Venables Bell & Partners is promoting four to the newly defined role of associate partner: Lee Einhorn, associate partner, creative director, who along with his CD role will lead the social media and emerging creative platforms; Michael Davidson, associate partner, head of strategy, who continues to oversee the agency’s strategy department; Mary Johnstone, associate partner, head of talent and Gary Brown, associate partner, chief financial officer.
Einhorn joined VB&P in 2010 as a creative director, combining his digital experience with traditional agency work. Since then, he has been instrumental in leading some of the most innovative and talked-about campaigns VB&P has created, including Google Fiber’s “Why Speed Matters” and eBay’s “When it’s on your mind. It’s on eBay.” Along with Google, he also currently leads the agency’s Conoco Phillips Brands and shares CD responsibilities on the Audi business.
Davidson came to VB&P in 2013 from Goodby Silverstein & Partners and has played a critical role in winning Reebok, where his strategic oversight led to the development of the “Be More Human” brand platform. For the past year, he has overseen the day-to-day management of the department’s 15 staffers and will continue to do so as Lucy Farey Jones, founder and executive strategy director, focuses on venture partnerships and future offerings.
Johnstone will now report into chairman and founder Paul Venables. Johnstone and Venables will partner to continue the agency’s mission of doing right by its people and lead the talent team, which focuses on culture, workplace happiness and talent development. Johnstone joined VB&P in 2012 after 17 years managing talent at Publicis & Hal Riney.
Brown oversees VB&P’s client and agency financials, as well as drives the agency’s progressive value-based compensation model. Since coming to VB&P in 2013, Brown has driven complete overhaul of the enterprise management systems for the agency, as well as fostered a deeper level of financial transparency focused on greater involvement and understanding of the client teams. Before VB&P, he served as VP, finance and operations, for Evolution Bureau, leading the agency’s financial operations as it evolved from a start-up to one of the fastest growing digital agencies.
Singer-Songwriter and Actor Kris Kristofferson Dies At 88
Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, has died.
Kristofferson died at his home on Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88.
McFarland said Kristofferson died peacefully, surrounded by his family. No cause was given.
Starting in the late 1960s, the Brownsville, Texas native wrote such country and rock 'n' roll standards as "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," "Help Me Make it Through the Night," "For the Good Times" and "Me and Bobby McGee." Kristofferson was a singer himself, but many of his songs were best known as performed by others, whether Ray Price crooning "For the Good Times" or Janis Joplin belting out "Me and Bobby McGee."
He starred opposite Ellen Burstyn in director Martin Scorsese's 1974 film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," starred opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 "A Star Is Born," and acted alongside Wesley Snipes in Marvel's "Blade" in 1998.
Kristofferson, who could recite William Blake from memory, wove intricate folk music lyrics about loneliness and tender romance into popular country music. With his long hair and bell-bottomed slacks and counterculture songs influenced by Bob Dylan, he represented a new breed of country songwriters along with such peers as Willie Nelson, John Prine and Tom T. Hall.
"There's no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson," Nelson said at a 2009 BMI award ceremony for Kristofferson. "Everything he writes is a standard and we're all just going to have to live with that."
Kristofferson retired from performing and recording in 2021, making only occasional guest appearances on stage, including a performance... Read More