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Marketing communications firm Leopold Ketel & Partners managed to grow 38 percent over the past three years reinvesting its profits into hiring what President John Russell calls "world-class talent. "
"We are smart people doing smart work," he said.
Russell should be included in that category. The former Wieden & Kennedy executive worked on campaigns for Nike Inc. and Microsoft Corp. and served as managing director of W&K's Amsterdam office. He came to Leopold Ketel in mid-2002 when Jamie Leopold, the company's founder and chief executive for 20 years, decided to retire in the coming year The firm's revenue dipped from $1.36 million in 2001 to $1.22 million in 2002, After Russell's arrival, revenue grew to $1.89 million last year.
Russell was attracted to the partners' - Leopold, Jerry Ketel, Terra Spencer and Amy Spreadborough - philosophies and goals, namely to be "the smartest agency" instead of the biggest or the fastest-growing, he said. He also sought a job that would allow life-work balance. "I want to attend my daughter's softball games," he said.
Rob Morrison, transplanted from Chicago-based Leo Burnett where he worked on the agency's Nintendo account, was attracted to Leopold Ketel for more specific reasons: primarily, to escape...