Chairman and CEO since January 2010, Bill is a visionary leader who inspires his CE team to ignite conversations and experiences that create fans of clients’ brands and endorsers of their products. Bill has been helping brands navigate the future since joining CE as a senior copywriter in 1982. He became an officer of the company in 1995, and over the years, has become a nationally recognized creative leader whose work has contributed to iconic ad campaigns that have won hundreds of awards for dozens of clients.

Prior to assuming the role of Chairman, Bill’s passion for identifying and leveraging emerging trends and technologies complemented his leadership skills in advancing the agency’s innovative strategic, creative and digital communications expertise as Vice Chairman, Chief Strategic and Creative Officer. Today, Bill is steering a vibrant and collaborative marketing communications company that serves a diversified client base of more than 30 leading brands, including Alltel Wireless, Carrier, CDC, Chicken of the Sea, General Motors, Ghirardelli, Kaiser Permanente, MotorCity Casino Hotel, NEC, Olympic Paints and Stains, OnStar, USAA, the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Mint, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Postal Service.

Bill is a member of the Ad Council Board of Directors, an inductee into the AAF Hall of Achievement and a featured Wall Street Journal Creative Leader. 

Jim is Chief Client Officer at CE with responsibility for all agency client accounts. He is a member of the CE Board of Directors and the agency’s Finance and Executive Committees.

Since 1998, Jim has been the architect of CE’s growth and expansion — diversifying the agency into new categories such as financial services, healthcare, packaged goods and government services. Jim also spearheads the agency’s special expertise in marketing to women and youth through their dedicated groups, Women2Women and Youth Truths.

In 1991, Jim joined CE as Senior Vice President, Director of Sales and Marketing in the publishing division. And as its Executive Vice President, he drove its growth to become the largest agency-based custom publisher in the United States. Jim is the past President of The Adcraft Club of Detroit and is on the Board of the United States Navy Memorial Foundation. He is a member of the Magazine Publishers of America. 

As Chief Marketing Officer, Barbara leads CE’s marketing, communications and new business acquisition initiatives. Her breadth of experience in business development, coupled with her pulse on the industry, drive the agency’s growth strategies and best practices. And as a seasoned advertising professional with a diverse client and industry portfolio, she guides the development of game-changing solutions that drive business success for new clients.

Prior to joining CE, Barbara was Chief Growth Officer of McCann North America where she led the business development efforts of nine offices and was instrumental in repositioning the agency among key growth prospects.

Before McCann, Barbara was EVP, Group Managing Director at Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners leading integrated marketing initiatives for agency clients including Vanguard and TJX Corporation. Previous to that, she held positions with Doner (overseeing accounts including Luxottica, PetSmart, PNC Bank, Helzberg Diamonds, Six Flags and new business), McDonald’s Corporation, Hair Cuttery, and Ally & Gargano.

Mark Simon is Chief Creative Officer at CE, with responsibility for all agency clients, including Alltel Wireless, Carrier, Chicken of the Sea, Ghirardelli, Kaiser Permanente, Olympic Paints and Stains, OnStar, USAA, the EPA, the U.S. Mint, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Postal Service.

Mark joined CE in 2000 and has helped attract many of the above clients to the agency and continues to build these brands and businesses. He has over 20 years of experience in developing effective communications across all channels. His efforts have gained recognition at Cannes, Clio, The One Show, Communication Arts and the London International.

Mark’s other contributions include developing work for HAVEN, a domestic violence shelter in Pontiac, Mich., and the Ad Council. He serves as a board member of Detroit Creative Directors Council and D Awards Council. Previous agency experience includes FCB, Bozell Worldwide, Doner and Young & Rubicam. Previous clients include Chrysler, Jeep, Coleman, Consumers Energy, Detroit Red Wings, Lincoln-Mercury and Canadian Tire. 

Joseph A. Naporano is one of the advertising industry’s most respected agency business executives with 26 years of financial leadership experience with major multinational companies.

Joining CE in 2001, he is Vice Chairman, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and a member of the agency’s Board of Directors and its Finance and Executive Committees. Joe also is on the Board of Directors of accentmarketing LLC, the fifth largest multicultural agency. In 1983, Joe began his advertising career at BBDO International as Vice President, Director, Internal Audit. He went on to become the first Director, Internal Audit at Omnicom before rejoining BBDO North America as Chief Financial Officer. He was also the first Chief Financial Officer of Wieden & Kennedy, where he built the infrastructure for the agency’s global expansion to Amsterdam, London, New York and Tokyo. In 1997, Joe joined The Interpublic Group becoming Chief Financial Officer Europe at Ammirati Puris Lintas based in London. In 2000, he was promoted to Financial Director Europe, Africa and Middle East at McCann-Erickson London.

Joe has co-authored several publications on agency operations and provided leadership to several industry initiatives with the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) and Association of National Advertisers (ANA).