Leo Burnett Announces Champions of Creativity in Our Fourth Quarter Star Reachers Recognitions

Every quarter, Leo Burnett comes together to celebrate the individuals who drive impactful work and foster the Agency’s commitment to excellence. Nominated by their peers and cosigned by leadership, this group of talented Star Reachers advocate for equality in their work and personify the Agency’s four core values that define Leo Burnett’s human-centered culture: Eyes of a Child, Heart of a Champion, Hands of a Craftsman, and Soul of a Citizen.  

We are excited to celebrate this year’s quarterly recognitions—showcasing what it means to be an impactful member of the Agency and applauding those individuals who are constantly pushing the boundaries of creative inventiveness.  

To wrap the year, the agency recognized individuals that best embody the core value of Soul of a Citizen and Ultimate Star Reachers, our annual recognition of someone who embodies all four agency values. 

The soul of a citizen has a deep understanding of the world. They respect the past but are constantly looking to the future. They seek common ground and work towards the common good.  

Meet Leo Burnett’s newest class of Star Reachers: 

Ultimate Star Reachers 

Evan Thompson, Creative Director 

Evan looks at every brief, client problem, rough cut and myriad of other requests that fall on his desk and uses his creativity and curiosity to lead us to the simplest solution. He is not defeated by problems – but rather is inspired to solve them.  

Evan keeps his focus to building the best creative, no matter what. He is generous with his leadership—always willing to mentor and encourage younger talent. And his personality default is to lead with empathy and heart – always championing other people’s work in the room – above his own. Evan is the first to raise his hand to help, sacrificing his time to give back to the agency, work, and his teammates.  

Em Dyck, Senior Art Director 

No one is more talented, humble, accomplished, and graceful than Em. Em is one of our most sought after designers because they deliver exceptional problem solving and top-notch design…every.single.time. While calmly balancing a dozen projects plus the one that probably just came up while we’re talking, Em also displays gratitude and kindness towards everyone they work with. Em is a true rock star human and designer and we’re grateful to get the chance to work with them. 

Adam Simmons, Associate Producer 

Adam is a standout video producer. But the title of his position doesn’t fully describe what he does. Adam wears many hats. He has no hesitation to question, challenge, and lead in what he does—he’s never afraid to go against the grain. Most importantly, Adam does this with humility and an air of confidence that is never adversarial or rude.  

Adam constantly delivers incredible productions, focusing on how the clients’ money is most efficiently spent to create solutions that would be a serious challenge for most producers. I marvel at how he juggles the pile of daily challenges and how he keeps his composure and kindness towards others intact throughout the process.  

Q4 Star Reachers 

Chelsea Sams, Strategist 

Chelsea’s strategic chops are something to marvel at. At Chelsea’s core, she and her work are human. She relentlessly searches for a deeper understanding of people, the world, and our shared human experience to make an impact. She is a forward thinker, ensuring our strategic voice isn’t stuck in the past while using the historical knowledge of our iconic brands to maintain our long-lasting client relationships.  

Colleen Capola, Senior Producer  

Colleen walks the walk. She cares. She’s host. She helps anyone anytime. She solves problems that most of us didn’t even know were problems in the first place —and she does it without any fanfare. Colleen was also nominated this year by the American Heart Association as one of their “Leaders of Impact,” showing her commitment to people inside and outside of Leo Burnett’s walls.  

Alec Hoge, Account Director 

Alec is always present, listening, and ready to respond with thoughtful perspectives and solutions. He doesn’t just stop at business leadership tasks either – knowing how slammed other departments are, he’ll take on the role of presentation designer, develop outlines for sizzle videos, or draft a strategic playbook for launching our Instagram channel. He’ll not just show up to a team brainstorm, but he’ll come prepared and even bring coffee orders during a client visit. Alec makes the work, agency, and team better every day.  

Angela D’Aristotile, Account Director 

I won’t pretend to know every skill that goes into being an outstanding Account Director. But as a creative, I know a great leader when I see one. Angela D’Aristotile is the most hardworking, diligent, clever, and calculated account leads I’ve ever worked alongside. She is an in-touch manager, well-respected by clients, and an advocate for smart work. 

Kelly Maise, Account Director 

Kelly is an extremely strong team member. She is collaborative across the collective team, whether it’s internal, clients, or partners. She is focused on the future while leverage the learnings from the past.