CEO

Ashlee Clarke

Overview

Ashlee is a powerhouse female entrepreneur. She has cultivated an array of skillsets and has those learnings at each step of her twenty-year career – from journalist to start up businesswoman, to keynote speaker, to advertising maven and Tony award winning Broadway producer.

A fast-paced New Yorker with Southern Roots from Georgia, Ashlee is not a typical Madison Avenue executive who sees life through the dual lenses of the two coasts. LA and NY are just the endpoints for her, because she knows the majority of consumers live right in the middle. She has built her career in New York City with a healthy dose of heart, passion, and guts as an untraditional advertising leader, while maintaining both her country roots and southern drawl.

Ashlee founded NitroC, an independent, integrated advertising & media agency, five years ago. Ashlee leads Nitro with a “Client First Culture” and is most passionate about emotionally connected advertising and innovation that drives growth for their clients’ business. She still maintains her down-home roots and it shows in the agency’s unique work such as her creative partnership with fellow Georgian, Luke Bryan.

Ashlee is the new wave of advertising leadership; she is an outsider with the fresh perspective of developing great work without the confines of agency orthodoxy. That outside approach allows her to ask, “why not?” when told something has never been done that way before and Ashlee has the tenacity, business experience and most of all guts to make sure she is the first to break new ground where others feared to go. The drive to succeed and the necessary extra work to be taken seriously in the old boys’ club is not lost on her, which is why Ashlee is as hands-on during a commercial production as she is understanding the best ROI for Clients advertising investments.

Ashlee attended Georgia State University’s Journalism & Mass Communication school where she acquired mass media skills as well as on-camera training. She worked as a television anchor and personality on networks such as The Style Network, E! CNN’s “Headline News,” Headline News After Dark, NBC’s morning show” Atlanta & Company”, just to name a few!

Always one to speak up, and speak out, Ashlee spoke live on CNN for Eve Ensler’s “One Billion Rising” alongside fellow keynote speaker, Dr. Martin Luther King’s daughter- Dr. Bernice King. Using her voice for women is a primary focus for Ashlee as she stood before Congress alongside “The Safe House” Women’s Resource Center on Women’s Domestic Violence Day and compelled the legislature to implement laws that protect women. In addition, Ashlee was the Keynote Speaker for “Own The Mic” Girls Govern Townhall in Washington, DC Women’s Empowerment take over at George Washington University for Girls Inc. Ashlee was also a featured panelist at Politicon with other influential women (Barbara Boxer, Wendy Davis, SE Cupp, & Robin Thede) that are on a mission to shatter the glass ceiling! Ashlee led the women’s menstruation movement that paved the way for millions of women to have a voice! She created the first “tax-free tampon” which revolutionized the most taboo topic.

Ashlee co-produced the movie adaptation of Tootsie, into the critically acclaimed Broadway musical-comedy. The production debuted on Broadway in April 2019. It grossed $39mm and earned 11 Tony Award nominations and Tony wins for Best Leading Actor in a Musical and Best Book of a Musical. Tootsie has also garnered numerous awards from the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Critics’ Circle, and Drama Desk Awards as well as rave reviews.

She also co-produced the Broadway hit, American Buffalo starring Lawrence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell, receiving 4 Tony Nominations.

In 2024, she co-produced the new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, starring Jeremy Strong. The production earned praise from critics and audiences alike, with nominations from the Drama League Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards, while winning a Drama Desk Award. The play also received 5 Tony nominations with one win. This lifts Ashlee’s total Broadway resume to a remarkable 20 Tony Award nominations and 5 wins.

Ashlee has also co-produced the star-studded motion picture, The Fabulous Four, releasing in summer 2024. The comedy surrounds a group of lifelong friends (Susan Sarandon, Megan Mullally, and Sheryl Lee Ralph) who travel to Key West to be bridesmaids in the surprise wedding of their best college girlfriend Marilyn (Bette Midler).

Ashlee Clarke continues to shape popular culture while bravely forging a path for female students, businesswomen, and entrepreneurs across the nation and around the world.

