Patrick McAuley
Senior Vice President
Pat has managed public relations and integrated communications programs for more than 18 years. He has led strategic work in brand building, product publicity, leadership positioning, customer affinity and internal communications for consumer, business-to-business and non-profit clients in a wide range of industries.
For the Bulk of his career, Pat has created successful campaigns at integrated agencies like Laughlin/Constable. This taught him how to draw such disciplines as interactive, creative services, direct marketing and media planning to support and enrich PR-led programs.
An award –winning writer himself, Pat’s team won numerous professional awards in recent years for work for such clients as Navistar International Corp., Bankers Life and Casualty Co., Med-Systems, Inc., Family Credit Counseling Service, AirTran Airways, AvalonBay Communities, Mario Tricoci Salons, the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago, Ryerson Tull, Inc., American Plastics Council, Rexam packaging. United Stationers, Inc., W.W. Grainger, and Digital Equipment Corp.
Mitch Winter
EVP, CFO
With more than 20 years of experience in a variety of advertising settings, Mitch is the master of overseeing the financial operations of Laughlin/Constable. He has experience as a controller and account supervisor, and his technological savvy has helped propel the agency’s entry into digital marketing.
As well as being Chief Financial Officer, Mitch also oversees the IS area of the agency and sits on the Agency Finance Committee of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. He’s also a frequent speaker at national conferences on agency financial and business strategies.
Andrew Rychlik
EVP, Client Services
Andrew is Laughlin/Constable’s retail marketing guru, but it didn’t happen overnight. For over twenty-five years he’s worked his way up the advertising/marketing ladder, providing marketing programs and solutions to a wide array of clients including Bank One, Kohler and Sheraton. Recently, Andrew has been managing Bon-Ton department store group where his branding and repositioning efforts have helped Bon-Ton achieve consistent sales increases.
In addition to being a guest speaker for over twenty organizations across the country, Andrew also services on the Television Retail Advisory Committee, is a member of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, the National Retail Federation and has been a board member of the Milwaukee Advertising Club and the Association of Advertising Agencies.
Mark Drewek
SVP, Creative Director
As a creative director in our Chicago office, Mark has his hands in a little bit of everything. He has worked on Friendly’s, Harley-Davidson, Associated Bank, Medela and Bridgestone Firestone just to name a few.
Mark had always thought advertising would be a reasonable outlet for him to apply his “quirky set of skills and arcane bits of knowledge.” And he was right. His work has been honored with numerous awards including two Cannes Silver Lions, an Obie and a One Show Award as well as publication in Communication Arts, Archive and AdWeek magazines.
Michael Pflughoeft
VP, Public Relations
Michael brings more than 23 years of experience in public relations, strategic and crisis communications, community relations and special events to the L/C team. Before joining Laughlin/Constable, Michael was Vice President / Director of Public Relations at Kohnke Hanneken. Prior to joining KH, he served on the client side of PR for more than twenty years, working for Journal Communications, DentaQuest Ventures / Doral Dental and Aurora Health Care.
Michael is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, is a past president of the Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter of PRSA and is currently serving as ethics officer for the chapter.
John Constable
Partner, Executive Creative Director
As executive art director for Laughlin/Constable, John Constable supervises the development of all graphic art and visuals for every Laughlin/Constable account. He is also instrumental in creative strategy development and account management.
John joined the agency in 1978, shortly after its founding. His arrival helped propel the agency from local to regional and ultimately, national recognition for its creative work.
John is one of the most honored art directors in America. He has received Clio awards; local, regional and national Addy awards; One Show Gold awards; and the International Film and Television Gold Awards. As a frequent award show judge, he has also played a role in recognizing the work of other artists.
John’s work has been featured in virtually every industry publication that follows creativity in communications: Archive, The One Show Annual, Communication Arts magazine, The New York Art Director Club Annual, Graphis and many others.
In 1988, John served on the Tuesday Team, a group of advertising professionals responsible for the national advertising to elect President George Bush.
John is a board member of the Milwaukee Ballet and responsible for the ballet company’s wearable works of art retail program. In addition to advertising art direction, he is a noted water colorist and wildlife artist. A native of Kingston, England, John holds degrees from Folkstone & Dover College of Fine Art and Canterbury College of Art and Design, where he graduated with honors.
Denise Kohnke
SVP, Brand Strategy
Leading the agency’s strategic marketing division called Pole Vault, Denise brings a business mentality to everything we do. Denise has lead strategic brand development for over one hundred organizations, and has held positions on both sides of the advertising fence as an art director/writer and marketing director. This understanding of how both worlds come together allows Denise to offer a holistic marketing sensibility that translates into great work.
A couple more notable clients that Denise has worked on include the YMCA of the USA and Ethan Allen. She has also been featured in Advertising Age’s CMO Strategy section, which explained how the bridge between business objectives and creative can lift brands to new heights.
