Agency

Hart is built on the belief that authenticity leads to success.

There’s something compelling about a brand built on a genuine foundation. We know, because that’s how we’ve built our own brand. We’ve always been true to who we are. Today, we’re a collection of 80 strategists, creatives, producers, thinkers and, most important, builders who take pride in our work and in the results it generates.

Leadership

Continuing to follow the example set more than 50 years ago.

While each member of the leadership team brings unique talents and perspectives to Hart, it’s their shared clients-first mentality that pushes the agency forward.

01

Mike Hart

President/CEO

Hands-on, accessible and service-oriented describe Mike’s leadership style. It’s a style he learned from his mentor, father and agency founder Tom Hart, who knew, as Mike does, that we are in the business of solving problems. That’s why many of Hart’s clients have been with us for decades – because of Mike’s dedication to “white glove” service and his laser focus on achieving results.

02

Marc Paulenich

Senior VP, Strategy/COO

Hart is an agency that puts an emphasis on consumer insight and strategic thinking, and Marc is the keeper of that flame. He has a passion for building brands and making sure our creative output is strategically sound and solutions based. He’s also the driving force that keeps Hart on the leading edge of best marketing communications practices, ensuring that, even as we enter our sixth decade as an agency, we operate as if we were a fresh-faced start-up.

03

Randy Phipps

Executive Creative Director

Randy truly brings a worldwide perspective to his job as executive creative director of Hart, having helped craft local, regional, national and international campaigns like the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, Russia World Cup 2018, ProMedica, Certified Angus Beef ^® brand and the Detroit Red Wings, to name a few. While never losing sight of the functional, Randy brings a sophisticated design sense to Hart, working through branding and design systems thinking, helping our clients get their messages across in the most interesting manner possible.

04

Susan Degens

VP, Media

Susan has a passion for media that’s infectious. Whether she’s talking channel planning, buying strategies, consumer profiles or media usage by lifestyle, she makes crunching numbers fun. In addition, Susan has a particular interest in seeing that media and creative work hand-in-hand to craft unique solutions that take full advantage of what each medium has to offer.

05

Brian Newberry

VP, Brand Leadership

Brian brings a wealth and diversity of experience to his job as VP of brand leadership at Hart. He’s been a general manager, chief strategy officer, VP of e-commerce and senior client partner working for such flagship brands as General Mills, P&G, Nationwide, YUM! Brands, Bob Evans, OfficeMax and more. Brian is a big believer in behavioral insight, and his sharp consumer acumen helps hone our creative work so it’s always on point and always relevant to the target audience.

06

Rich Kretz

VP, Video Services

Rich is one of the people who truly make Hart unique. It’s rare for an agency of our size to have its own internal video department, but Rich has headed ours for nearly 30 years, keeping up with technical leaps that seem to occur almost daily in the world of A/V. His commitment and drive ensure that Hart’s television and video campaigns are always high-end, giving our clients big-city production values without the big-city costs.

07

Angela Beardsley

VP, Finance & Administration

Angie is the grease that allows the Hart engine to run. To touch on everything she does would require an entire section of this website devoted just to her, but in a nutshell, Angie makes certain that every financial decision Hart makes maximizes our ROI and, when possible, reduces operating costs. She makes us more efficient, which, in turn, allows us to devote more of our resources to our clients.

08

Rick Carey

VP, Creative Director

Rick brings his unique ability to connect with audiences to every assignment. While he is both a strategic and creative thinker, at heart, Rick is a writer. His work has moved the needle for brands large and small across multiple industry categories, including higher education, health care and financial. In addition, his storytelling abilities have helped dozens of social service agencies and nonprofit organizations raise more than $1 billion in critical funding.

09

Marcie Gabor

VP, Branding & Design Director

Marcie believes if you are not building your brand, you are tearing it down. Whether she’s designing a corporate identity or orchestrating brand standards for an entire organization, she believes brand equity is built by consistent gestures each day. From her fundamental branding work for the master-planned community of New Albany, Ohio, to her visual storytelling for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Marcie is always studying communication trends for insightful ways companies can enhance the brand experience for their customers.

Community
Involvement

Giving back is a given. Always has been. Always will be.

01

Tom Hart

We never set out to make giving back such a significant part of who we are. It happened organically. Which, from our perspective, makes every gift, dollar and hour we give even more meaningful. We tell you this not because we are looking for recognition. We tell you, because if you’re like us, we might be the kind of company you’d like to work with.

We support the work of many organizations and always try to direct our giving where the need is greatest. Each year we give hundreds of thousands of dollars in time to worthy causes across Ohio. We celebrate Earth Day by picking up trash along the road. We serve on boards of social service organizations. And we serve meals to the hungry.

04.30.2018

The increasing value of philanthropy in an environment of decreasing state funding. News

05.28.2018

New space. New identity. New chapter. Press Releases

08.15.2017

Hart Employee Recognized Nationally News