McKinney Names Sue Roche Chief Talent Officer

Durham, NC – January 20, 2016 – McKinney announced today that it has named Sue Roche chief talent officer.

Roche’s track record spans four decades of talent management leadership in the marketing and advertising, education and tech sectors, including executive posts at both Hill Holliday and Arnold Worldwide in Boston and Leo Burnett USA in Chicago.

“As a creatively led agency, we have focused on attracting the very best talent and challenging our people to do the very best work of their careers,” said Brad Brinegar, chairman and CEO of McKinney. “As we continue to grow in an industry that becomes increasingly more complex, it’s time we elevate this role to a C-level position. Sue is a game changer who will take a truly strategic approach to all aspects of talent acquisition and development. She will further our commitment to enhance our brand, grow a high-performance culture and fuel our ambition.”

“I knew McKinney was a special place and realized just how special when Kerry Fitzmaurice—fresh off a morning workout—greeted me at our NYC SoHo office curb,” said Roche. “The energy was palpable and continued that same day with Danny Modesett (our receptionist with a book!) to Jonathan Cude et. al. in Durham. I’ve worked at several of the industry’s finest agencies and have never felt the vibrancy and, perhaps most important, the pure synergy that exists within McKinney. I am here because this is a culture where I hope to contribute as a coach and advocate, creative thinker and leadership partner.”

Roche began her advertising career at Ingalls, Quinn & Johnson in Boston, which eventually led to her role as VP/Director of Human Resources at Hill Holliday and EVP/Director of Human Resources at Arnold Worldwide.

In 2000, she joined Mirror Image Internet as part of an IPO pitch team. She created HR operations from the ground up and doubled head count in four months, which included opening 14 global offices. She left that company to serve as co-founder and president of Student Futures, a company that provides early, career planning and guidance services to college-bound and college students.

In 2004, Roche became EVP and director of HR at Leo Burnett USA in Chicago where she restructured, created and implemented programs for talent acquisition and retention from entry to executive level. She later held positions as a consultant to Commonwealth Worldwide, a $50 million luxury transportation company, and Hollister Staffing, where she was instrumental in the creation of two business offerings: Hollister Consulting Services and Hollister Institute for Leadership Development.

Most recently, Roche has pursued numerous high-profile and diverse consulting opportunities in advertising and marketing, health care, finance and insurance, luxury travel and tourism, staffing, technology and individual career and executive coaching.

Roche’s work in education includes a recent appointment to the board of directors of the World Ocean School, St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands and 10 years as a trustee of Thomas College, Waterville, Maine. Roche holds a B.A. in communications from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a certification in mediation practice from the Community Dispute and Settlement Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has judged the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) Diversity Achievement Mosaic Awards and served as a member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s) Human Resource Management committee. A passionate coastal Maine sailor and tennis player, Roche is the elected captain of a top-ranked Working Women’s tennis team at the Boston Athletic Club.

About McKinney
Founded in 1969, McKinney focuses on delivering influence through creativity. The agency’s work has been recognized by Cannes, Effie, The One Show and The One Show Interactive, ANDY, Art Directors Club, CLIO, D&AD and the IAB MIXX Awards. An Advertising Age 2015 Agency to Watch and one of the Best Places to Work in Marketing and Media, McKinney works with the following clients: Samsung, Nationwide Insurance, Nationwide Financial, ESPN, Sherwin-Williams, CarMax, Crocs, Sennheiser, Mentos, Big Boss Brewing, Dognition and Urban Ministries of Durham. The agency is part of Cheil Worldwide, one of the world’s leading marketing communications networks with 49 offices in 42 countries. Operating as one agency with two doors, McKinney has offices in Durham, North Carolina and New York City. To learn more, visit mckinney.com and follow @mckinney.

Primary Contact:
Janet Northen
Media Contact
McKinney
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