David DeMuth

Co-CEO/President

David’s first job was working in the produce department of a small grocery store. It was there his fascination with how and why people buy things began. It was also when he was given marketing responsibility over the banana table and coined the phrase, “When they’re turning brown, mark them down.”

In his 20-year career at Doner, he’s tackled a diversity of brands including BP, DuPont, Sherwin-Williams, ADT, Coleman, and ironically, Chiquita.

David eventually ran Doner’s Strategic Planning Group while building the agency’s integrated resources and being a prime contributor to business development.

David stays busy playing competitive tennis and spending time with his wife Kristen and their kids Alex, Olivia and Owen. And there are always bananas in the house.

“Every little thing matters.”

Justin Madison Smith

EVP, Executive Creative Director, Interactive

Justin believes he is the ‘t’ in team.

He has broad, award-winning experience on brands including Scion, Lexus, Daimler, Taco Bell, Microsoft, Sony Online Entertainment, Motorola and SAP.

Justin developed his skills in film production, software development, product design and interactive advertising at ATTIK and IDEO after selling his start-up technology company to Frog Design in 1998.

Justin balances his time spent hunting bugs in the virtual world with hunting ducks and fishing in Michigan’s picturesque wilderness.

He lives in Birmingham, Michigan, with his wife and two children.

“We design experiences that bring the brand to life throughout the entire customer journey.”

Sue Guise

EVP, Director of Operations

If you need something, ask Sue first. She is the head of the make-it-happen department at Doner.

In her 25 years at Doner, she’s worked on every brand at the agency. Literally.

A reader, a traveler, a white-water rapider, she is married with two daughters.

“You can catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

James Ward

EVP, Chief Marketing Officer

James has lived an itinerant—but horizon-expanding—life, moving from New York to Amsterdam to Miami to New York to Detroit.

Blue-chip brands are his specialty. Nabisco, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, PNC Bank, Kohl’s, Progressive, Ferrero, Nestlé and Coca-Cola are just the beginning.

Spending the first 13 years of his career primarily at McCann-Erickson in New York, he joined Doner in 2003.

Husband to Kirsten, and father to Isabel (8) and Eloise (2), buddy to Angus the dog.

Fosters a rabid interest in: playing guitar, running, photography, Georgetown Hoyas hoops, Indian food and the Dutch national soccer team.

“Observation is merely the what. True insight is the why.”

Murray White

EVP, Executive Creative Director

Previously CD International for Europe’s largest independent agency group, S&J, Murray has also worked in Amsterdam, London, Hamburg and Melbourne.

He’s developed big ideas with clear attention to detail on clients such as Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Olympus, Siemens, Converse, Nintendo and Nestlé.

He believes conviction in your ideas is the most important quality a creative professional can possess—but could be swayed.

He lives at Doner. But often visits the house of his beautiful wife and two sons in Birmingham, Michigan.

“Good is the enemy of great.”

Greg Iszler

SVP, Digital Strategy

Greg has led consumer planning engagements for some of the world’s biggest companies: DuPont, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and GE.

His path led him to Doner by way of McKinney, Brulant (Rosetta) and Enlighten.

Greg is an avid mountain biker who lives with his wife and their adventurous seven-year-old in Novi, Michigan.

Call him consumer trend-obsessed or a digital branding lobbyist, he tirelessly inspires our team with possibilities online.

“Today, more than ever, you have to push your organization beyond its comfort level to keep from falling behind.”

Chuck Bartha

Chief Talent Officer

Truth is, Chuck has never met a gadget that he didn’t like... or want to buy. Got to like people and technology working together.

Chuck brings creative life to the agency by filling the halls with top talent.

Chuck came to Doner after 13 years in the Cereal City working for Kellogg in a number of human resources and talent roles. Before that, he was Director of Administration at Stanley Electric.

Chuck is married to Karen, a lawyer and mother to their two children, Clara and Regan. His interests include reading, family, watches, pens and virtually anything that runs on a battery.

Chuck it now!