Executive Chairman

Chris Clarke

Overview

Chris is regarded as one of the most significant thought leaders in the advertising and marketing world. He is credited for revolutionizing marketing in the early 90’s with the establishment of guerilla marketing and innovating digital marketing in the early 2000’s.

Never one to settle, Chris has redefined the ad agency model by, quite simply, ensuring his agencies were focused on consumer relevancy by providing integrated solutions with one single focus: Client ROI.

Chris founded Nitro in Shanghai in 2001, redefining the advertising industry by vertically integrating industry offerings: innovation, brand strategy, traditional advertising and, at the time, the burgeoning digital advertising sector. With an eye on the future of where both consumers and advertisers need to be, Nitro quickly became a global network with seven offices around the world and a blue chip client base that included Mars, Nike, Unilever and Coca-Cola.

In 2009, Nitro merged with Sapient, creating SapientNitro, which became the largest independent advertising and digital agency in the world. During Chris’ tenure as Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at SapientNitro, the company was a global phenomenon growing to 9,500 employees and 36 offices around the world.

Chris’ roots in advertising date back to 1993 when he recognized that the holding company model was destined for irrelevance.  So while the rest of the industry focused on consolidation and Wall Street profits, Chris bucked the trend and stayed true to his belief that great creative rises above all else, and he founded Pure Creative. It quickly expanded into seven offices, from Melbourne to Beijing, and became one of the hottest creative agencies in the world. Clients included Mars, Procter and Gamble, Coca-Cola, and the Australian Tourist Commission. Pure Creative was acquired by Leo Burnett in 2000.

Chris is passionate about philanthropy and has been a board member of The Chopra Foundation, Children of Fallen Patriots, MindUp and Malaria No More.

Chris is a successful Tony Award Winning, Broadway Producer. Chris co-produced the adaptation of the movie, “Tootsie”, into a Broadway musical-comedy that earned beloved reviews and 11 Tony Award Nominations. He also co-produced the Broadway hit, American Buffalo starring Lawrence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell which received 4 Tony Nominations.

In 2024, Chris co-produced the new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, starring Jeremy Strong. The production earned praise from critics and audiences alike, with nominations from the Drama League Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards, while winning a Drama Desk Award. The play also received 5 Tony nominations with one win.

Chief Investment Officer

Lee Doyle

Overview

Lee is an industry recognized marketing communications and media agency leader with over 30 years of experience working with leading marketers across nearly every category: Packaged Goods, Entertainment, Telecommunications, Technology, Electronics, QSRs, Beverages, Automobiles, Pharmaceuticals, Insurance, Financial Services, Professional Services, and Retail. His clients have included AT&T, Bacardi, Campbell’s, Colgate, Dell Computers, IKEA, Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, Lionsgate Entertainment, Macy’s, Novartis, Paramount Pictures, Procter & Gamble, Target, Unilever, Walgreen’s and Yum Brands, among others.

Since 2020 Doyle has been president of NitroC Media. Prior to NitroC, Lee spent 18 years at GroupM/WPP in a variety of roles across several of their media agencies in both strategic planning and buying capacities. He was President at Mindshare and CEO, North America for MEC (now Wavemaker). During his tenure at MEC, the agency grew by more than +40% and was recognized as Media Agency of the Year two years in a row by both Advertising Age and Ad Week. Lee was named a Media Maven by Advertising Age in 2008. He has been a juror for the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity as well as a judge for the Effies and the Ad Week Media Plan of the Year Awards. He was recognized by She Runs It (formerly AWNY) with the Impact Award in 2011 “for a lifetime of mentoring.”

Lee began his career working in full-service agencies (creative and media) including Ammirati & Puris (now part of MullenLowe). He ran the media operations of Ammirati before joining MEC, initially as the client leader on AT&T. While at MEC, his responsibilities steadily expanded to include strategic planning, research, and analytics, before assuming the role of CEO.

