Obsessed with human beings.
And the brands they love.
We’re the leading creative consultancy that helps businesses better know, grow and innovate for their ever-changing consumers—driving future brand growth and cultural relevance.
Our work spans brands and businesses of every size, shape and industry, creating solutions that resonate beyond reason.
We own the place
LPK has been in business for 105 years and employee-owned for 30. This empowers us to be a different kind of full-service branding agency, leading with our bold ambition—and partnering with clients who share in it.
Progress through creativity
Creativity is a powerful tool to drive real positive change—social, environmental and economic. We support this in all kinds of ways: through our work, our partnerships and our community giving.
Committed to our own change
Our work to do better—and be better—is never finished. For us, it means facing our own biases, embracing new perspectives and celebrating diversity in all its forms.
A culture all our own.
Five guiding principles unite our people and empower us to do our best work.
Dig deep
We’re infinitely curious and leave no stone unturned.
Experiment
It’s the mother of invention and the only way to grow.
Pitch in
LPKers don’t just lend a hand—we always offer two.
Keep it really real
We’re about radical candor, delivered with utmost respect.
Fly your freak flag
Every human being’s got one. Unfurl your flag and let it wave.
Meet our people.
Starting as a finance co-op at LPK in 1996, Sarah rose through the ranks, building global brands across a wide range of industries and categories. Two decades later, she was appointed as Chief Executive Officer, bringing a strong work ethic and active, visible management style to shape a culture of transparency, collaboration and inclusion.
Today, Sarah is responsible for the overall operations and performance for the company—from organizational design and business processes to our strategic vision for the future.
Nathan Hendricks is intent on creating things that work beautifully. As Chief Creative Officer, he oversees the quality and effectiveness of LPK’s outputs, shaping a culture of creative excellence that moves LPKers to do the best work of their careers—and brands to become the best versions of themselves.
A graphic designer by trade and lifelong student of the human condition, Nathan believes in the power of creativity to enhance everyday lives. In his nearly 40-year career, he has led the evolutions of some of the world’s most recognized brands and spoken on the changing nature of our industry with diverse publications and panels.
Driving a constant state of evolution within LPK and the industry, Valerie oversees branding and marketing efforts and external relations for the consultancy. In her nearly 20 years here, she founded the in-house trends + foresight practice, providing clients with a deeper understanding of emergent shifts, as well as the ability to translate them into future-forward growth.
She works with an intuition and quick wit that senses and articulates change—informing the strategies she shapes for brands with the nerve to look up, out and ahead.
For over three decades, Brent McCoy has led LPK’s financial planning and budget management, managing the daily operations of the consultancy’s financial services department, including establishing and measuring against short- and long-term financial objectives.
Overseeing diverse operations for the organization, Brent is also responsible for compliance with applicable federal, state and foreign government regulations. He provides legal direction on a broad range of corporate areas, including corporate structure, leasing and client contracts.
Emily Flannery’s driving passion is the intersection where now meets next. At LPK, she leads the Discovery practice, cultivating, guiding and evolving our approaches for clients, always with an acute focus on bringing them closer to their consumers and preparing them for change.
Emily holds a degree in Product Strategy from the University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP), where she has also served as an Associate Professor and the honorary Head of Trend Forecasting.
David Volker creates brands that are both timely and timeless, developing breakthrough expressions for some of the most iconic names on earth—from Jim Beam to Gillette, Corona to Blue Diamond. Believing design is the ultimate communicator of strategic choices, David drives collaboration across LPK’s interdisciplinary teams, outfitting brands for growth and endurance through creativity.
An expert in heritage brands and CPGs of all kinds, David has published thought leadership and spoken on design and creativity for various panels, including AIGA Design Week.
Passionate about empowering people to reach new heights, Maura Schilling oversees human resources for LPK, shaping a workplace known for its open, adaptive structure, culture of creativity and individualized support. In her 20 years with LPK, Maura has led the consultancy’s evolution to meet emerging employee needs, desires and ways of working.
From best-in-class benefits to competitive compensation, progressive learning + development to personal coaching, Maura’s work focuses on optimizing the potential of every LPKer, as well as their internal and external relationships.
Our collective
For Caroline Dunn, possibilities are for pushing. In her 12-year career, she has forged relationships with diverse business leaders, helping them meet ambitious goals—but also exceed them.
Her specialization lies in customer strategy, corporate identity, B2B and the intersection of brand and innovation.
At LPK, Caroline has helped ADM refresh its global corporate identity, capitalizing on market trends to reach new customers and consumers. She has also partnered with fitness icon Denise Austin on the creation of her lifestyle brand platform, and guided The Delta Faucet Co. to understand where to play and how to win with tomorrow’s consumers.
Across complex categories and fast-moving industries, Kyle Schutte is focused on moving brands forward.
Kyle brings more than 15 years of deep expertise in brand transformation, new brand creation and consumer and customer strategy, namely in the categories of food + beverage, wine + spirits, and sports + outdoor.
At LPK, he has helped Gillette keep pace with fast-evolving consumer expectations, led Constellation Brands’ consumer journey work to sustain category leadership, and partnered with Acushnet on the modernization of Titleist, maker of the #1 ball in golf.
Carina Sandoval is an expert in pointing brands forward, shaping evocative strategies that bridge the gap between consumer desires and business goals.
She is a sought-after resource for consumer research, insights, strategic foundations and brand identity development.
At LPK, Carina has helped BlueTriton Brands tap into consumer motivations for maximum brand resonance, and brought cultural insight and market expertise to The J.M. Smucker Co.’s coffee business, outfitting it for future consumers.
At it since 1919.
The place that transformed billion-dollar brands.
Technically, it might be 1918. Either way, our roots trace back to a small design studio on Walnut Street in Cincinnati. We’ve been working since before “brand” was brand, later creating methodologies for consumer understanding, consumer strategy, brand design and storytelling that have become the gold standard.
A century later, we’re a dynamic workforce spread across the US, united in our mission to make meaning and magic for consumers.