Steve Laughlin
Partner, Executive Creative Director
As a founding partner of Laughlin/Constable, Steve’s been the writer or creative director on a Who’s Who of American brands. Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine. Bush/Quayle ’88. Bridgestone/Firestone. Baird. Carson Pirie Scott. Fruit of the Loom. Friendly’s Ice Cream. Harley Davidson and Buell Motorcycles. Hillshire Farm. Montgomery Ward. Lawn Boy. Leinenkugel’s Beer. Sargento Cheese. Wisconsin Brewing Company brands.
Steve’s work has been honored and published in The New York Art Director’s Annual, The One Show Annual, Communications Arts Annual, Clios, Addy’s and many others.
Steve has served on the American Association of Advertising Agency’s Board of Governors and has received the American Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal for Career Achievement.
So what has he learned over the years? “If the work isn’t strategic, it’s irrelevant. If it isn’t creative, it’s invisible.”
Dave Hanneken
SVP, Creative Director
Dave’s career as a Creative Director/Copywriter has taken him half way around the world to Hawaii’s Ogilvy & Mather’s and back again. After working for Cramer Krasselt and Hoffman York, Dave helped found Kohnke Hanneken. Along with fellow Creative Director/Art Director Rich Kohnke. Kohnke Hanneken won numerous advertising awards over the years and also enjoyed national recognition in a Communication Arts creative profile.
Dave has served as president of the Milwaukee AdWorkers advertising club, which under his tenure, doubled in size and profitability. Although he’s won many awards, his crowning achievement was winning The One Show Golden Pencil.
Paul Brienza
SVP, Interactive Marketing
Paul has been involved with the Internet for over 10 years. From an Internet Café Entrepreneur to an account group director, Paul has built the Web portfolios of a wide variety of major corporations through his extensive experience and understanding of technology, usability and project management.
Paul has experience in both flat and data driven Web sites. His balance of understanding in navigational design and databases has allowed clients such as Kohler, Master Lock, Pfizer, Kellogg’s/Keebler, Kimberly-Clark and Huffy Sports to successfully grow their Web presence.
Paul delivers a highly professional level of work each and every day. His timeliness to the project and the quality of the work is only superseded by his responsiveness to the client.
Paul graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
Kirk Ruhnke
SVP, Creative Director
During the past 25 years Kirk has played a role in almost every piece of creative that has come out of the agency’s doors. Kirk has applied his wry wit and creative writing talent to clients including Leinenkugel’s, Associated Bank, Fruit of the Loom, and the national launch of Miller’s Sharp’s.
Kirk has been honored with receiving the coveted Clio award, national Addy’s and numerous local awards. His work has been published in Communication Arts, Print, Archive, and the New York One Show Annual.
Joyce O’Brien
EVP, Director of Human Resources
Being well versed in marketing, branding and advertising has given Joyce a distinctive edge when matching L/C positions with just the right talent. Joyce is frequently quoted on topics related to human resources in local, regional and national publications as well as on popular employment web sites.
Under Joyce’s guidance, the agency has received numerous workplace awards, including the prestigious 2008 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility, the honorable 2008, 2007 and 2006 MetroParent Family Friendly awards, the Best Places to Work award in 2005, 2003 and 2001, triple recognition in Beyond The Paycheck articles and double recipient of Working Mother awards.
Karen Stoneman
SVP, Director of Media
Over her 20-plus year career, Karen Stoneman has become an expert in media solutions on the national, regional and local levels. She currently oversees planning and buying for Laughlin/Constable’s Media department. Karen heads the agency’s media teams for Carson Pirie Scott & Co., the Milwaukee Bucks, We Energies, Robert W. Baird and Foley & Lardner.
Her experience includes a variety of media campaigns for consumer services, food and packaged goods clients including Wolverine Boots and Shoes, Wisconsin Tourism, Jones Dairy Farm and Baymont Inns & Suites. Before joining L/C in 1984, Karen served as the sales media buyer for American TV and Appliance’s $4 million broadcast budget. She also worked for Madison agency Stephan & Brady, Madison McDonald’s, Northwest Fabrics and Madison Gas & Electric accounts. Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in art and journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has been earning the trust of clients and colleagues for two decades.
Renee Haber
EVP, Account Services
Renee Haber thinks that she lives up to many of the stereotypes that Midwesterners might associate with New Yorkers. She’s candid, tenacious and proud of it.
An EVP and director of account services for the Chicago office of Laughlin/Constable, Renee currently manages Bridgestone/Firestone, Salon Selectives, Sunstar G-U-M and Home Preview Channel businesses, while maintaining oversight of other Chicago-based L/C clients.
Her 20+ year advertising career began at The Marschalk Company (now The Lowe Group) in New York, where her accounts included Stroh’s Beer, Baby Magic baby products, Nabisco’s A-1 Steak Sauce, Grey Poupon Mustard and Ortega Mexican Foods. She rose through the ranks to become an account supervisor, leading accounts such as Braun Electronics, for which she had both domestic and international responsibilities, and Sprite/Diet Sprite.
Renee spends her free time with her husband and two children, and has most recently taught her dog to say “mama.” Her latest project involves applying the communications skills honed in this business to effectively and enjoyably communicate with her teenage daughter.
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