Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P) has named Leslie Barrett president of the agency, succeeding Derek Robson, who left last year for Ideo where he is CEO. 

Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Barrett moved to the US at the age of 13. She began her advertising career at Anderson & Lembke, where she worked on the Microsoft account for three years.  

During her 20 years at GS&P, she has led the Wall Street Journal, SBC, HP, Emerald Nuts, Subway, Denny’s, Logitech, TD Ameritrade, Nickelodeon, SONIC Drive-Ins and Häagen-Dazs accounts, among others. 

Barrett became director of new business in 2014. She was named a partner in 2016. 

The agency said Barrett has been instrumental in agency growth and momentum, running many of GS&P’s largest and most pivotal clients. With a client retention rate of 100% since 2014, she has fueled the agency’s average client tenure of seven years. Barrett has also demonstrated a strong record of pitchless business wins over the years, which most recently includes Comcast Business, Idorsia, Califia Farms, One Medical, Oura, Lidl and BIC razors. 

"Leslie is an aggressive business builder, a master negotiator, a champion of innovation and a leader dedicated to employee well-being who thrives on making work that drives true business impact,” said Jeff Goodby, Co-founder and Co-chairman of GS&P. “She is the perfect leader to take GS&P forward.”