Lee is known for bringing an analytical, data-led approach to client marketing challenges and developing creative media strategies to deliver exceptional business results. Some of his favorite campaigns include launching the iPhone with AT&T and crafting the media plans for the Hunger Games movie franchise with Lionsgate.

Chief Financial Officer

Brian McIntyre

Overview

Chief People Officer

Elizabeth Amstutz

Overview

Elizabeth, with her extensive experience spanning over 30 years in the media industry, holds a prominent position as Empower Media’s Chief People Officer. Her multifaceted background, including leadership roles in media strategy, planning, client service, operations, and human resources, uniquely equips her to identify and leverage growth opportunities for employees, clients and the agency. Elizabeth‘s passion for creative problem-solving, efficiency-building, and talent development has contributed significantly to her success.

In her most recent role as EVP of Talent Engine at Kelly Scott and Madison, Elizabeth played a pivotal part in culture enhancement, talent initiatives, learning and development and performance management. As a key member of the executive team, she ensured compliance and fostered an inclusive and empathetic work environment. Before joining KSM, Elizabeth led the Pfizer Pharmaceutical media business at Carat New York before relocating home to the Midwest to serve as the Managing Director of Carat’s Chicago office, where she was heavily involved in new business and client leadership. Her expertise extends across diverse categories and brands, including P&G, Kraft, and Coca-Cola.

Elizabeth‘s leadership is characterized by trusted partnerships with clients, colleagues, and teams. As a Wisconsin native, she enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, traveling and exploring the outdoors through hiking and walking, and indulging in activities like golf and pickleball.

EVP, Managing Director, Media Strategy

Deidra Bodkin

Overview

Chief Data and Technology Officer

Matt Fleischman

Overview

Matt comes to us most recently from his Chief Technology, Data and Analytics Officer role at Initiative, where he defined the overall company data and technology strategy while growing business and revenue across their largest client relationships, including Amazon.

Prior to his role at Initiatiative, Matt was the CTO and Global President of Technology, Data Sciences, Analytics, and Insights at Publicis Media.  I n his over nine years at Publicis, four as the Chief Technology Officer of it’s Moxie brand, he managed large teams in mobile and web development, analytics, AdOps, UX and data science, building enterprise-scale services and platforms in both the B2B and B2C spaces for large clients as well as internal products and tools.  While at Publicis Media, Matt also had the responsibility for overall governance and hygiene of data at the company and was able to identify core operational issues and resolve them at scale with people and process followed by tools, technology, and automation.

Before Publicis, Matt was at Microsoft where he built and managed their core internal media and marketing analytics and product stack along with a team of analysts, consultants, product managers, UX designers and software development engineers.  Earlier in his career, Matt cut his teeth in the game industry and the San Francisco Internet startup culture, going on to lead technology efforts at product companies building products for customers and at digital marketing agencies building products for clients.  His career has been a grand tour of corporate and agency marketing and advertising technology from traditional, digital and programmatic media to owned properties to CDPs, CRM, E-Com, measurement, AdOps and analytics.  In that time, he has measured the unmeasurable and unscrewt the inscruitable with some of the biggest data problems, platforms, and systems in the World.

EVP, Managing Director, Chicago

Greg Clausen

Overview

As Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Empower’s Chicago office, Greg provides strategic counsel and unwavering client advocacy while ensuring the full resources of Empower are maximized.

With over 25 years in the field of media and media research, Greg has extensive experience across a multitude of areas, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, insurance, ecommerce, healthcare, retail, consumer durables, direct response, and business-to-business media planning.

Some of his biggest fans include former clients like Procter & Gamble, Amazon, Motorola, Miller-Coors, Purina, ConAgra, H&R Block, Arby’s, Ace Hardware, Mazda, Corona, Moen, and many more.

A proud Michigan State University graduate, Greg is an avid golfer and loves to travel. Prior to joining Empower, Greg spent time working for agencies like Spark Foundry, ZenithOptimedia, Assembly, Cramer-Krasselt, and Doner (among others).

