Independent Kansas City-based agency Barkley promoted Katy Hornaday to the role of executive creative director. Hornaday replaces the departing Jason Elm, who joined Barkley in January of 2015.
“Katy is the ideal creative leader to help take us into the future, because she sees the world in a very modern way,” Barkley CEO Jeff King said in a statement. “She is a great listener, a skilled collaborator and she is one of the most natural and gifted leaders I’ve met in the business.”
“Jason played a key role in increasing our creative depth, and brought a great deal of passion and energy to Barkley during the past two years,” he added. “We wish him all the best in future.”
Hornaday joined Barkley as an associate director in June of 2012 and was promoted to vice president, creative director at the beginning of 2014. While with Barkley she has worked with clients including A-B InBev, Hershey, Cargill, Noodles & Company and Vanity Fair. Before joining the agency she spent nearly two years as an associate creative director with Mullen, working with brands such as Barnes and Nobles, JetBlue and Zappos. Prior to that she spent a little over two years as a senior copywriter with CP+B, working with brands including Volkswagen, Gap, Old Navy and Baby Carrots.
“I’ve loved this agency since the day I arrived, and I couldn’t be more excited or humbled to play my part in building the future of Barkley,” Hornaday said in a statement.
Barkley also promoted agency veteran Paul Corrigan to the role of executive design director, tasked with leading its Blacktop design unit. Formerly a vice president, interactive creative director for Barkley, Corrigan replaces Blacktop founder Shawn Polowniak in the role, who is leaving the agency.
“Brand experience and design are at the core of how we help our clients grow,” King said. “Paul is an amazingly talented designer, and has a unique ability to help clients think about the future in the biggest possible way.”
The agency looks to grow its offering by strengthening the Blacktop team and thereby expand relationships with existing clients.
The reasons for Elm’s departure are not clear at this time, and Barkley declined to elaborate. The agency went through a “staffing adjustment” earlier this year after former client Applebee’s decided to launch yet another review after one year with the Kansas City agency, but we’re told overall headcount has increased in 2017.
Grey, BBDO San Francisco and Argonaut are currently in the final stages of the Applebee’s review.
