Partners + Napier had added two new group creative directors, a brand new role at the Rochester-based shop.
Creative director Mike Baron, who started at Partners + Napier in 2005, has been promoted to sr. VP, group creative director. And Dan O’Donnell, most recently creative director at MARC USA in Pittsburgh, and a veteran of Arnold, MullenLowe and Hill Holliday, has joined the agency as a group creative director. Both report to executive creative director Pete VonDerLinn.
In his newly expanded role, Baron will oversee creative work for Highmark Health Inc., BMW and MINI Financial Services, and Delta Vacations.
O’Donnell will oversee creative development for Keurig Green Mountain, BurgerFi, Conduent, Excellus BlueCrossBlueShield, Gannett, Friendship Dairies, Xerox, Bausch + Lomb, and Rochester Regional Health.
Over the course of his career, Baron has won many creative awards, including One Show, Tellys, Addys and recognition in Lurzers Archive. Starting as a copywriter and now an experienced director, he has helped some of the world’s best-known brands connect with their customers in their respective industries, including financial services, healthcare, higher education, fashion and outdoor sports. A graduate of St. John Fisher College, Baron has agency experience which also includes stints at Saatchi & Saatchi, Young & Rubicam, and Hill Holliday.
At MARC USA, O’Donnell’s primary focus was the Rite-Aid account. Other big brands that have benefited from his creative and business-building expertise over the years include Anheuser-Busch, Dunkin’ Donuts, Samsonite, Ocean Spray and Tyson. O’Donnell has received creative recognition that includes such awards as One Show, CA, and Hatch. An art director by trade, he is a graduate of Boston University.
Nikki Baker Becomes CEO At Fallon
Fallon has appointed Nikki Baker as its new CEO. Baker, who joined the creative agency in 2018 and has served as co-chief creative officer with Leslie Shaffer since 2021, succeeds Rocky Novak, who has been in the role since 2019.
Baker’s promotion to CEO comes at a time of significant momentum for the agency, including six consecutive years of growth and award-winning work.
Baker’s recent career highlights include creatively leading the Walmart partnership with the Publicis Groupe team and spearheading innovative campaigns such as the award-winning “RomCommerce” 23-episodic series and the internet-breaking Mean Girls campaign, among hundreds of other campaigns together with the brand over the past few years. Together with Shaffer, Baker has also been instrumental in elevating Fallon’s creative output for longstanding clients like Arby’s, Mattress Firm, and Front Door/American Home Shield.
“I’ve always been an admirer of Fallon, even before I joined. The chance to lead the agency is an absolute honor. Fallon is a place like no other with amazing talent and a legacy of building big, innovative, creative ideas,” said Baker. “Rocky has represented the best of Fallon. He’s been a great leader, and I couldn’t be more excited to take the reins and lead the agency through to the next chapter. With creativity at our core, we’re going to be as ambitious as ever, push boundaries, and continue embracing emerging platforms to deliver work that truly resonates in culture.”
Prior to joining Fallon six years ago, Baker held positions as creative director and art director at agencies including DDB and GSD&M, working with major brands such as McDonald’s, Southwest Airlines, and Wrigley. Her work has been recognized by... Read More