McKinney: Durham Creative and Influencer Agency Profile
McKinney is a Durham, North Carolina creative, media and influencer agency founded in 1969, part of Cheil Worldwide and led by CEO Joe Maglio since 2018.
Specialty
Full-Service Advertising & Marketing
Updated
Nov 2, 2026
Desk
EPR Editorial Team
Firm summary
McKinney is a Durham, North Carolina creative, media and influencer agency founded in 1969, part of the Cheil Agency Network and led by CEO Joe Maglio since October 2018, with Gretchen Walsh as president. In 2026 it launched a consumer PR practice led by Jae Siercks in February and added two leaders to McKinney Canada in Toronto in May. Its clients include Popeyes, Little Caesars, Pampers, Samsung and Sherwin-Williams.
Originally published January 2013. Updated November 2, 2026.
In this profile
- What are the key facts about McKinney?
- Who leads McKinney?
- How did McKinney grow?
- How is McKinney owned?
- What does McKinney do?
- Which clients does McKinney work with?
- What recognition has McKinney received?
- What is the latest McKinney news?
- How does McKinney compare with other marketing agencies?
The page address still contains "new-york" from an older listing, but McKinney's headquarters is Durham, North Carolina, with New York as a major office.
Who leads McKinney?
Joe Maglio became CEO in October 2018, the fifth CEO in McKinney's history, joining from Havas New York, according to the 4A's agency profile. Ad Age reported that the agency has grown threefold since he joined. In 2025 he also became CEO of the new Cheil Agency Network, which groups McKinney with sister agencies including Iris and Barbarian.
| Name | Role | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Maglio | CEO | CEO since October 2018. Succeeded Brad Brinegar and joined from Havas New York. Also leads the Cheil Agency Network |
| Gretchen Walsh | President | Joined in 2004 and rose from managing director of the Durham office to chief client officer. LBB reported she became the agency's first female president, after helping win Blue Diamond Growers, PUMA Running and Popeyes |
| Jasmine Dadlani | Chief strategy officer | Part of the executive leadership team named in McKinney's 2026 releases |
| Omid Amidi and Lyle Yetman | Co-chief creative officers | Brought together by Maglio in 2024. Their work includes the Texas Pete mascot launch and Super Bowl spots for Little Caesars and Avocados from Mexico, per LBB |
| Jae Siercks | Executive Director of Consumer PR | Former Weber Shandwick senior vice president who leads the consumer PR practice launched in February 2026 |
How did McKinney grow?
- 1969: Chick McKinney and Mike Silver found McKinney & Silver.
- 2012: Cheil Worldwide acquires the agency, which keeps its name and Durham base.
- October 2018: Joe Maglio becomes CEO.
- 2022: McKinney Health launches as the agency's pharma and wellness practice.
- 2023: Gretchen Walsh is named president, the first person in the role since 2018.
- 2024: Omid Amidi and Lyle Yetman become co-chief creative officers.
- 2025: Maglio becomes CEO of the Cheil Agency Network.
- February 23, 2026: McKinney launches a consumer PR practice led by Jae Siercks.
- May 14, 2026: McKinney Canada adds an executive director and a strategy director in Toronto.
How is McKinney owned?
McKinney operates as a freestanding agency within the Seoul-based Cheil Worldwide network, which the 4A's profile says gives it access to 53 offices in 44 countries. Cheil acquired McKinney in 2012, and the agency kept its name and Durham headquarters. Since 2025 McKinney has sat inside the Cheil Agency Network, which Maglio leads.
What does McKinney do?
McKinney describes itself as a full-service creative agency, and its offer spans creative, media and influencer marketing. Its executive team reports into the same leadership group as McKinney Canada, which launched in Toronto to serve Canadian clients with the resources of McKinney and the Cheil Agency Network.
- Creative advertising and brand campaigns
- Media planning and buying
- Influencer and creator marketing, integrated across the agency
- Health and wellness marketing through McKinney Health
- Consumer PR and earned media, added in February 2026
Maglio said the consumer PR launch lets clients use earned media to break through a landscape that is increasingly hard to buy into. For how paid, earned and owned channels fit together, see EPR's marketing and PR hub.
