McKinney Names Gretchen Walsh President

Creative, media and influencer agency McKinney has promoted its chief client officer Gretchen Walsh to president, effective immediately. Gretchen is the first person to hold the position since 2018. As president, she will ensure that McKinney’s internal systems and their client-facing offerings are best-in-class including overseeing revenue management, fostering client relationships and developing new relationships, and always looking for opportunities to grow the agency.

Gretchen has been instrumental in McKinney’s rapid growth over the past four years, most recently with Blue Diamond Growers, Puma Running and Popeyes, and a little further back with Little Caesars, as well as the acquisition of influencer agency August United. Her new role will allow her additional avenues to build on this momentum and reach new clients’ untapped potential. Walsh will report directly to chief executive officer Joe Maglio.

“Gretchen has been a key leader at McKinney since I’ve known her, and a critical partner to our clients for years before I arrived,” said Joe Maglio, chief executive officer, McKinney. “She has been directly responsible for our largest client partnerships and new business wins, particularly over the last two years in her role as chief client officer. Gretchen embodies McKinney’s mantra of Smarts & Hearts in every way. Her business and operational intelligence ensures that we’re consistently a critical client partner, and her focus on the growth of our employees is unparalleled. Gretchen has a unique combination of skills that balances McKinney as a place for both her clients and her co-workers to flourish.”

Gretchen began her career with a degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado Boulder. While living in San Francisco and struggling to make rent, she answered a job listing to be a media planner at FCB. From there, advertising took hold and Walsh continued on with stints at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and The Martin Agency. She came to McKinney in 2004 in a senior strategy role and has been with the agency ever since.

“My first hiring manager told me I needed a love of creativity and the desire to manage budgets like they were my own check book, and I’ve carried that with me throughout my career,” explains Gretchen Walsh, president, McKinney. “I’ve experienced many aspects of the industry from media and strategy to account management, and I pull from that work daily to catalyse great ideas, develop and launch into the market, and create attention for the brands we work with. I’m excited to continue on this journey as president, and continue expanding and growing McKinney.”

Gretchen is an active member of Chief where she thrives in learning from, supporting and celebrating other female leaders in the advertising industry and beyond. Outside of work, she focuses on raising her two teenagers and training for marathons and triathlons, the next of which is slated for this fall.