodyne, TUMS, Abreva, PPG, The Home Depot, M&M’s, Heinz, Del Monte and Dick’s Sporting Goods are just some of the brands that have benefitted from Ken’s brain power.

When not helping brands grow, Ken helps young people grow, whether in their careers, through the Pittsburgh Fellows program or on the court as Head Coach of the Quaker Valley Girls’ Varsity Basketball team. Ken also keeps connected with his alma mater, Ohio University. Ever been to an OU Halloween or Fest? That’s always a good conversation with an OU grad.

With more than 25 years of experience, it’s hard to isolate Dan’s superpower. Is it his ability to drive innovation? Foster partnerships? Deliver sustainable growth in an ever-changing marketplace? Or do it all and still be so dang nice? Yep, that’s his super-duper superpower.

For decades, Dan stayed nimble and was quick to see and adapt to changes. And that has allowed him to craft innovative strategies that align with market trends and customer needs. He has the ability to foresee industry shifts and capitalize on emerging markets so that he can consistently deliver exceptional results for clients. Some of those skills were honed from his leadership roles at Merkle, Mullen and ZAP Solutions. Some were learned by getting his master’s in marketing management at DePaul University and his BS in economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. And some of his skills emerged just because Dan is perpetually curious and driven by an inner calling for excellence.

That inner calling also drives Dan’s daily devotion to CrossFit. Don’t ask him about it, though – he’ll talk your ear off. He and his wife, Hayley, are proud parents to two college students, Eva and Carlton, and an energetic cattle dog named Daisy.  And if you’re looking for Dan’s other superpower, his kids would say it’s his parallel parking skills. That’s a skill you hone after living in Chicago for years.

Annette is a strategic advisor and transformation leader with a passion for building things—brands, businesses, and bottom lines. Data-led and idea-driven, she has spent her career helping organizations identify what is working, uncover what could work better and turn those insights into meaningful, profit-driving results.

Her “leave it better than you found it” philosophy has guided leadership roles at agencies including Grey, Arnold, Leo Burnett, 22squared and Blue Sky, as well as work with Fortune 500 brands across CPG, retail, healthcare, food and beverage, and QSR. She has helped shape global brand portfolios and led work for P&G, Diageo, Unilever and Coca-Cola. Most notably, Annette helped bring the groundbreaking Always #LikeAGirl campaign to life—a cultural moment recognized with an Emmy, Cannes Lions Grand Prix, Effies, Clios and more.

Today, Annette brings that same mix of strategic rigor, creative ambition, and organizational know-how to Brunner, where she leads strategic growth and business development nationally, with a focus on Atlanta and the Southeast. She is known for assembling the right mix of talent around every opportunity, challenging “what is” to imagine “what could be,” and helping clients turn complexity into clarity. Annette’s real superpower? Seeing the opportunity in change—and making sure the people, brands, and businesses around her come out stronger on the other side. Outside of work, Annette is the proud mother of two college kids and a dog named Fletcher. She is an avid traveler who loves to cook and entertain, and she is happiest when she is on or near the water. Always looking for her next adventure, Annette is on a mission to do five new and challenging things every year.

Dan is that rare creative – outrageously talented and intuitively strategic. When people describe advertising as art and science, they are describing Dan. With a strong background in design, art direction and production, Dan is equally at home developing a product launch as he is directing a commercial shoot. And like most good art directors, he’s a damn good writer – as you can see in his published memoir, Hot Dog People and Other Bite-Size Sacrifices.

Dan is an award-winning “creative’s creative,” having achieved multiple industry awards. For him, every word, color and element is there to serve the idea and impact the brand. His broad portfolio includes Church’s Texas Chicken, Dick’s Sporting Goods, The Home Depot Rental, YellaWood, Google, GNC, UPMC, Nationwide and Walgreens.

While Dan is proud of his achievements at Brunner, Animal Inc and The Art Institutes, he’s most proud of being a dad to three rambunctious boys, and if you read his book, you’ll see some of their crazy antics. But he is the first to credit his wife, Crystal, with keeping all these guys moving in the right direction amid the chaos of family life.

We often say Eric’s full title should be Data Science Interpreter. After all, data is only as good as the person who knows how to analyze it and turn it into actionable strategies. And Eric excels at aligning advanced analytics and machine learning with brand objectives and driving impactful solutions that resonate across diverse industries.

Akaash has spent over a decade at the intersection of advertising, technology and data, with a career spanning agency work, entrepreneurship and the development of AI-powered marketing technology. His focus has consistently been on turning emerging technology and complex data into tools that help marketers make better decisions.

Before joining Brunner, Akaash co-founded AdSkate, an AI-powered creative intelligence company that was part of Carnegie Mellon University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. He helped build AdSkate from an early-stage idea into a platform designed to help marketers better understand audiences, creative and the factors influencing campaign performance. In 2026, AdSkate became part of Brunner, bringing the next chapter of that journey inside the agency. Earlier in his career, Akaash worked across digital media, data and marketing technology supporting brands including Ford and Lincoln. He holds an undergraduate degree in Marketing from Penn State University and a master’s degree in Finance from Northeastern University.

Today, Akaash leads AI and innovation initiatives at Brunner, focused on identifying where emerging technology can create meaningful value for clients and internal teams. He brings a founder’s mindset to the role, combining curiosity, commercial thinking and a willingness to challenge assumptions in pursuit of better outcomes.

