Johannes Leonardo Elevates Emily Wilcox to Managing Director

Independent creative agency Johannes Leonardo is pleased to announce that it has promoted Emily Wilcox to managing director, effective immediately. 

In her new role, Wilcox will be tasked with building high functioning teams that continue to deepen client relationships and drive the growing culture at JL. As the agency continues to scale, Wilcox will ensure that business objectives and creative vision are in collective alignment. Wilcox will continue to lead as a member of the executive leadership team, with a role that encompasses bringing together strategic talent and resources that drive impact across agency development, client relationships and creative output. 

Wilcox will report directly to Bryan Yasko, president of Johannes Leonardo. 

“Emily made an impact on our agency day one,” said Bryan Yasko, president of Johannes Leonardo. “Her clear passion for growing businesses and delivering outstanding creative has constantly challenged us to go above the status quo and develop dynamic ways to continue to future proof our business. I am proud to work alongside Emily and announce this promotion from within as it marks a clear signal for where JL is headed.”

"The last five years at Johannes Leonardo have been some of the best years of my career,” said Wilcox. “I have been fortunate to work alongside some of the best minds in the business and use outstanding creativity to solve challenging business problems. Our competitive advantage in the market continues to be our ability to move the needle for our clients with ideas that transform and impact brands. As we continue to grow this year, I am looking forward to leading our agency forward as we continue to evolve to meet the demands of today and plan for tomorrow.”

Since joining the agency as the head of account management, Wilcox has successfully led the agency’s robust client portfolio through a single point lead model, a centralized and strategic approach where JL acts as the lead developing idea and strategy while ensuring integration throughout partner agencies. This approach has resulted in best-in-class creative output for some of the industry’s most iconic brands that have worked in service of client objectives. With a carefully constructed process that champions upstream client management, Wilcox believes that creative brilliance can only be achieved when backed with strategic rigor and discipline. 

In the past several years, Johannes Leonardo has experienced record breaking momentum and has scaled its capabilities to take on new clients and disciplines. This includes nine brands within the Kraft-Heinz roster such as Oscar Mayer and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Most recently, the agency won creative duties for Instagram, as the platform looks to become a central part of the lives of up-and-coming consumers. 

Wilcox’s promotion is yet another signal of the agency’s continued investment in its upward trajectory and growth.