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Andrew Dauska
—Director of Account Management
Andrew Dauska joined Carmichael Lynch’s account management group in 2004. In 2009 he was promoted to his current post of Director of Account Management, Senior Partner. In his tenure at the agency, he’s led teams servicing Porsche, Progressive Insurance, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, Newell Rubbermaid and Subaru. Today he oversees the account management team while still acting as a working manager on many key businesses.
Prior to joining Carmichael Lynch, Andrew spent five years at Leo Burnett in Chicago. There he helped orchestrate the successful multi-year phase out of GM’s Oldsmobile unit, led efforts to get Delta Air Lines passengers flying again post-9/11, and was an architect of Allstate’s long-running “Stand” campaign featuring Dennis Haysbert. Prior to Leo Burnett, Andrew worked at Campbell Mithun in Minneapolis on several General Mills brands and K-mart during the Rosie O’Donnell and Martha Stewart years. On all of those businesses, Andrew was a driving force in leading integration of messaging across consumer touchpoints.
Along the way, he’s been a part of teams that have been honored with Kellys, Clios, Windys, and multiple Effies. More importantly, he’s made sure that the work actually works in the marketplace.
A frequent speaker at the University of Minnesota’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Carlson School of Management, he’s often spoken of his simple “symphony” theory of integration: the instruments don’t all play the same note, rather they all play different roles in creating one harmonious melody, much like great campaigns.
Andrew was honored as one of Minneapolis’ “40 under 40” in 2009, and hopes to someday be named a “60 under 60” as a sign of graceful aging. Away from the office, Andrew serves on the board of the Boundary Waters Experience, a non-profit group that benefits urban youth.
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Dave Damman
—Chief Creative Officer
Dave Damman’s celebrated work includes breakthrough campaigns for a who’s who of brands, including Lee Jeans, United Airlines, Timberland, Pepsico, Holiday Inn, BMW and Jim Beam.
Since beginning his career twenty years ago at New York’s Saatchi & Saatchi, Damman has held the creative director title at numerous top agencies, and immediately previous to joining Carmichael Lynch, he helmed the creative department at Fallon Worldwide.
Dave Damman’s work has been recognized in the U.S. and internationally by all the most respected creative award competitions, including the One Show, Cannes, The New York Art Director’s Club and Britain’s D&AD.
An art director by trade, Damman has shared his keen eye for good design with many young hopefuls as a founding instructor at the Minneapolis School of Advertising. An admitted serial entrepreneur, he also co-founded the acclaimed Atlanta creative group Damman Pearce.
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Doug Spong
—President
Doug Spong, APR, is president of Carmichael Lynch and the founder of Carmichael Lynch Spong Public Relations. Carmichael Lynch Spong ranks among the 20 largest PR agencies in the U.S. with offices in Minneapolis, Denver, Chicago, New York and San Francisco. The firm represents such choice clients as American Standard, Cargill and Sherwin-Williams.
Doug founded Carmichael Lynch Spong in September 1990 after spending nine years at Colle + McVoy Public Relations as senior vice president, managing director, and a member of the parent agency’s board of directors.
An accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Doug is a past president of the 500-member Minnesota chapter. He is a current member of PRSA’s Counselors Academy; two-year chair of PRSA’s Honors and Awards Committee; founding member and treasurer of the Council of Public Relations Firms; and member of the Council’s strategic planning committee.
During his career, Doug has received five presidential citations from PRSA for extraordinary service to the society. He is an award-winning writer as well.
Doug earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in journalism from Iowa State University.
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Joe Germscheid
—Director of Consumer Engagement
After 25 years in agency media departments, Joe Germscheid is right at home as our Director of Consumer Engagement. Before being tapped to lead the consumer engagement group at Carmichael Lynch, he specialized in digital media, reporting, analytics andoptimization processes.
From national network TV for major national advertisers to B-to-B email campaigns directed at niche audiences, Joe knows all media executions require attention to detail and diligent stewardship. Through his career, Joe has worked on a variety of clients across nearly every conceivable category – from agricultural accounts and B-to-B with smaller agencies, to large CPG companies (General Mills and Nestle Purina), financial institutions (Citibank, Lincoln Financial Group and Travelers Insurance), travel (National and Alamo Rental Car, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Holiday Inn Express) and automotive (Subaru of America) brands.