Michelle embodies the balance most marketing leaders strive for: she brings equal parts brand savvy and digital expertise to every project, all with a relentless focus on client service. She began her career in account management, leading high-profile work for brands like GlaxoSmithKline, Heinz, and Cub Cadet. But it didn’t take long for Michelle to show a natural aptitude for digital, quickly becoming a go-to leader for website, mobile, and technology-driven initiatives.

Over her 25 years at Brunner, Michelle has helped shape the agency’s digital evolution. She’s led project management across everything from web design and development to advertising asset creation and creative production. Today, she heads both our project management and web development teams. Through her integrated role, she brings together technical precision, marketing strategy, and a deep understanding of how to get things done.

Outside of work, she’s likely with her family. Whether she’s coming or going from one of her kids’ sporting events, organizing fundraisers as a Booster President, or staying up all night to finish a good book, Michelle brings energy, empathy, and leadership to everything she does.

With more than 20 years of experience in marketing and operations, Chrissy brings a deep understanding and passion for media and seamless agency operations. Her roots are firmly planted in the digital landscape, where she began her career in SEM and SEO at search pioneer IMPAQT, later part of Merkle, working with heavyweight brands like PetSmart, Barnes & Noble, and Office Depot. Recognizing early on that great work relies on both sharp strategy and smooth execution, Chrissy teamed up with fellow ex-Merklers to help build and elevate Brunner’s media team. Today, she oversees the agency’s SEM and SEO teams and steers operational excellence across the entire organization, bridging the gap between client service and process.

With a rare balance of technical knowledge and operational leadership, Chrissy excels at creating streamlined, high-impact processes and helping cross-functional teams collaborate effectively. Her focus is on sustainable growth, strong client relationships, and team empowerment. Just as importantly, she has a knack for mentoring the next generation of talent, spearheading onboarding and training initiatives that turn junior staff into industry powerhouses.

When she is not leading media teams or fine-tuning agency workflows, Chrissy stays actively involved with her alma mater, Duquesne University, where she speaks to classes and recruits the next generation of marketers. At home, her focus shifts to the kitchen, where she has recently recruited her 6-year-old son AJ as her sous-chef in training. The Brunner office certainly is not complaining. Her baking training sessions mean everyone gets to enjoy the delicious fruits of her labor.

Brian believes the strongest workplaces are built when people feel supported, trusted, and empowered to do their best work. As Brunner’s Director of Human Resources, he leads the agency’s people strategy and HR operations, helping create a culture that balances the needs of the business with the needs of its people. He brings a practical, approachable perspective to HR and firmly believes good HR is about more than policies and paperwork.

Outside of work, Brian can be found spending time with his husband, Mat, and their four cats, always having something on the calendar to look forward to, or getting completely invested in a new series or documentary that he will insist everyone else needs to watch.

Matt is the driving force behind Brunner’s data engineering team, transforming raw information into actionable business intelligence. Having joined Brunner to build the data engineering practice from the ground up, Matt has become the agency’s go-to expert for all things data. Whether he is architecting data ingestion pipelines, cleansing complex datasets, or configuring web analytics and tracking tags, Matt ensures that every brand strategy is backed by pristine, organized information.

​Matt discovered his true calling in data management early in his career during his time at Impaqt, where he honed his technical foundational skills in database administration and quality assurance. He then took his talents to EDMC, leading a team of marketing analysts before bringing his expertise to Brunner. Today, he seamlessly orchestrates complex ETL data pipelines and builds dynamic reporting dashboards in Tableau to power the agency’s business intelligence. Matt earned his degree from Grove City College, laying the groundwork for a career built on analytical precision and innovation.

​A lifelong resident of the Pittsburgh area, Matt’s roots run deep in Western Pennsylvania. When he isn’t managing enterprise cloud infrastructure or organizing agency data, he is navigating the beautiful chaos of family life with his wife and their four kids. Whether he is tinkering with new tech projects at home, enjoying the outdoors, or simply unwinding after a busy week, Matt approaches life with the same curiosity, problem-solving mindset, and dedication that he brings to his work.

Brad is the kind of client-service leader who brings clarity to complexity, builds trust quickly and keeps the team moving in the right direction.  Strategic, candid and collaborative, he has an innate talent for understanding both the business challenge and the creative spark needed to solve it. When people talk about client leaders who can walk into any room, connect the dots and turn high-stakes challenges into seamless partnerships, they are talking about Brad.

With more than 20 years of advertising agency and marketing experience, Brad has guided cross-functional teams, stewarded C-suite relationships and delivered insight-driven strategies that move the needle. His broad sector fluency spans restaurant marketing, financial, healthcare, auto insurance and legal, to name a few.  A true Brunner veteran who also honed his craft at MARC USA and Red House Communications, Brad spearheads everything from 360-degree rebrands and product innovation pipelines to multi-channel media programs.

He’s a proud bobcat (Ohio University) and stays deeply invested in the creative community as a board member of the American Advertising Federation Pittsburgh.  Outside the office, Brad is just as likely to be found lining up a putt on the golf course, chasing down pucks at the ice rink or planning his next trip to Italy, where he holds dual citizenship…making him a valuable asset at team dinners when it’s time to pick a nice bottle of wine.