• by Fern Siegel , June 9, 2023

McKinney has selected its first female president.

The 54-year-old agency upped Gretchen Walsh, former Chief Client Officer, to president. She is the first person in the post in five years.

Walsh was involved in the acquisition of influencer agency August United and key to winning various accounts, including Blue Diamond Growers, Puma Running and Popeyes.

She reports to CEO Joe Maglio.

Maglio said: "Her business and operational intelligence ensures that we’re consistently a critical client partner, and her focus on the growth of our employees is unparalleled."

Walsh has worked at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and The Martin Agency. She arrived at McKinney in 2004 in a senior strategy role. She began her ad career as a media planner at FCB in San Francisco.

"I’ve experienced many aspects of the industry from media and strategy to account management," said Walsh. "I pull from that work daily to catalyze great ideas, develop and launch into the market, and create attention for the brands we work with."

The agency counts Pampers, Little Caesars, Stop & Shop, ESPN, Samsung among its current clients.

McKinney is a creative, media and influencer agency headquartered in Durham, NC, with locations in Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and New York. It is part of the Cheil Worldwide network.