• by Fern Siegel , June 1, 2026

DonerColle Partners selected Mariana O’Kelly as its first Chief Creative Officer. As CCO, O’Kelly will oversee creative the Coca-Cola Company, DQ, Hershey, Jeep, Ram, La-Z-Boy, Perdue, McCormick & Company, Revlon and The UPS Store.

She reports to CEO Jessica Henrichs.

A 30-year creative vet, O’Kelly joins the agency from Leo Burnett Chicago, where she was EVP/executive creative director, overseeing Kellogg’s portfolio. The work later won a Cannes Lion.

Prior to Leo Burnett, she spent nearly a decade at Ogilvy, in senior roles in Johannesburg and Chicago. Her brand experience includes KFC, Philips, Campbell’s, SC Johnson and Kimberly-Clark.

“Mariana’s ability to uncover the emotional and cultural truth within a brand and turn it into creative work that influences behavior is what makes her the kind of leader brands need to win today,” said Henrichs. “She’s proven that when creative is rooted in lived understanding, the results follow.”

Known for connecting creativity to business outcomes, O’Kelly has launched innovative work. 

When a Times Square billboard featuring chef Molly Baz, then nine months pregnant and promoting postpartnum care was pulled after two days, O’Kelly created new visibility. A week later, Baz became the first pregnant woman to appear on a Special K box, sparking a national conversation and selling out the limited-edition box in under a week.

For Huggies, she launched the World’s First Baby Marathon, a 21 km race between four babies wearing custom distance-tracking wearables, streamed in real time. The campaign drove an almost 30% increase in diaper sales.

“Joining DonerColle Partners is an opportunity to help shape the next chapter of creative for brands that move everyday American life,” said O’Kelly.

Stagwell formed DonerColle Partners earlier this year, combining two established agencies: Doner and Colle McVoy.