Kurt brings to Saatchi LA a perspective not always found within ad agencies: firsthand knowledge of what matters to clients. He should know — prior to joining Saatchi LA in 2003, Kurt spent 32 years on the client side at General Motors, rising to the top marketing position at Chevrolet.

Drawing on his extensive consumer marketing background, Kurt brings experienced leadership to Saatchi LA. He helms the agency’s Leadership Team, ensuring this key group of senior managers remains focused on creating value for our clients. And as a member of the Toyota Worldwide Executive Board, he’s played a central role in all key marketing initiatives for Toyota, including the Gold Effie award-winning launch of the Tundra full-size pickup.

“We are passionate about discovering the truth of a brand rather than inventing a truth; and we tell, show and demonstrate its essence in a compelling manner that builds sustainable growth.”

Kurt earned a B.S. from Eastern Michigan University and attended the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School.

Somewhere there are probably official documents that refer to a Charles J. Maguy. But at Saatchi & Saatchi LA, we simply refer to our President as Chuck. He’s the kind of no-pretense ad executive who is always ready to loosen the tie and roll up his sleeves to help solve the big-picture issues facing clients.

A longtime veteran of the P&G and Toyota accounts, Chuck returned to Saatchi LA in early 2009 after serving as Executive Director at our sister agency, Team One, where he managed the Lexus brand. Chuck’s collaborative management style consistently produces high-value outcomes for our clients. As President of Saatchi LA, Chuck oversees the day-to-day agency operations, working closely with all departments, including Creative, Media, Strategic Planning, Account Management, Public Relations, Finance and Human Resources. Prior to his tenure at Saatchi LA, Chuck held top marketing positions with Relax the Back Corp. and Global One Distribution and Merchandising, Inc. He received his M.B.A. from the Anderson School at UCLA and his B.A. from Stanford University.

Every day, Chris wakes up hungry for new ideas and new ways of sharing them with the world. As Executive Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi LA, he’s focused on creating an environment where everyone, in every department, is as excited as he is about big ideas — the ones that change the conversation, get people to participate in them and become a part of popular culture.

Prior to Saatchi, he spent 15 years at TBWA\Chiat\Day, where he helped Apple launch iTunes, iPod, the Power Mac G5 and The Beatles’ triumphant debut on iTunes. He created the “Dogs Rule” campaign for Pedigree that raised millions of dollars for shelter dogs while generating millions of fans on Facebook in the process. And he launched the 100% electric Nissan Leaf.

Today, he’s proud to be helping Toyota lead the way, not just with world-changing cars like the Prius, but also with world-changing initiatives like Ideas for Good.

In addition to the usual advertising awards, he’s had the magazine campaign of the year, the outdoor campaign of the year, the #3 Super Bowl commercial of the decade and been nominated for an Emmy.

Forget The Love Boat and Charlie’s Angels. As a kid, Margaret loved the commercials. Today, that love has grown into a full-blown obsession that includes Facebook, Twitter, mobile ads and apps, HTML5 and WebGL. Her passion and enthusiasm are infectious, inspiring everyone around her to make their work more beautiful, more breakthrough, more famous and more effective.

Prior to joining Saatchi, she spent nearly two decades at TBWA\Chiat\Day, where she won her first awards for the Apple “Think Different” campaign. She helped introduce the iMac to the world, then iTunes, then the iPod. She helped bring The Beatles to iTunes. She toiled away on every digital piece of business back when it was called dot-com. She also worked on Levi’s, Taco Bell, Nissan, Infiniti and Pedigree. She created The Pedigree Adoption Drive – a global initiative activated in 27 countries. She developed the first-ever iAd on the iPhone for the Nissan Leaf and set a new course for the Nissan brand with the “Innovation for All” campaign.

Her awards include Cannes Lions, Communication Arts, D&AD, The One Show, CLIOs, the Kelly Awards, the $100,000 Grand Kelly (donated to The Pedigree Adoption Drive), Obies (two Best of Shows), the New York Art Directors Club (Best of Show), the Effie Awards, the #3 Super Bowl commercial of the decade and an Emmy nomination. But her greatest professional success is raising millions of dollars for shelter dogs.

Mark drives the agency’s strategic planners to deliver the kind of consumer insights that can transform not just a single brand, but change entire categories. Working closely with the Leadership Team, Mark developed Consumer Context Research, a planning process proprietary to Saatchi LA. CCR informs our creative and media recommendations with insights that keep our work aligned with shifting consumer attitudes.

