June 22, 2023 – FIRST, a leading global brand experience agency, announced new talent and structure to support its renewed focus and investment in strategy, innovation, and creative services. These solutions affirm the business’ commitment to accelerating innovation, unlocking new value, and growing key services to bring people and brands together through creative, connected experiences around the globe.
The new leadership and expanded talent are designed to bolster the roster of FIRST service offerings and drive growth around strategic innovation and creative services in the continued delivery of award-winning experiences for clients.
Leading Strategy & Innovation is the newly appointed Senior Vice President, Strategy & Innovation, Adam Suellentrop. In this role, he will focus on exploring new pathways for monitoring and testing new trends and technologies to set FIRST and its clients up for long term growth. Suellentrop will also apply his over two decades of diverse industry experience to provide creative insight for clients from consultation and creative strategy through onsite delivery and future iteration and improvement.
“I’m excited to help steward a culture and process of innovation at FIRST,” said Suellentrop. “Our organization is full of creative minds and talent with innovation and collaboration at the core of everything we do. Our business and our clients will be well-positioned for strategic transformation.”
To reinforce and amplify the focus on creative, FIRST is pleased to announce the formation of the Global Creative Studio. By bringing together both existing and new talent, the integrated creative team can provide an ‘around the sun’ model, allowing for creative support around the clock. The team shares skills on a global level while offering regional expertise for clients’ multi-market experiences. Led by Global Creative Director, Stuart Withers, and Content Director, Kristen Martensen, the Studio is focused on delivering Content and Creative services. The Studio brings together creative disciplines to support clients with content, creative strategy and direction, and all facets of design, and includes strategists, creative leads, designers, and a full in-house visualization team.
Marrying strong leadership, integrated global teams, and enhanced service offerings position FIRST to be even more strategic in delivering Content, Creative, Digital Technology, Management & Delivery, and Data & Insights services. The expansion and realignment of services is focused on growing the 26+ year business in delivering high-end, bespoke experiences and events to a portfolio of Fortune 500 clients.
Maureen Ryan Fable, Group CEO, said, “This approach will allow us to accelerate growth and unlock the greatest value for our clients through service expansion, innovation, and continued excellence. I’m particularly excited about our reinvigorated intent on leveraging the synergy in our strategy, innovation, and creative teams which are foundational in designing experiences that resonate for our clients and their audiences.”
The company will continue to deliver its projects through the FIRST full-service agency model as well as through embedded teams in more than 14 cities across 10 countries. Learn more about the FIRST embedded team model here.
About FIRST
FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency serving clients in various industries, including financial services, technology, new & traditional media, aerospace, healthcare, and professional services. FIRST has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the Top 150 Event Organizers & Agencies in the USA by Eventex, being listed among the “200 Top Marketing Agencies” in 2023, 2022 & 2021 by Chief Marketer, being recognized as one of the “50 Top Event Companies” by Special Events, being included in the Top 100 “Best Places to Work in NYC” by Crain’s New York Business, and being listed as one of the “1000 Companies to Inspire Britain” by The London Stock Exchange Group.
