Uncovering the humanity behind complexity
Branding
Brand is an essential business asset that guides decisions, drives values, and ultimately gives form to an organization’s value in the world. We activate the brand at every level – driving audiences to action at every touch point.
Marketing
Great brands are earned by consistently demonstrating their value to their customers. We take a customer-centric view to map, identify, and create the cross-channel experiences that add the most value throughout the brand journey.
Sales Enablement
We work at the intersection of sales, marketing, and product to ensure sales and services teams understand their customers and have the tools to close long, complex sales cycles.
Industries /
Select Clients
Technology
Higher Education
Professional Services
Industrials
Not-for-Profit
Services
Strategy
- Brand
- Communication
- Customer Experience
- Digital
Design & Content
- Campaign
- Collateral
- Digital
- Environmental
- Verbal Identity
- Visual Identity
Implementation
- Digital
- Experiential
- Training
- Video/AR/VR
Woman-Owned and Independent
Women own less than 1% of 14,000 agencies in North America. Our founder, Barbara Apple Sullivan, joined that select group in 1990 with the creation of Sullivan. She recognized then, as we still do today, the difference that female ownership makes—helping us express the humanity in our work, build deep relationships with companies, and create an inclusive employee culture.
At Sullivan we are
Strategists
We are at the core of every project—unlocking effective approaches, unearthing insights and hidden truths, managing client relationships, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and owning the work from start to finish.
Creatives
We deliver the big ideas that bring powerful stories to life and push our clients to break down barriers and impact both business and culture.
Builders
We build innovative solutions to complex challenges—ensuring technology supports the creative and strategic vision, and vice versa.
Producers
Constantly finding novel ways to get things done, we’re problem solvers who can see the big picture while managing the details that can make or break a project.
Our Leadership
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Barbara Apple Sullivan
![Barbara Apple Sullivan]()
Barbara Apple Sullivan
— Founder & Managing Partner
![Barbara Apple Sullivan]()
For over three decades, Barbara has been at the forefront of brand engagement. Her experience working with leading organizations—both from a client and agency perspective, has given her a unique perspective on the role of brand and its impact on business outcomes.
In 1990, Barbara founded Sullivan to help organizations of consequence bridge the gap between brand and customer experience at key moments in the customer journey through integrated strategy, design, and digital experiences. As Managing Partner, Barbara continues to build the firm’s vision, set our business priorities, and oversee day-to-day operations. She cares deeply about the quality of work and sets the tone for all of Sullivan’s client engagements.
Prior to Sullivan, Barbara held senior marketing roles at Chemical Bank (now JPMorgan Chase) and American Express. She began her career in her native city of Minneapolis as Product Manager for Pillsbury’s Slice ‘n Bake Cookies, and in account management at Carmichael Lynch Advertising.
Barbara has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a trustee of The School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center.
When not working or attending ballet, Barbara can either be found on the golf course or playing Sudoku.
Featured Ideas & Work
A live example of AI
Trailblazing is in our DNA
Paid parental leave benefits everyone
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John Paolini
![John Paolini]()
John Paolini
— Partner, Chief Creative Officer
![John Paolini]()
As Partner and Chief Creative Officer, John helps lead the agency, its clients, and a team of deeply talented creatives. With over 25 years in the industry, John brings a deeply human, honest, and compelling perspective to every organization he has the good fortune to touch—and it’s been one love affair after another. In his 20 years at Sullivan, John has worked with some of the world’s most recognizable brands, such as American Express, IBM, Bank of America, Barnes and Noble, Human Rights Watch, Cornell Tech, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Brown University.
Prior to joining Sullivan, John held roles as Creative Director at Siegel+Gale and Design Director at Waters Design.
John has BFA in graphic design and art history from Ohio University and an MFA in Communication design, VCUARTs. John also serves on Leadership Council for the Ohio University School of Fine Arts, lecturing at Columbia College’s School of Architecture Graduate Program, Columbia University School of Business, Pratt Institute Graduate Communications Design, and Ohio University Undergraduate Graphic design.
When he’s not at work, John can be found working on one of his many passion projects, including “Honestly Stolen,” his collection of permanently borrowed ash trays, match boxes, and menus from around the world.
Featured Ideas and Work
STANFORD HAI
Insight Partners
Tapping into the power of belief and belonging
Brand as Fuel: Reimagining Wealth Management Branding
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Nicole Ferry
![Nicole Ferry]()
Nicole Ferry
— Partner, Chief Strategy Officer
![Nicole Ferry]()
As Partner and Chief Strategy Officer, Nicole helps organizations take a stand and communicate their point of view with pride. She never loses sight of a company’s business objectives, and manages to raise their ambitions while honoring the needs and experiences of audiences. Nicole applies decades of experience to companies including American Express, Goldman Sachs, LinkedIn and Twitter; and higher education institutions including Duke University, Stanford University, and Brown University.
Prior to joining Sullivan, Nicole held strategy roles in branding and advertising at Siegel+Gale, BBDO, and Grey Advertising where she developed brand platforms and campaigns for Stryker, the American Academy of Family Physicians, Best Foods, and Domino’s Pizza.