Since joining Saatchi LA in 2003, Mark’s strategic leadership has helped our largest client launch dozens of new products, achieve record growth and earn “Marketer of The Year” honors from both BrandWeek and Ad Age. He’s involved in every phase of the agency’s strategic process, including consumer research, product clinics and creative testing.

Mark sits on Toyota’s Worldwide Executive Board, as the strategic lead for all Toyota business managed by the Saatchi network throughout the world.

“You can’t be creatively brilliant without being strategically insightful,” Mark contends. “Everything we do is driven by understanding the consumer in a truly intelligent way. It all comes down to when, where and how to make a connection.”

Born in England, Mark received his master’s at Lancaster University. In addition, he’s completed the Executive Education Program at the University of Michigan and Marketing Leadership Development Program at Duke.

John leads the agency’s media planning, engagement marketing, digital media development and retail marketing efforts. Working closely with the creative, planning and account teams, he’s instigated new ways of using media to maximize our message — often with an impact on pop culture.

John’s team is pioneering the use of digital media platforms and emerging technologies such as mobile, video sharing and one-to-one marketing with events, promotions and strategic alliances. His team is also initiating groundbreaking deals with traditional media such as TV and print.

Under John, we expanded our Digital Team base and established new functional disciplines. The new Digital Innovation and Investment (DII) team maximizes insights and cross-media integration. The Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) team leads learning on all programs to optimize engagement and establish best practices.

John joined Saatchi LA from Doner Advertising in Newport Beach, California, where he spent five years as SVP and Media Director.

Craig joined Saatchi LA as Executive Director, Idea Management in 2009. His extensive background in digital marketing quickly impacted our ability to conceive and execute integrated campaigns that leverage the power of online, mobile and social networking platforms.

Prior to Saatchi LA, Craig was President of Borders Perrin Norrander in Portland, Oregon, where he guided the development of innovative communications programs for such clients as Intel/pc.com, Valvoline, Columbia Sportswear and Mountain Hardware. Before Borders, Craig served as Director of Client Services/Senior Partner at Carmichael Lynch, where he helped Harley-Davidson regain its strength among younger prospects by growing the brand’s digital and direct presence, and developed the first dealer co-op field team for Porsche. Craig earned his M.B.A from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University.

Michael heads the agency’s Finance Department, overseeing a staff of more than 20 people dedicated to coordinating with agency and client teams to ensure accurate, timely accounting of all jobs in progress.

After several years in the New York office of Saatchi & Saatchi, Michael was promoted to succeed Saatchi LA’s longtime head of finance, Lew Katz, who announced his retirement in late 2008.

“It’s a bit daunting to be tapped to fill the shoes of a legend like Lew,” concedes Michael, a father of three young daughters. “But with the robust systems put in place at Saatchi LA over the years, I’m looking forward to maintaining the agency’s reputation for fiscal integrity.”

Prior to joining Saatchi & Saatchi in New York, Michael worked in the Finance Group of Toys “R” Us, a leading retailer. A native of Minnesota, and a longtime resident of New Jersey, Michael received his bachelor’s degree in finance from Providence College in Rhode Island and his M.B.A. from Iona College in New York.

Lisa’s passionate approach to human resources helps Saatchi LA attract talented individuals and nurture their development. Working with other members of the agency’s Leadership Team, Lisa ensures our staff of more than 300 Saatchilians thrives in an environment where each person is challenged to acquire new skills and empowered to take risks.

“It’s cliché but true: In the agency business, people are the core of our company and our most important asset. My focus is on anticipating the skill sets they’ll need as technology continues to transform our business, and as we become more deeply involved as our clients’ marketing partners.”

Lisa’s enthusiasm for Saatchi LA’s dynamic culture is boundless — she recently returned to the agency for the third time in her career.

She holds a B.A. in sociology from Boston College and a master’s in gerontology from California State University/Dominguez Hills. In addition, Lisa is a trained leadership facilitator and work/life coach.

Since arriving at Saatchi LA, Tanya has taken a lead role in the Toyota business and Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide network initiatives, including the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase. As a former Executive Producer at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Tanya oversaw brand work on Comcast, Netflix, Budweiser, Quaker Oats and agency new business.

She’s worked with 55-plus clients and produced work that has won multiple awards at Cannes, The One Show and D&AD, to name just a few. She heads a crew of 77-plus integrated, broadcast and digital producers, creative technologists, developers, editors, studio artists, business affairs managers and traffic people who help make Saatchi LA’s ideas into award-winning realities.

Tanya is originally from Long Island, New York, and she brims over with all the East Coast gusto that one might expect, sans the thick Long Island accent. Tanya graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a B.A. in communications.