Carmichael Lynch has announced that president Marcus Fischer will be named the agency’s fourth CEO in its 55-year history.
“Marcus has been pivotal in building the momentum and success of Carmichael Lynch in recent years. He has proven his ability to successfully manage the business, while simultaneously inspiring the people around him,” said current CEO Mike Lescarbeau, who will move to the role of executive chairman. “In the last few years, Marcus has built a leadership team that is committed to collaboration and interdependence across disciplines to build a unique and unrivaled offering of advertising and PR under one roof, and I’m excited for the future of the agency under his leadership.”
Fischer rejoined Carmichael Lynch as president in 2013, and the agency has had four years of consecutive, double-digit revenue growth since, with more than 16 percent growth in 2016 alone. This growth is due to the strength and organic growth of many long-term partnerships coupled with new business wins – U.S. Bank, Arla Foods and Truvía, among others. Simultaneously, the agency’s head count has grown by 43 percent while maintaining a culture of inclusivity that has resulted in enviable employee retention numbers, illustrated by the agency’s 2016 turnover rate of less than 10 percent (the 4A’s estimates average agency turnover rate at 30 percent).
“I’m honored to lead Carmichael Lynch and continue the energy we’ve built over the last few years,” said Fischer. “I am thankful for the team that has made this agency what it is today – a people-centric organization focused on business, culture and great creative work. We’ve made collaboration and integration pivotal to our offering. This unique approach is how brands can transcend the rational and become emotionally meaningful and become part of, and shape, culture.”
This evolution has been demonstrated by changes in the agency’s leadership team, including the promotion of Julie Batliner, president of the agency’s PR firm, Carmichael Lynch Relate, and Marty Senn, chief creative officer, to managing partners in 2016.
Prior to rejoining Carmichael Lynch, Fischer spent four years at the helm of digital firm Space150, where he helped dramatically grow the agency. He’s also spent time at One and All, Fallon, and a previous stint at Carmichael Lynch.
Over his career, Fischer has helped shape the strategy and award-winning work for such brands as Subaru, U.S. Bank, Harley-Davidson, BMW, Target, Porsche, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dairy Queen, Starbucks, Nordstrom and Purina Dog Chow.
Fischer regularly speaks at industry events, including most recently the ANA Brand Master Conference in a session about Carmichael Lynch’s work and sustained success with long-time client, Subaru. He’s also taught at both the MiamiAdSchool and BrainCo.
Outside the agency’s walls, Fischer is an avid fly fisherman and has served on the board of the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota for the last five years. He lives in a suburb of Minneapolis, with his wife and three sons.
“Interior Chinatown” Cast Can Relate To Characters–And Struggling With Stereotypes
Jimmy O. Yang once played "Chinese Teenager #1." He's now No. 1 on the call sheet in "Interior Chinatown" — despite playing downtrodden background actor Willis Wu in the new Hulu series.
There's no escaping the layers of meta around "Interior Chinatown," an adaptation of Charles Yu's award-winning satirical novel that jabs at how Asian American men have been treated by Hollywood — and in life — one trope at a time.
"I feel like I have gone through every single number on the call sheet now," Yang said. "And I've learned from a lot of other great No. 1s, you know? To carry yourself a certain way. It's not just about showing up when you work, but it's also about leading by example."
The dramedy, premiering Tuesday, is told from the view of Willis, a Chinatown restaurant server stuck in a police procedural show whose perspective starts to shift as he looks into the yearslong disappearance of his older brother. The 10-episode season has a mostly Asian cast including Ronny Chieng, Chloe Bennet, Archie Kao and Tzi Ma. There is also plenty of Asian talent behind the scenes, led by Yu, who serves as creator and executive producer.
The episodes are full of nods to cop dramas such as "Law & Order." They also evoke scenes from '80s and '90s U.S. action-comedies structured around one of the co-leads being Asian and knowing martial arts — think "Rush Hour" and "Martial Law." But it wasn't a youth spent watching these movies and shows that inspired Yu's book, which is structured like a screenplay.
"More what informed the book was the experiences of my parents, who are immigrants, and of their community and seeing how they and their friends had built lives here, were trying to be Americans, were succeeding at it in a lot of ways, but... Read More