Deutsch LA Draws Global Talent to Leadership Team

Deutsch LA has tapped three award-winning industry veterans to join the agency’s leadership team: Jason Lonsdale as chief strategy officer, Emily Hodkins as EVP, head of corporate communications and Linda Kim as SVP, head of digital production. Bringing a culture-centric approach, these key hires join as the agency experiences a surge of business growth. 

“Jason, Emily and Linda are proven leaders, storytellers and problem solvers. They each bring their own unique style to the table, much like we do at Deutsch LA,” said Kim Getty, Deutsch LA CEO. “For these leadership roles, we were looking for people that would challenge us in the most interesting ways. Their vision will be instrumental as we continue Deutsch LA’s business and creative momentum in 2021 on the heels of record growth in 2020."

Jason Lonsdale, Deutsch LA chief strategy officer

In this role, Jason Lonsdale will be responsible for overseeing the agency’s strategy practice. He will drive collaboration across creative, data, media, UX and design to bolster Deutsch LA’s approach to connecting brands through culture. 

Hailing from Ogilvy, where he was head of brand strategy & planning in the U.S., Jason’s advertising career spans over 20 years across global hubs including New York, London, Toronto, and Sydney, as well as his native New Zealand. Lonsdale has delivered award-winning work for renowned brands such as IKEA, LG, McDonald’s, T-Mobile and Toyota. Prior to Ogilvy, Lonsdale was a consulting Chief Strategy Officer for an array of world-class brands and agencies, and also served as chief strategy officer of Mekanism in New York. He has held strategic planning leadership roles at Saatchi & Saatchi and TAXI. Lonsdale has taught at the Miami Ad School in Miami, Sydney and Sri Lanka, designed and taught the strategy planning course as Chair of the Account Planning Group of Australia, and has been a guest lecturer at the New School in New York. 

“I am beyond thrilled to be joining the wonderful leadership team at Deutsch LA. We share a vision for strategy that is firmly rooted in humanity and audience-centricity, and the importance of being culturally-attuned. I was immediately drawn to the people-first nature of the agency, as I strongly believe that openness and collaboration are key to creativity and success. I can’t wait to help shape this next chapter of the Deutsch LA story,” said Lonsdale. 

Emily Hodkins Deutsch LA, EVP, Head of Corporate Communications 

As EVP, Head of Corporate Communications, Emily Hodkins will lead Deutsch LA’s external communications. With a keen sense for finding and pushing the industry’s leading-edge, she will be working in lockstep with the agency’s leadership and clients. In this role, Hodkins is entrusted with telling the agency’s story and amplifying it’s culture- driven creative work. 

Most recently as as vice president of marketing & communications at Elephant, Hodkins led agency marketing and communications efforts across offices (NY, SF, LA, LON). She worked across clients including Apple, Beats by Dre, Comcast, Marc Jacobs, Morgan Stanley, NBCUniversal, Twitch, Virgin, Yahoo! Hodkins is best known for leading agency communications for three of the most acclaimed agencies in the advertising industry over the last decade: Anomaly, Droga5 and 72andSunny. Hodkins also led PR for Deloitte Digital/Heat, where she helped develop a new model of creative consultancy. Over the years, she has been instrumental in humanizing brands and agencies while also crafting unique leadership platforms for some of the industry’s top marketers.

Lonsdale and Hodkins will report directly to Kim Getty, CEO. 

Linda Kim Deutsch LA, SVP, Head of Digital Production 

As Head of Digital Production, Linda Kim will lead the department and will be responsible for the creation of best-in-industry digital content and experiences across the Deutsch LA client portfolio. She will oversee the digital production department, working closely with creative teams, leadership, and partners to shape the agency’s digital vision and trajectory. Kim will report to Ivan Perez-Armendariz, Deutsch LA Head of Digital Experience. 

Hailing from RPA where she was VP, director of digital production, Kim began her career in New York before moving to Los Angeles, working in communication design and seamlessly transitioning into production. While at RPA she oversaw all digital production for display, social media, email, website, and app development. Kim has produced and managed global digital-marketing campaigns for clients including: ampm, Apartments, BMW, Cedars, Colgate, Dole, FB Portal, Farmers, Honda, Intel, Microsoft, Pocky, TXU, SCE, Southwest, La-Z-Boy.