Barbarian sharpens modern growth strategy with new executive hire. Patty Quintero joins from McCann Worldgroup as executive director of growth & marketing. October 06, 2026 09:00 ET | Source: Barbarian NEW YORK, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Today, Barbarian announced the appointment of Patty Quintero as executive director of growth & marketing. In this role, she will lead the agency's integrated growth and marketing strategy, connecting its creative, strategy, technology and data capabilities to drive new business, deepen client relationships and identify new market opportunities. Quintero brings experience leading marketing initiatives across global, U.S. and Latin American roles. Most recently, as global SVP, strategic growth director at McCann Worldgroup, she led strategic and proactive business development efforts, contributing to client wins including Smirnoff, TJ Maxx, LinkedIn and Delta. Having worked across the industry as a client, strategist, account lead, business lead and marketing & growth liaison, Quintero brings a comprehensive perspective on both client needs and the solutions agencies can bring to market. "My role is to help shape Barbarian's next chapter of growth by building a more proactive, integrated marketing engine that sharpens our story, strengthens our positioning and uncovers new opportunities across both existing and new client relationships," said Quintero. "That means modernizing our approach to growth by integrating data and technology into how we identify white space, build strategies and go to market. Ultimately, growth isn't the responsibility of one team; it's a shared mindset, and I want to empower every Barbarian to recognize areas of potential, strengthen client relationships and contribute to the agency's continued success." That philosophy builds on Barbarian's broader investment in technology, AI and data as strategic enablers for both its client offerings and agency operations. In June 2026, the agency launched its Adaptive Brand Solutions, which blends AI-led commerce experiences, generative interfaces and workflow systems to help brands reach consumers quickly and through personalized experiences. Quintero will build on that momentum by developing Barbarian's modern growth organization designed to better identify client needs and connect them with the agency's evolving capabilities. "Patty brings the energy and ambition we look for at Barbarian," said Jeff Blackman, managing director at Barbarian. "We were drawn to her passion for entrepreneurship, her ambition to challenge convention, innovate with purpose and create work that drives business impact while pushing the industry forward. We've built significant momentum at Barbarian, and Patty will be instrumental in advancing that as we continue to evolve and grow the agency." About Barbarian Barbarian is a creative and innovation agency that is dedicated to helping brands find better ways to interact with their audiences in today's rapidly evolving cultural and technological landscape. We combine world-class tech expertise and relentless creativity to unlock potential in every interaction. Since 2001, Barbarian's legacy of creativity and innovation has been a driving force behind industry-changing work for some of the world's greatest brands. From breakthrough campaigns to reimagined brand experiences, we pride ourselves on a commitment to inclusive and courageous innovation that guides everything we do as we shape the future of our client's digital narratives. Barbarian is part of the Cheil Agency Network (CAN).

Cheil Agency Network strengthens leadership team with two c-suite promotions. Bill Mattis will step into a new role as chief growth officer, and Gourang Mehta advances to chief technology officer /PRNewswire/ - Amid a period of strong growth, The Cheil Agency Network (CAN) today announced the promotions of Bill Mattis to chief growth officer and Gourang Mehta to chief technology officer, strengthening its leadership team to support the network's next phase of expansion. Mattis, formerly managing director and head of network growth at CAN, assumes the position of chief growth officer. Mehta will join the executive team as chief technology officer, moving from his position as managing director at Barbarian, one of five agencies (McKinney, Iris, Attention Arc, CYLNDR Studios and Barbarian) that make up the network. Mattis brings a combination of new business leadership, brand-building expertise, strategic thinking and operational discipline. In his new role, he will continue to build systems, partnerships and infrastructure to elevate the visibility of CAN and cement the network as a partner that brands actively seek out, whether for a specialized agency partnership or a fully integrated network solution. "The agency landscape is changing rapidly, and clients increasingly need partners that can move across disciplines, channels and business challenges with agility," said Joe Maglio, CEO of CAN. "Bill understands how to bring together the strengths of our agencies to create meaningful business outcomes for clients. His promotion to chief growth officer reflects our commitment to building a network that is collaborative, entrepreneurial and relentlessly focused on growth." Working alongside Mattis and Maglio, Mehta offers experience in technical innovation and strategic business development. He specializes in generative AI, enterprise workflow automation and enterprise platforms, and will translate these proficiencies to maximize what's technically possible with what drives business impact for the network and its partners. "Gourang's greatest strength is his rare ability to bridge the gap between deep, complex technical innovation and strategic business growth," explained Maglio. "The pace of technological change, particularly with the rapid emergence of generative AI and agentic workflows, demands dedicated, visionary leadership right now, and Gourang's expertise will guide our agencies through this critical next phase of industry transformation." Since launching in 2025, CAN has added 20 new accounts to its portfolio, increased market consideration by 30% and delivered a 26% increase in net new revenue YoY. To support this momentum, the network established unified office hubs in New York and Toronto. Aimed at serving mid-market brands, the network provides the specialized strengths of individual agencies with the power of a connected, collaborative network. "My mandate is to architect the future of how our agencies operate and deliver value using technology. I'm driving our network-wide AI investments and prioritizing emerging technologies," said Mehta. "I want us to move past the 'hype' phase of AI and execute on impactful use cases that change the way we work." "Growth today requires more than scale; it requires connection. The most successful brands aren't looking for more agency partners; they're looking for partners who truly understand their business challenges and can bridge the right expertise to solve them," said Mattis. "With each agency within CAN possessing a unique superpower, we have a distinct advantage in how we architect those solutions, whether the answer lies within a single agency or requires us to scale across the network to meet a client's needs. That's the opportunity we're building at Cheil Agency Network, and I'm excited to lead the next chapter of that growth." About Cheil Agency Network The Cheil Agency Network (CAN) is a network of independently led agencies in North America: Attention Arc, Barbarian, CYLNDR Studios, Iris and McKinney. Capabilities include: creative, media, branding, production, social media, influencer, design, digital transformation and tech. The Cheil Agency Network offers the agility and energy that's often missing from traditional holding companies, but with the reach of Cheil Worldwide, the global marketing powerhouse with offices in 46 countries. With teams and offices in the U.S. and Canada, agencies within the Cheil Agency Network partner with some of the biggest brands across North America including Little Caesars, Bentley, Samsung, Microsoft, Barclays, Sherwin-Williams, Texas Pete, Shoe Show, California Pizza Kitchen, Citizen Watch and many more. For more information, visit cheilagencynetwork.com SOURCE Cheil Agency Network