EVB Adds Creative Talent Valerie Carlson, Promotes Kathleen Foutz to MD

Full-service agency EVB has hired Valerie Carlson as Executive Creative Director of Design Innovation, a new position. She will work out of the agency’s Oakland office and report to Founder/CEO Daniel Stein. Kathleen Foutz has been promoted to Managing Director.

Foutz is a seasoned advertising professional who has worked at Publicis & Hal Riney and Young & Rubicam. She began working for EVB in 2012 as Group Project Director and was promoted to VP, Director of Account Management last year.

Most recently, Carlson was ECD/Global Innovation Lead at Sapient Nitro in Los Angeles, where she oversaw experience, design and content teams. Before that, she was VP-Creative at Razorfish, where she created successful brand, marketing and product solutions for a range of global brands for 13 years. Prior to working at Razorfish, she spent seven years teaching Graphic Design at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.

Carlson’s unique background in marketing, digital and education allows her to partner with clients to create innovative solutions that deliver a real return on investment. She believes that understanding human nature and uncovering unmet needs are critical to creating meaningful brand experiences. She is excited by the connection between technology and empathy and has recently been building Virtual Reality prototypes as a way to test and learn. 

“Kathleen has been with us for more than three years and has made huge contributions in the growth of our account service department,” said Daniel Stein, EVB’s Founder & CEO. “There is no one better suited to step up into the managing director role.” 

He went on the say, “Val is supremely talented. Her work is stellar and she has a long-standing reputation for building and growing an innovative creative culture. I am looking forward to seeing some amazing work come out of the Oakland office in the weeks and months to come.”