SVP, Director of Finance and Operations

Kimberly McEntee

Overview

Kimberly graduated from the Charles F. Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. She began her career as an accountant at the Metropolitan Opera, joined Pure Growth in 2012, and transitioned to the NitroC team as the Director of Finance in 2020. In 2023, she also joined the Empower team as the Director of Procurement.

​For over a decade, Kimberly has superintended the finance and accounting departments of Pure Growth and NitroC. Her superb articulation and attention to every fiscal component ensures the business is efficient and systemized. Kimberly is delighted and dedicated to being an intricate part of both the NitroC and Empower teams and she continues to deem “positive growth” as her number one personal and professional goal.

SVP, Client Leadership & Media Strategy

Nancy Roth

Overview

Nancy likes to challenge the status quo, to innovate and build unique strategic plans. She leverages creativity with an in-depth understanding of the consumer experience to identify and reach the most valuable audiences. Nancy has a track record of creating nimble teams, mentoring talent, and building strong client relationships.

With experience at various agencies in Chicago, including OMD, Spark and FCB, Nancy has worked on clients such as McDonald’s, Famous Footwear, Payless ShoeSource, Firehouse Subs, TGI Friday’s, Jiffy Lube, Supercuts, True Value, Citibank, SunTrust, Avis, and SC Johnson.

At OMD, Nancy was a Managing Director overseeing McDonald’s local media for the country; with a cross- functional team of over 100 employees who handled the planning and buying for 56 co-ops across all media.

As one of the first 9 employees at Spark, Nancy wore many hats, including new business director driving over 30% YOY growth for four years. She oversaw the out-of-home investment group and led strategic media planning on many retail and financial accounts.

Since 2020, Nancy was working as a consultant for clients, advertising agencies and media, most recently for Walmart Connect and Northwestern Medicine.

Nancy’s work has been industry recognized with Effie Awards, Creative Media Awards, Ace and OMMA Awards.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Nancy enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing golf and traveling.

SVP, Investment

Samuel Berkhia

Overview

Samuel is passionate about creating human-centric innovative strategies that deliver measurable results. With an extensive background leading both media investment and planning for some amazing brands at agencies like Starcom, Mindshare, and OMD, as well as co-founding a full-service agency, his mission has always been to empower and support people to do their best.

SVP, Client Leadership

Kevin Kelly

Overview

Kevin Kelly brings over 24 years of expertise in media investment and strategy, covering a broad range of channels including traditional television, radio, streaming audio, Connected TV (CTV), Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms, out-of-hom e (OOH) advertising, digital display, paid search, paid social media, and comprehensive sponsorship development. His extensive experience spans both national and regional markets, where he has crafted and executed strategic media plans that drive brand visibility, engagement, and sales growth.

Throughout his career, Kevin has successfully collaborated with a diverse portfolio of clients across various industries, managing multimillion-dollar campaigns and building strong relationships to deliver measurable results. He has had the privilege of working with some of the most recognizable brands, including: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Verizon, Burger King, Jimmy John’s, Culver’s Restaurants, Republic Airways, Texas Children’s Hospital, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Marco’s Pizza, Cici’s Pizza, Girl Coalition of Indiana, Citizens Energy Group, The National Bank of Indianapolis, and Whataburger Restaurants.

Kevin’s strategic approach, combined with his deep understanding of the evolving media landscape, has consistently driven successful outcomes for his clients, making him a trusted partner in achieving their marketing and business objectives.

SVP, Media Strategy & Planning

Luc Despaux

Overview

A 20-year veteran, Luc Despaux has worked across some of the largest advertisers in the world, including P&G (in both the US and Germany) and Walmart.

For 5 years, Luc took a hiatus from advertising to earn his MBA from Columbia Business School and build a startup that pioneered techniques in Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning.

SVP, Media Planning

Vanessa Watts

Overview

Vanessa has over 25 years of media experience working within high-profile agencies (both integrated and media independent) and on the client side.