When he’s not at the office you’ll likely find Joe coaching and teaching fitness classes at the YMCA. He’s a certified group cycle and spinning instructor who enjoys road biking when the Minnesota winters don’t force him from the road. He’s a graduate of St. John’s University with a degree in Psychology and takes pride in mentoring and leading committees for i612, the local Minneapolis digital media organization. Joe lives in suburban Minneapolis with his wife and family of five kids.
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Joe Grundhoefer
—Director of Integrated Production
Joe joined Carmichael Lynch in 2006 as Director of Integrated Production. His impact was felt immediately with work shot in best-for-the-project locations (such as India and South Africa), by award-winning directors, and containing the best, often never before used tracks (Guns N’ Roses to Wizard of Oz). Joe has guided clients through the early learning curve of digital and web-ready video, its challenges and its efficiencies.
A Minnesota Music Award runner-up (come on, Prince is the competition!), Joe moved into film and the Arizona Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences. With a passion for bringing creative ideas to life, he landed at Fallon. There, he produced work for Holiday Inn Express, BMW, Citibank, Children's Defense Fund, Subway, Georgia Pacific, AND 1 Shoes, Lee Jeans, Traveler's Insurance, Nordstrom, PBS, and more.
His high standards have been acknowledged with numerous awards (Effies, D&AD, London VFX, One Show, Creativity, Shoot, Boards, Adweek).
Outside of work he’ll be hanging out with his wife and daughter – likely watching films and listening to music.
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Julie Batliner
—Managing Director Carmichael Lynch Spong
Julie oversees day-to-day operations for our PR division, Carmichael Lynch Spong, supervising staff in both Minneapolis and New York City.
She has received the profession’s highest honors for innovative campaigns that achieve uncommonly dramatic results. In the past four years alone her client work has won 31 awards, including four from PRWeek, 13 national Silver and Bronze Anvil awards and 13 local PRSA awards and one SABRE award. Her deep background includes strategic planning, media relations, special events, internal communications, cause branding, ideation and new product launch management.
Julie has also received personal recognition for her achievements, having been named a 2009 Forty under 40 honoree by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and a finalist for the PR News Account Director of the Year. She was also honored as one of PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 for 2011, which recognizes PR professionals nationwide who exhibit innovative thinking, determination, and strong business results for their clients.
A member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Julie is a board member at the Minneapolis Community Capital Alliance, a nonprofit organization committed to preparing the next generation of citizen leaders. She has also volunteered on the marketing committee for the Jeremiah Program, a community initiative helping low-income mothers to complete their education and achieve economic self-sufficiency.
Previously, Julie was senior vice president at Fleishman-Hillard and worked at Valentine Radford and Morgan & Myers Communications. She has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism with emphasis in food science and public relations from the University of Missouri, Columbia.
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Kelly Thompson
—Director of Brand Planning
As director of brand planning, Kelly guides the strategic evolution of the brands we fight for every day. Kelly leads a sharp-as-nails team of insight miners and brand builders, and as a passionate collaborator she works cross-functionally to craft highly integrated strategies.
Kelly considers herself a Next Generation Planner. “The consumer landscape is constantly evolving, dynamic, diverse and too often for marketers, indecipherable. Today’s planners guide brands into the depths of current culture and along the way, demystify the behaviors, desires, needs and identities of consumers.”
Over the span of her strategic career, Kelly has partnered with a wide array of brands to develop connection with diverse consumer segments: from Xbox to H&R Block and Jack Link’s Beef Jerky to St. Ives. Prior to joining Carmichael Lynch in 2008, she was associate director of strategic planning at Space 150, where she led the planning team and the strategic oversight of key accounts such as Dairy Queen, Andersen Windows and General Mills.
At Campbell Mithun, where she spent six years of her career, she led strategy for Boing, McCann Worldgroup‘s Youth: Family practice. As the Youth: Family expert, she played a driving role in the repositioning of iconic brands like Burger King, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Popsicle.
