Northern Lights Direct Adds Performance Agency Veteran to its Leadership
Chicago/Toronto: Performance agency, Northern Lights Direct (NLD) appoints industry veteran Cass Baker to its executive team. As EVP, Head of Strategy and Digital, Cass will be responsible for the agency’s go to market strategy, development efforts and its digital practice.
The hiring is another significant investment by Northern Lights to advance the agency’s integrated performance marketing offerings. “As media channels converge, strategy and orchestration become paramount. In Cass Baker, we found a leader who has both the strategic chops and the ability to adjust and adapt in rapidly changing environments,” said Bryan Walkey, Northern Lights’ CEO. “2020 has been an unprecedented time to say the least. We are seeing the marketplace use this time to evaluate their marketing resources and agencies. Our DRTV and performance marketing roots combined with our service offerings are a strong match for many brands as they look to address their changing needs. Adding Cass to our team accelerates our ability to scale with existing and new clients.”
Cass brings over 25 years of agency leadership, performance, digital and data-driven marketing. Before joining Northern Lights, Cass held senior management roles at Dentsu, Leapfrog, Leo Burnett and others. His leadership most recently completed the integration of Leapfrog into Dentsu’s performance agency iProspect, following the sale of Leapfrog. Cass will be based in Chicago while spending significant time in Toronto working with teams and clients.
“I am thrilled to be joining Bryan and the Northern Lights Team. Northern Lights’ decades of DRTV success and performance analytics combined with 15 years of digital offerings delivers what brands need today, and moving forward,” said Baker. “Marketers need partners who are focused on delivering outcomes and able to work at the speed of the ever-changing consumer and media landscapes. As the traditional media and digital lines further blur into an audience- first approach, Northern Lights’ unique experience has the solutions and talent to be a leader in performance marketing for many years to come.”
The hiring follows another year of growth for Northern Lights Direct. Over the past several years, Northern Lights has experienced exponential growth in all areas of its business.
Northern Lights Direct is a leading direct response and performance agency with over 30 years of client success. With offices in Chicago and Toronto, their clients span North America and Europe delivering results and revenue for brands across languages, cultures and marketing channels. The agency’s offerings across digital and video include: strategic planning, media buying and management, advanced analytics, and both creative and production services.