Notable achievements include leading media planning for Sears Holdings, spearheading digital transformation at Reynolds Consumer Products, and successfully launching the Valspar Paint Brand. During her career – Vanessa has won awards and accolades such as the Bronze Effie for her work on Valspar and ASCPA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and the Media Post Creative Media award for best use of OOH for Wisconsin Dept of Tourism.

Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Illinois, with minors in Advertising and Marketing. A newly permanent resident of Wisconsin, in her spare time Vanessa has worked to give back, serving on the Board of The Institute of Women Today and as a Regional Director for Lasagna Love.

VP, Group Creative Director

Terry Dillon

Overview

One Show-recognized Writer/Creative Director who works heartstrings and funny bones to get attention for brands. With award-winning success in broadcast TV, radio, print, and all things digital, video, interactive and social, he’s a big-idea factory who’s comfortable thinking outside any box or within any budget.

Spanning nearly two decades in the entertainment and advertising industries, TD is a member of the Screenwriter’s Guild of America and a former staff writer for the #1 comedy on TV. His advertising work has been recognized by Comm Arts, AdAge, The FWA, AgencySpy, Archive, Creativity International Awards, USA Today as well as Spike TV’s “Funniest Commercials of the Year” and on “Real Time with Bill Maher.” He was a finalist for the Disney Fellowship, NBC Playground, and Radio Mercury Awards. Clients include P&G, Wendy’s, American Greetings, Tim Hortons, Dannon, White Castle, Western & Southern, American Standard, The Ohio Lottery and Jockey.

His experience in entertainment and traditional adverting merge perfectly in Empower’s quick-turn creative. He’s helped clients from regional chili parlors to national paint suppliers launch brand presence in new social platforms and find the modern relevance so vital to today’s consumer.

VP, Growth Analytics

Spencer Hall

Overview

Spencer is a skilled digital marketing professional with a passion for leveraging data to drive business results for clients.  As the VP of Growth Analytics, Spencer is responsible for collaborating with clients and connecting the dots between  data, strategy, execution, and performance to maximize results and identify opportunities for growth.

With over a decade in digital media, Spencer has led analytics and strategy initiatives across diverse sectors, including retail, food and beverage, CPG, enterprise recruitment, healthcare and more. Prior to joining Empower, Spencer served as Director of Client Analytics at Basis Technologies (formerly Centro). In this role he overhauled the analytics strategy for the Verizon recruitment marketing account, developing methodologies to connect first-party hiring data back to media activations, winning the 2023 Exchanger Award for Best Data and Measurement Strategy in the process.

Spencer holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas and a BBA in Digital Media Management from St. Edward’s   University. He is a proud father and husband who loves traveling with his family – ideally to a beach.

VP, Strategy - Performance Media

Edward Solomon

Overview

Edward is a digital marketing and analytics expert with over a decade of experience driving results for major retailers and Retail Media Networks. He has held key roles at agencies like Publicis’ Zenith and Spark Foundry, Edelman’s Performance Intelligence, and The Trade Desk, where he led programmatic strategy for independent agencies and their clients.

His expertise spans retail and retail media, having worked with brands like Meijer, At Home, Academy Sports + Outdoors, and Walmart Connect. At The Trade Desk, he gained deep insight into the evolving Retail Media Network landscape, including retailer-specific data strategies, inventory integrations, and measurement solutions for endemic and non-endemic brands.

Edward holds a Marketing degree from Miami University’s Farmer School of Business and broadened his global perspective through a semester abroad at MUDEC in Luxembourg.

VP, Performance Marketing

Eric Olson

Eric is a seasoned digital media expert, leading strategy, planning, execution, optimization, and performance analysis. Thriving at the crossroads of insights and intuition, Eric has 18 years of agency and industry experience specializing in search marketing and digital media. He has worked with multiple clients across nearly every industry from healthcare to CPG, automotive to utilities, QSR to hospitality. He has specifically led initiatives in retail for Newell brands (including Yankee Candle, Coleman, Graco, Sharpie, and more) to drive online revenue at a 10x+ ROAS, helped increase brand lift by 20% through awareness-based video for Famous Footwear, helped to drive 50% increases and 30% increases to in-store visitation across prominent automotive manufacturers and QSR locations respectively, and has leveraged campaign best practices and innovation to help increase online revenue by 28% in the first month for boutique clothing company; just to name a few.