Nicole graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in English with a concentration in Marketing. She is a founding member of the McIntire Marketing Advisory Committee, providing input to faculty on curriculum, industry insights, and hiring trends.
When she’s not at work, Nicole can be found mentoring other women as a member of Chief and playing an intense pickup soccer game every Sunday with her two boys.
Featured Ideas and Work
Insight Partners
American University
Duke University Admissions
Lehigh University
Longfellow
Virginia Tech Innovation Campus
Weill Cornell Medicine
Fearlessly Curious Voices: Embracing empathy & sparking change with Weill Cornell Medicine's Elena Wu
Being Bold in Higher Ed
Is your retention problem actually a branding problem?
Leveraging brand and marketing to empower B2B sales
EVERGREEN TRADING
STANFORD HAI
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Nancy Schulman
![Nancy Schulman]()
Nancy Schulman
— Partner, Chief Client Officer
![Nancy Schulman]()
As Partner and Chief Client Officer, Nancy leads client relationships, manages and mentors our strategists, and helps oversee Sullivan’s operations and growth. While Nancy started her career on the client side, she eventually found her way to agencies that supported the belief that the best strategists are creative, and the best creatives are strategic. That conviction led her to Sullivan nearly 20 years ago, and she’s never looked back. Today, Nancy leads Sullivan’s relationships with a number of clients including Bank of America, Crown Castle, and Capital Group.
Prior to joining Sullivan, Nancy spent several years with a boutique asset management firm in a dual role as the CMO and COO. Before that she held roles at Ammirati Puris Lintas, Hal Riney & Partners, and Ketchum working on clients like GM, Bank of America, Pacific Bell, NPR, NBC, Aspen, Hertz, and some of the best restaurants in the bay area.
Nancy attended Hofstra University, where she studied International Trade and attempted to learn to write and speak Mandarin.
Nancy is driven by the heart, and it is the people in her life that matter most. Her greatest pleasures include weekend visits with family and friends at her house on Shelter Island, where she has two rules: Don’t ask, and do whatever you want—as long as you cook and she doesn’t have to.
Featured Ideas and Work
Crown Castle
Elevating Client Onboarding to Make an Impactful First Impression
Bringing Humanity Back To B2B Marketing
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Valentine McGovern
![Valentine McGovern]()
Valentine McGovern
— Partner, Chief Financial Officer
![Valentine McGovern]()
Val has worked in corporate finance for over 25 years. As CFO, he is a strategic business advisor responsible for financial, technology, legal, risk, and administrative support for the business. He’s a firm believer in exemplary client service and in having a financial vision beyond “cost control” to drive company growth.
Before joining Sullivan, Val held senior finance roles at Frontline Communispond Group, Havas New York, and Lowe and Partners/IPG.
A native of Sligo, Ireland, Val attended Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
When he’s not at work, Val can be found spending time with his wife and three (mostly) grown kids, who are spreading their wings around the country.
Featured Ideas and Work
About
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Tina Citron
![Tina Citron]()
Tina Citron
— Executive Producer & Principal
![Tina Citron]()
As an Executive Producer and Principal at Sullivan, Tina helps clients to deliver work that is on-strategy, on-time, and on-budget. Since joining Sullivan in 2005, Tina has worked across all verticals and produced work that spans print, digital, video, events, and VR experiences. Tina has worked with clients across industries including Cornell University and Cornell Tech, Duke University and its Fuqua School of Business, Columbia Law School, Yale School of Music, American University, American Express, AXA Insurance, Millennium Management, TD Ameritrade, and Two Sigma.
Prior to joining Sullivan, Tina held branding roles at both FutureBrand and Lippincott. While she joined Sullivan as a strategist, she discovered a love for helping bring ideas to life and making things, so she pivoted into a producer role. Today, she works with both strategists and creatives to help ensure strategies and creative ideas can be brought to life across different channels, audiences, and mediums.
Tina graduated with a BA in both Business and Economics from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Tina’s “happy place” is on Nantucket and when she can’t be there, she can be found exploring Central Park and trying to get her two boys out of any tree they may have climbed.
Featured Ideas and Work
About
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Leah Kiel
![Leah Kiel]()
Leah Kiel
— Chief Talent Officer & Executive Producer
![Leah Kiel]()
As Executive Producer, Chief Talent Officer, and Principal—Leah wears many hats.
With over 15 years of experience at Sullivan working with clients to bring our strategies to life, Leah is the connective tissue between creative, operations and strategy. Her tenure at the agency and experience in the business makes Leah uniquely qualified to help recruit the best talent for our team, and to help manage overall firm resources and operations.
Prior to joining Sullivan, Leah worked in consumer advertising in media planning and account management roles.
Leah studied Business Administration at the University of Delaware.
When not at work, she can be found at home in New Jersey with her two kids, Indy and Wyatt. She is probably on a sports field or grilling in the backyard.
