Gerry is a writer, a creative director, a thought provoker– he is antagonist and protagonist all in one package. There is no more strategic person when it comes to creating compelling work that gets the job done. When Gerry is at work you can be sure it will be thought through with care and creativity.
A well-rounded, international career, most of it with the Leo Burnett Company, in three principal geographies: London, Chicago, and Europe/the Middle East.
After completing an MA at the University of Sussex, Gerry spent his first years in advertising with several small agencies in London, followed by 11 years at Leo Burnett, London. He then moved to Chicago in 1984 for a seven-year stint at the Leo Burnett Company worldwide headquarters. In 1991 he returned to Europe for 4 years as Leo Burnett’s Regional Creative Director for Europe and the Middle East, over-seeing campaigns for multi-national clients and helping individual offices raise the bar. Gerry returned to Chicago in 1995 and moved steadily into healthcare and financial services.
Since Gerry’s career with Leo Burnett he has been extremely involved with many of our campaigns and creative work for a range of clients.
Discover better winemakers, discover better wine. Gerry’s positioning line and creative work for our client at Wall Street Journal Wine.
Not just smart. Street smart. Positioning and creative work for online store launched by the Wall Street Journal.
And when we pitched Courvosier, we thought it was time to bring back an icon in the spirits world.
Gerry has held every role imaginable in the advertising business, here’s a summary of his jobs/roles:
-1995-2002: Group Creative Director, EVP and Executive Creative Director; Group Creative Director of “Agency A”: Reebok, all P&G, Allstate, Pillsbury. Launched and President of Leo Health Group (Allegra, Prozac, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Celebrex, Nature Made)
-1990-1995: Leo Burnett Creative Director, Europe and Middle East, All multi-national clients, including P&G, Kellogg, Kraft, Biersdorff, Tropicana, Hoover.
-1984-1990: Leo Burnett Chicago. VP, SVP, Creative Director. Miller Beer, Procter & Gamble (Cheer, Pepto Bismol, PERT Plus), Kellogg’s, Nestle, McDonalds, Kraft, Tropicana, Hewlett Packard.
-1973-83: Leo Burnett, London. Copywriter, Creative Director, Board Director. Kellogg, General Foods, Kellogg’s, Apple Computer, Procter & Gamble, Austin Rover (advertised the Mini, and launched the Metro), Shell Chemicals, Cadbury.
Awards: Cannes Gold Lion, Clio’s, One Show/Art Directors Club of New York Gold, Advertising Effectiveness Award, Gold, D&AD
Education: BA Queens College, NY; MA, American Studies, University of Sussex
