We’re former big agency leaders, corporate professionals and journalists whose expertise includes programs that communicate rapidly, succinctly and effectively across earned, owned, paid and shared channels.
Gardi Wilks is Founder and President of Wilks Group (WG) an award-winning woman owned marketing agency with locations in Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Southwest Michigan. As a well-known marketing thought leader, she sets the agency’s strategic vision and client service approach while also leading engagements in the food & beverage, hospitality & tourism, nonprofit and corporate sectors.
She has led award-winning multi-channel campaigns that helped drive brand awareness and stakeholder engagement, build sales, and support client growth. She has held fractional CMO positions at a number of organizations and previously served as Interim CEO for a client during Covid in 2020. She specializes in consumer segmentation, audience mapping and human behavior insights with a customer-first philosophy toward every client engagement.
In addition to her agency work, Gardi has a long track record of community service and as a higher education leader. She was former chair of Housing Forward, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization serving the needs of thousands of unhoused individuals across Cook County, IL leading housing first and job development initiatives, and was formerly an adjunct professor in the journalism department at Ball State University, where her student-led agency won national honors for their work.
She has a master’s degree in journalism, public relations and advertising from Ball State University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Calvin College.
Brad Wilks is Managing Director at Wilks Group (WG). A long-time marketing communications strategist, his career encompasses an extensive array of leadership positions at some of the world’s leading agencies in New York and Chicago. His expertise includes strategy development, business-to-business marketing, travel, tourism and hospitality, higher education, and crisis communications.
He previously served as head of the Chicago and Midwest offices of several major public relations agencies, including MSLGROUP, Ogilvy and Sard Verbinnen & Company. Among the clients over his career include McDonald’s Corporation, General Motors, British Petroleum, Kimberly Clark and W.W. Grainger.
Fluent in Spanish, he was responsible for overseeing campaigns to promote cultural and tourism destinations in Colombia, including Bogota, Cartegena and Medellin. In addition, on behalf of the Mexico Tourism Board, he led a program to advance tourism to key cultural and food destinations including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Mexico City. He is a member of the International Travel Writers Association.
In addition to his client work, he has been active in supporting media visibility for such global nonprofits including World Vision, Living Water, Opportunity International and International Justice Mission and has supported crisis response for natural disasters and conflict zones.
He was formerly chair of Goodcity, a nonprofit promoting entrepreneurialism within BIPOC communities in the greater Chicagoland area, helping to incubate more than 200 organizations, many of which continue to thrive. He has a master’s degree from Ball State University and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
Sarah Hintze is Senior Vice President at WG helping to oversee a number of consumer and food accounts. With more than 10 years of experience she has led award-winning campaigns for GoPro, Kalahari Resorts and Oscar Mayer.
Prior to joining the firm, she spearheaded numerous communications marketing programs at Edelman including Super Bowl activities for Nationwide and cause marketing efforts for the Kimberly-Clark Huggies brand. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with a minor in political science.
Brent Allen is a seasoned corporate and agency sales executive with extensive experience in food & beverage consulting. His deep understanding of the sales and strategic planning process and how they align to drive growth has enabled Wilks Group to create sustained value. He specializes in identifying channels for growth, securing team buy-in, and empowering stakeholders to embrace innovation as a path to growth and market expansion.
With a proven track record across a broad spectrum of business sectors, Brent has previously served in the roles of CEO, VP of Global Sales, and Managing Director. In addition, he has extensive international experience, working with clients from New Zealand, Britain, and Italy, helping them successfully launch and grow their presence in the American market and beyond.
Brent collaborates with Wilks Group to serve clients through programs that demonstrate the value of strategic marketing solutions to accelerate brand awareness and top-line growth. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science.
Brenda has more than 22 years’ experience representing clients across the travel, hospitality, and tourism sectors. She has successfully led campaigns for luxury hotels, tourism boards, and restaurant groups, delivering results that have garnered industry recognition.
Among her client experience includes high-profile campaigns for such global brands as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, Montage Hotels & Resorts, and Four Seasons Oahu. She has also led crisis communications during natural disasters and other high-stakes events, earning several industry accolades.
Brenda holds extensive experience representing C-suite executives and high-profile clients, coordinating media tours, brand partnerships, and award-winning campaigns for destinations such as Snowmass Tourism, Visit Santa Barbara, and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Earlier in her career, she owned a restaurant PR agency and led talent relations for top restaurateurs and celebrity chefs.
Originally from New York, Brenda began her career at William Morris Agency, where she developed expertise in matching clients with strategic partners and brand endorsements.
As an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist (with many travel features) turned PR specialist and media consultant, Danielle worked more than 15 years as a local news anchor and reporter. She’s assisted nonprofits, school districts and health systems. With a robust media network, she has garnered coverage in outlets such as CBS Sports Radio, GMA3, The Hollywood Reporter and local news.
Lauren Burkey leads travel and tourism marketing efforts with a focus on programmatic strategies that drive results. With extensive experience from projects in diverse locations such as Wisconsin, Tennessee, Montana, Miami, Ocean City, Los Angeles, Aruba, New Zealand, and Scotland, Lauren brings a deep understanding of regional and global markets. Her expertise spans creative direction, digital marketing, and brand strategy, helping businesses connect with audiences and elevate their market presence.
Ashutosh Sharma has over 11 years of experience in digital advertising, leading successful campaigns that have gained industry recognition. He has worked on high-profile projects, including the “Imagine Your Korea” tourism campaign, where he helped elevate the brand’s global digital presence. With expertise in brand strategy, web design, and social media optimization, Ashutosh delivers data-driven solutions that achieve measurable results. His work with C-suite executives and diverse clients highlights his commitment to creating impactful digital marketing strategies that resonate with audiences.
Sean Hooghkirk founded Graticle Design in 2009 offering website design, graphic design and logo design.
Since that time, the agency has continued to grow, building and designing websites from its location in Ridgefield, Washington. Sean has a degree from California State University in Fresno. Offering web design, graphic design and logo design.
Cassia Maffei is a communication and marketing professional with a major in journalism and a specialization in digital communication and e-branding. She is experienced in promoting brands and building awareness across multiple channels.
Based in Brazil, her work includes promoting the cultural agenda of Curitiba at the city’s Cultural Foundation, enhancing the presence of Chef Delio Canabrava’s restaurants, and managing the social media presence for Marriot Hotel in Guarulhos.
Julia Hermes is an earned media expert, guiding day-to-day media outreach on behalf of key client at Wilks Group. Her efforts have garnered millions of impressions for clients in the nonprofit, travel & tourism and education sectors. Among the major placements she has secured include national feature articles Fox News, GQ, Forbes, Business Insider, OK! Magazine, and Access Daily.
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