We say it's the definition of our best client partnerships.
We say it's the definition of our best client partnerships.
Meet the leadership team
David DeMuth
Chief Executive Officer
David DeMuth
As a teenager, David worked in a grocery store and became fascinated with how and why people buy things. Today, David answers those questions as the CEO of Doner.
David loves the extreme competitive aspect of the agency business and the thrill of helping clients win. He’s a hands-on, walk-around leader who believes creativity and accountability can coexist in harmony, details and speed matter, and bureaucracy sucks. David has overseen Doner's evolution into a thoroughly modern, data-driven and strategically led agency.
When he’s not leading Doner, David coaches tennis and serves on various boards across Detroit, including Cranbrook Kingswood Schools and MOCAD (Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit), and spends time with his wife and their kids Alex, Olivia, Owen and Henry.
Katherine Moncrief
Chief Talent Officer
Katherine Moncrief
Katherine Moncrief has spent the last 10 years as the EVP, Director of Talent at Deutsch. She has had a successful history of recruiting award-winning talent, instituting pipeline strategies, staff planning, establishing and amplifying talent initiatives, driving diversity, scaling companies during intense growth periods and building culture for market-leading creative agencies.
Before Deutsch she worked in Account Management at creative breakthrough shops like Anomaly and Mother. She started her career at DDB and spent time working at Havas in London. She has an exceptional record of success in the management of corporate, creative, and production recruiting operations. She has a consistent history of increasing efficiency, improving performance and building environments that promote creativity.
Her real passion and biggest supporter is her two-year-old son Henry. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey and volunteers with the Montclair Community Pre-K on development initiatives.
Colin Jeffery
Chief Creative Officer
Colin Jeffery
As one of the industry’s most respected and awarded Chief Creative Officers, Colin Jeffery leads all creative efforts across the Doner enterprise. Colin is a hands-on, walk-around leader (in both the virtual and physical space), who works side by side with our creative teams and engages regularly with our clients.
Prior to joining Doner, Colin was cofounder and CCO of Wolfgang, and before that, was a longtime CCO at David&Goliath. Colin has a long list of accolades to his name. He is credited with helping KIA Motors become the fastest growing car brand in the U.S., and he brings experience across a wide range of categories, including CPG, QSR, sports, travel, gaming, alcoholic beverage, entertainment and lifestyle, as well as global experience in both Singapore and South Africa.
Colin has been a member of Adweek’s Creative 100, was named One of the Most Creative People in Advertising by Business Insider and his work has been recognized at every major international award show including Cannes Lions, The One Show, D&AD, Clios, Art Directors Club and many others.
Craig Conrad
Chief Operating Officer
Craig Conrad
Every great team has the player who makes everyone else better – that’s Craig Conrad. It started when he walked onto the Miami University hockey team and it continues today every time he walks into a conference room.
Craig has led accounts in every category from automotive to healthcare to retail to packaged goods. Today, as Doner’s president, Craig touches every account and supports team members at every level. As an avid sports enthusiast, healthy competition and being a good teammate are things that get his heart pumping.
He and his wife live in Northville and are active sports parents to their two future college athletes.
Naveen Passey
Chief Financial Officer
Naveen Passey
Naveen is energized every day to work with the passionate team at Doner to solve clients’ business and marketing challenges.
He loves the balance of having to be ever mindful of the present, while simultaneously planning for our future. His strategic plans have contributed to the growth of several business units, while his operating plans have streamlined processes and driven efficiencies. He loves seeing a team come together to succeed beyond the potential of each individual.
A native Midwesterner, Naveen enjoys spending time with his fantastic daughter, and rooting for the Reds and Pacers. Don’t ask him about her no longer rooting for the Bengals – it’s a touchy subject.
Kat Ott
Chief Delivery Officer
Kat Ott
With passion, contagious positivity and a love for efficiency, Kat continues to build on a track record of delivery excellence here at Doner. Every day her goal is to make the lives of our employees and clients easier – and happier – by creating streamlined processes for fast, flawless results.
As a proven digital thought leader, Kat is constantly driving process evolutions that are consumer-focused, data-driven and inclusive-first. She’s leveraged those skills to help steer the development and improvement of our Project Management and Content Studio departments, and to strengthen client partner services – especially in her role as the proud leader of our Johnson & Johnson consumer brands.
Kat has also played an integral role in initiating programs to help improve work-life balance at the agency. When it’s time for me time, Kat enjoys spending it hiking with her German Shepherd, Sita, and traveling to see concerts – including the band Phish which she has seen over 150 times.
Ben Grossman
Chief Strategy & Integration Officer
Ben Grossman
Sought after by clients and colleagues alike for his ability to find clarity through complexity, Ben is passionate about helping teams maximize the meaning and impact of their work. At Doner, Ben looks after our strategy practice, helping our clients grow by capitalizing on modern research, data and technology, and timeless empathy for the human experience. He also focuses on capability development and integration across marketing disciplines, both at Doner and Doner Partners Network.
Ben has set strategy for some of the world’s foremost brands, including Anheuser-Busch InBev, Google, Subway, J&J/Kenvue, Liberty Mutual, P&G, Blue Cross Blue Shield, GSK, L.L.Bean and many more. His work has earned top accolades from the Effie Awards, Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Jay Chiat Awards, ANA, Ad Age, Adweek and the 4A’s.
Outside the office, Ben can be found hosting game nights, enjoying Broadway theater and spending (too much?) time rubbing his cat’s belly.
Jennifer Villamil
EVP, Managing Director, Doner Media
Jennifer Villamil
Jennifer leads all paid media and measurement supporting the Doner Partners Network, bringing creative, business-driving solutions for our clients. As media becomes more fragmented and automated, Jennifer firmly believes the key drivers to success are thoughtful, audience-first, data-driven strategies, coupled with forward-focused analytics. As a leader, you’re more likely to see her sitting in an open seat instead of an office – creating a culture of transparency, diversity of thinking and thought leadership at every level.
Jennifer brings over 18 years of experience from The Many, Cramer-Krasselt and Publicis Groupe leading clients like Cedar Fair, P&G, Walmart, Allstate and Discover. Her many awards include The Drum Grand Prix Award for Cedar Fair and Adweek’s Media Plan of the Year for Tide. She’s most proud of the multi-award-winning Super Bowl campaign for T. Marzetti premade dips. This 100% digital play delivered 2% sales increase for the big day – proving once again that plans grounded in data can turn any size budget into a big business win.
Shelia Minetola
VP, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Shelia Minetola
Shelia is the person that is helping Doner build an agency that reflects the diverse community we live in and serve. And as a veteran of the ad industry, and someone who has led multicultural efforts across a wide variety of industries, Shelia is the ideal leader.
With a focus on culture, talent and community, Shelia has helped Doner create our agency ERGs, representing a variety of groups from our LGBTQ employees to parents to people of color. Shelia is also active in our recruitment processes and makes sure Doner, and our diverse talent, is represented in the ad community in Detroit and nationally.
In 2022, Shelia was recognized as a Salute to Diversity Winner by Corp! Magazine, a publication that celebrates Detroit business leaders and innovation.