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Mark Feriancek
—Chief Financial / Chief Operating Officer
As CFO and Managing Partner of Carmichael Lynch, Mark is responsible for the Administrative, Support and Production functions. Prior to joining CL in 2002, Mark was at Plasmon Corporation for two years as CFO. He's a CPA with past experience at Ernst & Young and as a Finance Director at the Pillsbury Company. Mark has lived his whole life in the Twin Cities and graduated from the University of Minnesota.
He is married to Jill whom he met at the Pillsbury Company. They have three children: Derek who is 5 and twin 3-year-old girls named Nicole and Jessica. Mark enjoys the outdoors, in particular hunting and fishing. He also enjoys golf and time spent up north at the lake with the family.
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Mike Lescarbeau
—Chief Executive Officer
Michael G. (Mike) Lescarbeau joined Carmichael Lynch as President and Chief Creative Officer in May of 2007. He assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer in January 2009.
As a creative director at Fallon Worldwide, Hill Holliday and London’s Leagas Delaney, Lescarbeau garnered dozens of the advertising industry’s top honors, including Cannes Gold Lions and the Grand EFFIE. His work and his thoughts on the creative process are featured in The Copy Book, How 32 of the World’s Best Advertising Writers Write Their Advertising.
He was an early advocate of campaigns that employ new media, and launched One And All in 2001 as a creative resource for clients seeking breakthrough, experiential work. The agency’s uniquely integrated campaigns featured everything from public sculptures to recorded pub tours of Europe, and helped One And All win the 4A’s O’Toole Award its first year of eligibility.
Lescarbeau has served on the board of directors of the One Club for Art & Copy in New York and has been a frequent judge of advertising award competitions in the U.S. and overseas. He has spoken on the subject of advertising creativity in Paris, Sao Paulo, Singapore and Oslo.
Based at Carmichael Lynch’s Minneapolis headquarters, he is responsible for all agency operations, business units and offices, reporting directly to the Interpublic Group in New York.
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Randy Hughes
—Executive Creative Director
Randy Hughes joined Carmichael Lynch as a senior art director in 2000. He quickly rose through the creative ranks with award-winning work for clients across the agency’s roster, earning top national and international honors for breakthrough campaigns on behalf of American Standard, Porsche, Gibson Guitars and many others.
Hughes is the originator of the Subaru Love campaign, which has not only been universally lauded for its creativity, but has served as a catalyst for the car brand’s recent record sales growth.
Since 2007, when Hughes created the first, emotionally driven work for then-new client Subaru of America, the brand has surged past eleven other automakers on the list of America’s best selling cars. Left in the dust have been big names like Cadillac, BMW and Volkswagen.
TIME Magazine named “Baby Driver,” created by Hughes, as one of its top ten commercials of 2010. Featuring a father and his two real-life daughters, the Subaru spot has been publicly recognized by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, who has called on other manufacturers to emulate its heartfelt safety message.
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Steve Knapp
—Director of Brand Activation
Steve Knapp leads Brand Activation, a discipline developed by Carmichael Lynch to help clients manage the explosion of media options available today. Using his deep background in connection planning, he makes sense of an increasingly complex array of touch points and determines the right level of support forcreative ideas across paid, earned and owned platforms.
Prior to Carmichael Lynch, Steve served as Vice President and Media Director for OLSON in Minneapolis. He pioneered innovative and effective programs in social media, ambient and experiential marketing, branded content and traditional media for all clients including Nike, General Mills and Northwestern Mutual. Under his leadership, agency media billings increased more than 22 times and department staff by eight times through organic, new business and media-only client growth.
Before OLSON, he was an Associate Media Director and Vice President at Campbell Mithun. During his 12-year tenure, he worked on major agency clients H&R Block, Kimberly Clark, General Mills, Moneygram, Land O Lakes, and UnitedHealth Group.
Steve’s achievements have been recognized with multiple EFFIE awards, MEDIAWEEK’s Media Plan Of The Year, MEDIAPOST’s Creative Media Award and Marketing Sherpa’s Viral Hall of Fame.