Alison Taubman

EVP, Chief Strategy Officer

Taking her cue from nature, Alison believes that adaptability is the key to success in business and in life.

Alison has worked on a wide range of brands, from packaged goods, travel, food and leisure, to automotive, banking and insurance.

She is proud to have dedicated her entire career to Doner.

Alison is newly married and enjoys reading cookbooks like novels and taking dance lessons.

“Be curious about everything and be passionate about something.”

Steve Chavez

EVP, Executive Creative Director

Steve believes that all life lessons are faced, understood and conquered from the tiller of a sailboat.

He’s been at the creative helm of brands such as Toyota, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, American Express, Nissan, Honda, BMW, Nikon, Mattel, ABC Television and Lexus.

TBWA\Chiat\Day, Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO, Fallon, Team One and Rubin Postaer have all been “Chavezed” at one time or another.

He’s married, has no kids, two dogs, three sailboats and two kayaks.

“Create the right environment and provide the right opportunity and good people will do great things.”

Greg Clausen

EVP, Chief Media Officer

Greg once played the role of Tony the Tiger and escorted Miss America on a tour of his hometown, Battle Creek, Michigan.

Greg has worked on numerous blue-chip accounts, including Mazda, Amazon.com, AutoTrader, The PGA TOUR, Procter & Gamble, Purina, NBC Universal, Corona, Hyatt, Master Lock, CareerBuilder.com, E*Trade and The Golf Channel, just to name a few.

His career highlights: Tatham-Laird & Kudner, Simmons Market Research Bureau, Cramer-Krasselt and Spark Communications (formerly StarLink), in addition to Doner.

Greg is married to his high school sweetheart, Ginny. Greg is an avid golfer, and his daughter Greer, the winner in her age bracket in the Michigan Junior State Amateur Golf Championship for girls, keeps him on his toes.

“No matter how busy you are, there’s always time to stop and think.”

Rob Strasberg

Co-CEO/Chief Creative Officer

Driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was Rob’s first job out of college and since leaving, it’s been his goal to make every job just as fun.

Pre-Doner highlights: Burger King, Volkswagen, Sprite, Ikea, Truth, MINI, Miller Lite and Land Rover.

He spent the bulk of his career at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky where he won top honors at One Show, Clio, Cannes, ADC, Effies and a number of other odd sounding award shows.

His wife’s name is Treger, his son’s name is Henson, his daughter’s name is Tuesday—he’s the only one with a boring name.

“Luck is the residue of hard work.”

Jennifer Deutsch

SVP, General Manager, Doner Cleveland

A lover of steamy romance novels, cooking, gardening and her dog, Jennifer is a proud tennis mom.

Her marquee brand roster includes Sherwin-Williams, Things Remembered, Arby’s, Agri-Fab and University Hospitals.

Brands around the world have been impacted by her work. From the Nestlé family of brands to Renaissance Hotels and Resorts, Marriott International and Third Federal Savings and Loan.

Jennifer’s experience spans 13 years and almost as many countries.

She’s guest lectured for the past 15 years at Case Western Reserve University and spoken at the Virginia Governor’s Conference, the Orlando Economic Development Forum and the Nebraska Governor’s Conference.

From Columbia U. to Cleveland, Jennifer lives with her husband and two sons.

Tim Blett

Senior Partner/President, Newport Beach

Tim can’t sit still. Between work, family and sports, he never stops.

Founding Doner’s Newport Beach office, he has inspired and managed outstanding work for clients including Mazda, Del Taco, The UPS Store, UnitedHealthcare, PacSun, Black & Decker and several probono accounts.

His loyalty to Doner and its clients has spanned 28 years.

Above all, he’s a family man, sports nut, avid rock and roller, and community leader.

“Always learning. Always playing.” Tim is committed to being a lifelong student athlete.

Monica Tysell

EVP, Brand Leadership

“Mom-ica,” as she is known to her co-workers, is 50% energy, 50% determination and 200% positive attitude.

For over 23 years her brand leadership has served a range of retail, package goods and direct accounts.

