Here For DEWALT.
Meet your day-to-day account & strategy team.
Dave's 5 things
1. Dave in a Word: Inexhaustible
(And trust us, we’ve tried)
Dave is basically the Energizer Bunny. But where the bunny needs a battery to run, Dave seems to get by just fine with a mix of sleep, sustenance, sports, family time and work (not necessarily in that order).
Dave’s been at Y&L for almost seven years, leading accounts such as Speedway Convenience Stores, Trane, Rust-Oleum, and Hotel Tango Distillery. He brings a near limitless level of energy and enthusiasm to each project—and he focuses all of that on producing the best work for his clients.
2. Life Before Y&L
Before making a homecoming to Indianapolis at Y&L, Dave attended the University of Central Florida, where he tried his hand at screenwriting in an attempt to create the next Blair Witch Project (a film produced by UCF film students). After being told his ideas “weren’t that creative” (harsh), he transitioned to advertising/public relations and graduated with a master’s degree in under five years. While at UCF, Dave was a standout on the flag-football field, traveling to compete for multiple national championships and being named a first team All-American.
Dave moved to Chicago without a formal job offer because he wanted to live close to Wrigley Field. After doing everything he could to get a job, including sending flowers to the receptionist at Leo Burnett so she’d forward his calls to the hiring manager, Dave got a job with Wunderman working on field marketing for Burger King. After a few years, Dave finally landed a job at Leo Burnett using his QSR knowledge to join the McDonald’s team.
3. The Family
Dave met his wife, Jen, in Chicago when she was a substitute player for his flag football team. They played one game together and then didn’t see each other again until a chance meeting on North Avenue Beach six months later (after a dodgeball game, naturally). They’ve been together ever since.
They have three animals: Archie (4), Miles (2), and their English bulldog Boo (8). Most of their time is spent playing in the backyard inventing some sort of game for everyone to compete in.
4. “Vices”: Running & Golf
Dave’s life revolves around being active. He’s a lifelong golfer starting when he was four. (He says he should be a lot better for as long as he’s been playing; if you’re a golfer, you can probably relate.) Dave will be running his tenth marathon this year in October as he tries to qualify for Boston (just five more seconds!). His most recent passion is coaching three- and four-year-old (a.k.a. bumblebee) soccer—which involves tying shoes, fixing runny noses and, occasionally, soccer.
5. Ohio State Lifer
Dave’s first official job was at The Ohio State University selling football programs with his dad when he was in third grade. Through his high school graduation, he spent most fall weekends driving to Columbus to get to Ohio Stadium four hours before kickoff, and then selling outside of St. John’s Arena. He’s seen many great games at The Shoe, but the highlight was watching the “Game of the Century” in 2006 then rushing the field and appearing on the front page of the Columbus Dispatch (see photo above).
Kari's 5 things
1. Kari in a Word: Curious
There’s not an industry or topic that Kari won’t ask about. (And believe us, we’ve tried to find it.) Leading strategic, research and analytics for Y&L clients, Kari has a natural inclination to want to know more about what makes consumers and customers tick.
Kari’s been at Y&L for almost six years, partnering on accounts such as Trane, American Standard, Jeld-Wen, Cummins and Gainbridge. Always curious, she’s often the one asking too many questions—all in the spirit of helping brands have a real business impact and be more relevant in the market.
2. Life Before Y&L
Not a native Hoosier, Kari’s made her rounds in a wide variety of industries and cities. Hailing from St. Louis, she attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, getting her undergrad and MBA there. She got her foundation in brands by working at Landor on the Procter & Gamble global oral care businesses, like Crest, Oral-B and Blend-a-med. (She can tell you a lot about toothpaste, mouthwash and power brushes, which undoubtedly makes her a hit at dentist dinner parties.)
Coming to Indianapolis with her now-husband, Kari joined the NCAA, leading all championship branding for major events like the Men’s Final Four, Women’s Final Four, and Women’s College World Series. As a former Division 1 athlete, it was a full-circle experience to help current student-athletes realize their dream of being national champions.
3. The Family
Kari met her husband, Peter, in Cincinnati when they were both student-athletes at Xavier. Peter played golf and Kari “played” swimming; their teammates played matchmaker. Both being highly competitive, planners and lovers of ice cream, they hit it off and have been together almost 14 years.
They have a wild 2-year-old, Audrey. You’ll often find the family either outside playing in the yard or at the pool, with Audrey directing all fun activities together.
4. Playing Swimming
Kari has been an athlete since she was 10, swimming competitively in club and in college. Swimming was a great training ground for life and work: it’s team-oriented in spirit, but with individual opportunities to succeed. Specializing in mid-distance freestyle and backstroke, Kari was an Atlantic 10 champion and multiple medalist. After “retiring” from swimming, Kari was a Masters All-American. She’s very passionate about helping young kids learn how to swim and can give anyone a few tips/tricks on helping their kids love the water.
5. Loyal Y&Ler
Kari has had an uncommon path to Y&L. Working there for 2 years, she took a year “sabbatical” to pursue a PhD at Indiana University in Marketing Strategy, aiming to research the financial impacts and implications of rebranding. Realizing she liked business and industry work rather than academic work, she boomeranged to Y&L in 2018. Loving her time back and tapping into her competitive nature, she played for the Y&L Kickball team only to “sacrifice” her ACL for the team. You’ll still find her participating in most Y&L activities, aside those that now involve running (sorry Dave) or kicking a ball.