Eric and his team put forth comprehensive recommendations and strategies for clients to improve performance and better engage their brand/service with patients and consumers alike. He has a passion for innovation, digital storytelling, and creating trusting relationships with his clients to support them in exceeding their business goals.

VP, Finance

Josh Hatfield

Overview

Josh Hatfield is a seasoned finance executive with extensive experience in corporate accounting, financial reporting, and strategic planning. As Vice President of Finance at Empower Media, he oversees financial operations, budgeting, and compliance to drive business growth and operational efficiency.

With a career spanning over a decade, Josh has held leadership roles at 84.51˚, TradeGlobal, GE, and FirstGroup America, where he specialized in financial audits, revenue recognition, and performance analysis. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and expertise in GAAP principles, he is a trusted leader in the finance sector. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Josh brings a results-driven approach to financial management.

VP, Performance Marketing

Jay Perz

Overview

Jay Perz was born and raised in the west Chicago suburbs and graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a degree in Marketing. During his time there, he was an active member and two-term president of the Delta Chi Fraternity. With over 15 years of experience in the digital media space, Jay has worked at agencies throughout the Chicagoland area, beginning his career in Paid Search and SEO before expanding into Paid Social and Programmatic Media Activation.

He has a proven track record in VP Performance Media and Director roles, successfully managing teams with multimillion-dollar budgets and driving strategic initiatives across various verticals, including Pharma, CPG, Insurance, Automotive, Travel, and Retail. Throughout his career, Jay has worked with major brands such as Sanofi – Dupixent, Bristol Myers Squibb, Abbott Nutrition, Tyson Foods, Moen, Vodafone, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Florida Blue, Harley Davidson, General Motors, and Ascension Healthcare.

VP, Investment

Gordon Agunobi

Overview

Gordon Agunobi is a seasoned media marketing professional with extensive experience in investment strategy, digital advertising, and data analytics, as well as a professional DJ and music producer with a deep passion for sound, culture, and creative storytelling. As Vice President of Investment at Empower Media, he oversees marketing budget management and strategic media planning to drive performance and efficiency.

In his role as an investment and performance media marketer, Gordon has worked with top-tier brands such as McDonald’s, Apple/AppleTV+, Celgene (Otezla), Kimberly-Clark, Bertolli, Kellogg’s, and Sprouts Farmers Market. He has led the development and execution of strategic initiatives spanning loyalty program launches, CRM and first-party data management, data compliance, joint business planning (JBP), media and creative frameworks, and experiential activations—all aimed at driving meaningful business growth. With a strong pulse on the ever-evolving media landscape, he remains at the forefront of emerging technologies, social trends, and industry innovations.

Beyond marketing, Gordon has built a name for himself as an international DJ and in music production space. As a producer, he crafts dynamic, high-energy soundscapes, drawing inspiration from alternative hip-hop, electronic, and global influences. His music and performances embody his deep-rooted connection to rhythm, energy, and audience engagement.

Blending his expertise in media, marketing, and music, Gordon continues to push boundaries—whether through innovative media strategies or electrifying DJ sets that leave lasting impressions.

VP, Investment - Retail Media

Casey Sheehan

Overview

Casey comes to us with nearly 15 years of Media experience, leading client businesses of all sizes and verticals, across two of the largest Agency Holding Companies in the world.

Casey’s media expertise and team leadership is rooted in the foundation of learning the ins-and-outs of Self-Service media from the ground-up – starting his career hands-on-keys, in-platform across SEM, Social, Programmatic, and Direct Media. In addition to specializing in Media Investment and Strategy, Casey is a valued, trusted client lead and agency partner, seen as a leader across agency teams and executives.

His human-first approach to business challenges – balancing strategy, execution, and results, has proven to be successful across clients and teams, alike, and it has brought Casey to becoming the Media leader that he is today.