Monica works diligently with Minute Maid, Simply, Odwalla, AAA, Electrolux/Eureka and Serta.

Married with two beautiful children, MSU fan Monica is dealing with the fact that her son has joined the ranks of the Maize and Blue!

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation and a pinch of creativity.”

Kevin Weinman 

EVP, Brand Leadership

It is Kevin’s belief that there is no problem in life that can’t be solved by employing the wisdom of the prophet Jimmy Buffett. 


There is hardly an area of commerce that Kevin hasn’t touched with his expertise including Blockbuster, Expedia, Hotels.com, Best Buy, Lowe’s Home Improvement, 7-Eleven, Lexmark, and Coleman.


Kevin started on the client side as Advertising Manager at Eckerd Drugs, and then became a full-fledged ad man in Tampa at Benito Advertising where he continued in retail working on Publix and Jewel-Osco.

He is married and has a son who attends Embry-Riddle University. He loves playing tennis and traveling, and New York is his sweet spot.

“Marketing is a full-contact sport to be pursued with passion and vigor.”
 

Lisa Nardone

EVP, Brand Leadership

Lisa believes that Passion, Preparation and Perseverance are the 3 Ps of a successful marketer.

For over 20 years, Lisa has devoted her expertise to Cox, AutoTrader.com, hotels.com, OVE.com, Ford Motor Company, Ford Citibank Credit Card and Upjohn Consumer Brands.

A wife, and mom to three children, Lisa keeps busy running, practicing yoga and helping her kids grow into great people.

“Continually digging deeper, learning more, and leaving no stone unturned often lead to the discovery of that key insight that can change the destiny of a brand.”
 

Greg Gerfen

EVP, Brand Leadership

Fact: Greg used duct tape to close a wound after falling off a ladder while using a chainsaw.

Greg’s resourcefulness has been a hallmark in his 21 years with Doner. Today, he’s responsible for the national, regional and local advertising programs of The UPS Store and The PGA Tour accounts.

Prior to joining Doner, Greg worked at BBDO Minneapolis on Hormel; at Noble & Associates in Springfield, MO on Tyson Chicken Entrees; and at Tracy-Locke Dallas working on Kraft, Pilgrim’s Pride and Tabasco.

Greg and his wife of 27 years have 3 kids. They live in Huntington Woods. He spends his free time running marathons, fishing, golfing, playing trumpet and high-altitude chain-sawing.

“Success comes from listening, understanding, and creating an environment that inspires the best in people.”
 

Marci Benson

SVP, Brand Leadership

Marci is known for her love of high heels, and the shoes they’re attached to.

She has played a key role on clients such as Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Ford (Race for the Cure, Blue Oval Dealer Certification), GM Corporate, ADT, American Equity Mortgage and Amazon Kindle.


Marci spent time at JWT Detroit and McCann Erickson Detroit before joining Doner.

Marci lives with her husband Alex, her daughters Sara and Ellie, and their dog, Dexter. They enjoy skiing in Telluride, running in Birmingham and shoe shopping in New York.

“An idea is not an idea until it is on paper.”
 

Joe Caruso

EVP, Director of Integrated Production

When he was 12, Joe won a set of encyclopedias for selling newspaper subscriptions. From that point, his passion for the printed word never waned.

A journeyman typographer, Joe now works to ensure the integration of all facets of communication at Doner. He’s involved in every aspect of content delivery, from on paper to online.

Integrated. Seamless. Joe makes projects come together and makes sure that everyone plays nice.

Joe is married with four boys, all taller than him. He runs a non-profit sports program, and can still spec type, if necessary.

“Take the high road: there are no accidents there.”
 

Pete Spender

EVP, Brand Leadership

Pete played the tuba in the Michigan marching band.

He stays busy with Pennzoil, Quaker State, Owens Corning, Great Wolf Resorts and Detroit Zoo.

After a short tour with Marshall Fields, Pete found a home at Doner.He’ll celebrate 20 years with the agency next year.

Married with three daughters, Pete participates in triathlons and fundraises for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

“If you can understand the numbers, you can understand the situation.”