Which clients does McKinney work with?
| Client | Category or work | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Popeyes, Little Caesars, Pampers | Restaurants and consumer packaged goods | Ad Age |
| Blue Diamond Growers, Henkel, Sherwin-Williams, Samsung | Food, household, home and technology | Ad Age |
| Indivior, Biogen | Pharma and health, via McKinney Health | Ad Age |
| PUMA | Running, with Walsh credited for the win | LBB |
| Texas Pete, Avocados from Mexico | Mascot launch and Super Bowl spot, per the co-chief creative officers' profile | LBB |
| The Ad Council | Nonprofit and public service | Ad Age |
These are agency-reported and trade-reported clients, not a current roster. Longer-ago relationships included Nationwide, CarMax and Travelocity.
What recognition has McKinney received?
| Year | Recognition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ad Age A-List and Best Places to Work; McKinney Health named Manny's Agency of the Year | McKinney May 2026 release |
| 2024 | Ad Age A-List and Best Places to Work; Fast Company Best Workplaces for Innovators; Medical Marketing + Media Agency 100 | McKinney May 2026 release |
| 2025 | Medical Marketing + Media Agency 100 for McKinney Health | McKinney May 2026 release |
| Not dated | Certified B Corporation | McKinney |
What is the latest McKinney news?
| Date | News | Source |
|---|---|---|
| May 14, 2026 | McKinney Canada adds John Pace as executive director and Daisy Qin as strategy director, both FCB Canada alumni | PR Newswire |
| March 18, 2026 | LBB profiles co-chief creative officers Lyle Yetman and Omid Amidi | LBB |
| February 23, 2026 | McKinney launches a consumer PR practice led by Jae Siercks, former Weber Shandwick senior vice president | PR Newswire |
| 2025 | Maglio becomes CEO of the Cheil Agency Network | Adweek Brandweek speaker page |
EPR updates this table when McKinney announces a client win, hire or award.
How does McKinney compare with other marketing agencies?
McKinney is a creative-led agency inside a global network, so brands often compare it with independents of similar size and with holding-company agencies. EPR's marketing hub and its guide to choosing a marketing agency explain how to match an agency to the job.
| Firm | Focus | EPR profile |
|---|---|---|
| McKinney | Durham creative, media and influencer agency in the Cheil Agency Network | This page |
| BarkleyOKRP | Kansas City independent full-service advertising and marketing | BarkleyOKRP |
| Integrate Agency | Houston digital marketing agency | Integrate Agency |
| Calypso Communications | Marketing and communications agency | Calypso Communications |
Related: Marketing hub · Best marketing campaigns · How to choose a marketing agency · Healthcare PR · 5W, a PR, creative and AI Visibility agency
McKinney: Durham Creative and Influencer Agency Profile FAQ
Who owns McKinney?
McKinney is part of the Cheil Agency Network, owned by Seoul-based Cheil Worldwide, which acquired it in 2012.
Who is the CEO of McKinney?
Joe Maglio has been CEO since October 2018 and also leads the Cheil Agency Network.
Where is McKinney headquartered?
Durham, North Carolina, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Phoenix and Toronto.
What is McKinney Health?
McKinney Health is the agency's pharma and wellness practice, launched in 2022.
Does McKinney offer PR?
Yes. It launched a consumer PR practice on February 23, 2026, led by former Weber Shandwick senior vice president Jae Siercks.
Who is the president of McKinney?
Gretchen Walsh, who joined in 2004, is president and was the agency's first female president, per LBB.
Which clients does McKinney work with?
Popeyes, Little Caesars, Pampers, Blue Diamond Growers, Henkel, Samsung, Indivior, Sherwin-Williams, Biogen, PUMA and the Ad Council, per Ad Age and LBB.
When was McKinney founded?
McKinney was founded in 1969 as McKinney & Silver by Chick McKinney and Mike Silver. Sources: McKinney releases via PR Newswire, the 4A's agency profile, LBB, MediaPost, Ad Age, Adweek and Durham Magazine. Editorial assessment by Everything-PR based on public record, with no firm-supplied marketing copy and no paid placement.
Editorial assessment by Everything-PR, based on public record and archive coverage. No firm-supplied marketing copy, no paid placement.
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