Featured Ideas and Work
It starts at the top: The difference between woman-owned and woman-led
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Nick Miller
![Nick Miller]()
Nick Miller
— Principal, Strategy
![Nick Miller]()
As a Principal at Sullivan, Nick is focused on developing brand engagement opportunities that help organizations be useful, empathetic, and interesting to their audiences. Nick is a student of simplicity, and he believes the best brands are unmistakably clear and surprisingly original. At Sullivan, he translates that ethos into his work for clients that include American Express, Bank of America, and Walters Kluwer.
Before joining Sullivan, Nick spent more than a decade at Siegel+Gale, where he worked with global brands across the United States, Europe and the Middle East, including Google, Adobe, Visa, Wells Fargo, Emirates NBD, Syngenta and A.T. Kearney. Prior to Siegel+Gale, he worked in business development and account management at RedPeg Marketing, a Washington, D.C.-based brand experience agency.
Nick graduated from The George Washington University School of Business with a degree in Marketing and Information Systems Technology.
In his spare time, he enjoys making homemade pasta, lounging at the beach (whether at his native Jersey shore or the south of France), and eating his way around the world.
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Rachel Quintner
![Rachel Quintner]()
Rachel Quintner
— Principal, Growth
![Rachel Quintner]()
As a Principal at Sullivan, Rachel works with the leadership team to grow and market our company. With over 15 years of experience in consultative sales, Rachel is able to dive deep into complex business challenges and find the right mix of branding and marketing services to drive our client’s business success. At Sullivan, Rachel works across our portfolio with clients like American Express, ADP, JP Morgan, LinkedIn, and Insight Partners.
Before working at Sullivan, Rachel was a Vice President at Blue State, a digital agency, where she helped the company double in size by bringing on clients like UNICEF USA, Colgate Palmolive, and Teach for America. Before that Rachel was a major donor fundraiser, raising principal gifts for clients like the Pentagon Memorial Fund and the National Sailing Hall of Fame.
Rachel graduated from the George Washington University where she studied International Affairs.
When not at work, Rachel can be found chasing her poodle and two small children around Brooklyn.
Featured Ideas and Work
Driving Growth Through Authenticity
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Christian Castellano
![Christian Castellano]()
Christian Castellano
— Managing Director, Strategy
![Christian Castellano]()
With over 20 years of agency experience in brand strategy, communications planning, and digital strategy, Christian brings a strong background in financials, technology, B2B, and higher ed. As an integrated digital marketer, Christian helps clients transform their most critical marketing mix of brand, product, sales, and demand generation into a unified experience that inspires services and motivates customers. He is unafraid to challenge the status quo to bring new transformative ideas to the table that push the boundaries of what’s possible through a mix of technology, content, and design.
Before joining Sullivan, Christian worked at Digitas, where he worked with clients including Comcast and American Express. Prior to that, he spent time at Hill Holliday, where he led an integrated B2B group to drive leads and sales across the SMB market.
Christian studied at the University of Delaware, where he earned his BSBA in Marketing.
Christian enjoys perpetually renovating his NYC apt with his wife and taking care of their 5 Koi fish.
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Becca Green
![Becca Green]()
Becca Green
— Creative Director
![Becca Green]()
As a Creative Director, Becca works alongside our strategists, copywriters, and designers to bring fresh ideas to life through compelling concepts and powerful content. With more than 10 years of experience in advertising and branding, Becca has a knack for marrying creative vision and strategic insights to create brands and communications that capture both hearts and minds. At Sullivan, Becca has worked with a number of financial and higher education institutions including Capital Group, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America and Merrill, Lehigh University, Duke University, and American University.
Prior to joining Sullivan, Becca held copywriting roles at advertising and branding agencies including Interbrand, Purpose, and GMMB where she developed creative for clients such as Microsoft, The Rockefeller Foundation, Unilever, and the American Beverage Association.
Becca graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, CT with a B.A. in English Creative Writing and Art History.
When she’s not at work, Becca can be found urban gardening and traveling around Mexico in search of the perfect fish taco.
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Greg Pymm
![Greg Pymm]()
Greg Pymm
— Managing Director, Technology
![Greg Pymm]()
As Managing Director of Technology, Greg oversees Sullivan’s engineering team and drives many of the technology decisions for the agency as well as our clients. With over 20 years of experience, Greg brings a deep understanding of technology’s role in both digital and traditional mediums. Today, he’s focused on how tech teams interface with broader creative and strategic teams, and the role of technology as a bridge—not a wall. At Sullivan, Greg has worked with a variety of organizations, including SAG-AFTRA, Yale, Two Sigma, Berlin Rosen, Bank of America, and Crown Castle.
Before joining Sullivan, Greg worked at ad agencies, web shops, post houses, startups, and in the freelance world for clients that include Marriott, JP Morgan Chase, Chevron, Crayola, Verizon, Celgene, NYU, Sittercity, and Ford Models.
Greg graduated from FIT with a BA in Advertising Design and from Stonybrook with a degree in Computer Science.
When not at work, Greg can be found trail bicycling, playing the drums, and traveling—5 continents and counting.
Our
Leadership
Our commitment to allyship
As a woman founded and owned business, we’re invested in advancing diversity and inclusion in our business, and beyond.
Read more about Our commitment to allyship$3.185m
donated in pro bono work for diversity and inclusion over the last 12 years
ESG
retirement savings plans
