Across our 52-year history, G&S has celebrated many significant milestones. I’m excited today to share another big one.
After 27 years of leadership at G&S – including 11 years as CEO – I will be retiring at the end of 2023. Following a thoughtful succession planning process, Principal/Managing Director Anne Green will assume the role of CEO in January 2024. G&S Principal/MD Brian Hall has been named G&S President. And, as part of this announcement, I’m also thrilled to share that Kate Threewitts will be elevated to our C-Suite as Chief People Officer. They, as part of our ownership group and 16-member Executive Steering Committee, will help usher G&S into our next phase.
During my tenure as CEO, I was honored to oversee the transformation of G&S into a fully integrated Business Communications agency. This includes establishing and investing in our Creative, Digital, Paid Media and Project Management teams; shaping our culture to foster such values as Build Trust, Win Together, Take Confident Risks and Enjoy Life; launching our DE&I efforts in 2015 with the establishment of Think Differently Together and providing vision and leadership for the establishment of our DE&I Task Force; and spearheading key growth and acquisition efforts.
For our people, clients and industry partners across the globe, I want to share how confident and excited I am about this announcement. This is the absolute right time at G&S to welcome a new era of leadership. And Anne Green is the right CEO to take us forward. I know how passionate she is about our values, how we partner with and serve our clients, and our drive to continue to build on our world-class team and services. For all our senior leaders, this starts with delivering high performance and excellence in all we do.
I look forward to supporting and working with our incredibly talented and deep leadership team for the rest of the year to make this transition a success.
Our full announcement press release is included below. We welcome your thoughts and feedback!
Luke Lambert to Retire from G&S Business Communications; Anne Green Named Agency’s Next CEO
Brian Hall to Become President; Kate Threewitts to be Elevated to Chief People Officer
NEW YORK (June 15, 2023) – G&S Business Communications today announced the planned retirement of President & CEO Luke Lambert at the end of 2023. G&S Principal Anne Green will succeed him in the CEO role starting January 1, 2024. A 30-year industry veteran, Green joined G&S in 2018 as part of the agency’s acquisition of CooperKatz, where she held the CEO role and was a principal of the firm. As part of this leadership transition, G&S Principal and Chicago Managing Director Brian Hall will become President. In addition, G&S Principal and SVP of HR Kate Threewitts will be elevated to the C-suite as Chief People Officer.
Lambert’s retirement caps a 27-year career at G&S, having held posts in business development, as Managing Director of the G&S New York office, and as President prior to adding the CEO title in 2012. Lambert is the third CEO in the rich 52-year history of G&S, an independent agency which has grown to 160 staff members and $28 million in revenue. During his tenure, Lambert oversaw the transformation of the agency’s fully integrated business communications model, establishing Creative, Digital and Paid Media teams to build on its deep Public Relations and sector experience.
“I couldn’t be more excited about the depth of our talented and tenured leadership team at G&S. It is a great day when you can announce your next chapter knowing the agency is not simply poised for continued success, but to become even better,” said Lambert. “Anne is one of the smartest and savviest leaders I have worked with, respected by her colleagues, peers, clients and the communications community. Together, Brian and she will no doubt be one of the most complementary President and CEO combinations in our industry.”
“I am so proud of our team at G&S,” said Green, who will be the first woman to assume the role of CEO at G&S. “Our spirit is in the commitment we bring to supporting our clients, the amazing breadth and creativity of the work we produce, the depth of our expertise, and just how much we care about making a difference for one another and the clients and communities we serve. It will be a true honor to assume this role, especially given the example set by Luke across his tenure. Leadership is a team sport, and I am grateful for the close collaborations fostered among my fellow G&S Principals and our leadership team. I know we can and will continue to do great things as an agency.”
As Green and Hall move into their new roles in 2024, they will be supported by the highly seasoned leadership team which comprises the 16-member G&S Executive Steering Committee. In her role as CEO, Green will have overall responsibility for agency performance, operations, growth, innovation, culture and the continued evolution of its fully integrated suite of marketing and communications services. Her direct reports will include Hall; members of the G&S C-suite, which includes Chief Operating Officer Ron Loch, Chief Growth Officer Steve Halsey, Chief Financial Officer Seth Niessen and Chief People Officer Kate Threewitts; and the agency’s Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Marjani Williams.
Hall’s direct reports will include G&S Principal/Managing Directors Caryn Caratelli and Stephanie Moore, and the G&S office Managing Directors Dana Ferrell (Raleigh) and Meredith Topalanchik (New York). Leaders from the agency’s Communications, Creative, Digital and Paid Media teams also will be aligned under Hall’s leadership. He will have responsibility for client service operations and excellence; impactful integration across the agency’s key disciplines and offerings to maximize results for clients; and the cultivation of a dynamic, collaborative and rewarding hybrid environment for G&S staff members.
As part of this leadership transition, Threewitts will be elevated to Chief People Officer in recognition of her transformative impact on the agency’s overall talent strategy, practices and policies since first joining G&S in 2014. Threewitts also has been a key driver of G&S’s ongoing commitment to advancing diversity, equity and belonging both inside and outside of its walls. She has served as a leader of the agency’s DE&I Task Force since its inception.