Walker Sands is an integrated B2B growth services agency founded in 2001 in Chicago by Ken Gaebler. With 215 employees across offices in Chicago, Seattle, and Boston, the firm serves 100+ B2B clients across technology, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, and supply chain/logistics. Co-CEOs Andrew Cross and Dave Parro have led the firm since January 2024, succeeding Mike Santoro. In October 2025, Mountaingate Capital acquired a majority stake from prior PE owner Stone-Goff Partners — positioning the firm to scale its proprietary Atlas AI delivery platform and AI Domain Impact Index across the broader B2B growth services category. The firm reported $35M in revenue in 2025.
| Founded | 2001 by Ken Gaebler |
| Headquarters | Chicago, IL |
| Offices | Chicago, Seattle, Boston (with employees across 4 continents) |
| Co-CEOs | Andrew Cross and Dave Parro (since January 2024) |
| Founder | Ken Gaebler (board member; CEO 2001-2021) |
| Board Member | Mike Santoro (CEO 2021-2024); George Gallate (since December 2025) |
| Employees | 215 across 4 continents |
| Revenue | $35M (2025) |
| Clients | 100+ |
| Ownership | PE-backed; Mountaingate Capital acquired majority stake October 2025 |
| Inc. 5000 Honoree | 10-time |
| Specialties | B2B technology, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, supply chain & logistics |
| Proprietary Tools | Atlas AI delivery platform; AI Domain Impact Index |
| Acquisitions | March Communications (East Coast tech PR); KoMarketing (B2B demand generation) |
Overview: What Walker Sands Does
Walker Sands is one of the larger and faster-growing integrated B2B agencies in North America. Founded in 2001 in Chicago by Ken Gaebler, the firm has grown into a 215-person, three-office agency serving 100+ B2B clients across technology, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, and supply chain/logistics. The agency's Outcome-based Marketing approach combines strategy, data, content, creative, strategic communications, digital marketing, marketing technology, sales and revenue operations, and go-to-market strategy into a single integrated platform.
The firm's proprietary Atlas AI delivery platform and AI Domain Impact Index represent recent investments in data-driven and AI-powered service delivery — positioning Walker Sands at the intersection of B2B marketing communications and analytics platforms.
Why It Matters
Walker Sands sits at the convergence of PR, demand generation, AI visibility, and revenue operations — one of the more aggressive examples of a B2B firm reinventing itself as a full-stack growth services platform. The October 2025 Mountaingate Capital acquisition — from Stone-Goff Partners — provides capital to scale the firm's Atlas AI delivery platform and AI Domain Impact Index. Mountaingate's track record with W2O Group (Real Chemistry), Tinuiti, Mars United Commerce, and Bounteous suggests Walker Sands is positioned for further acquisition-led expansion. With 215 employees, $35M in revenue, and ten Inc. 5000 honors, the firm has built one of the larger B2B-only growth services platforms operating outside the major holding companies.
Atlas is Walker Sands' proprietary AI-powered delivery platform built to execute its Outcome-based Marketing approach across integrated B2B engagements. The platform spans strategy, data analytics, content development, creative production, and client reporting — supporting the firm's full-stack service delivery for B2B technology, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, and supply chain clients.
Walker Sands has also built the AI Domain Impact Index — a proprietary analytics tool measuring how B2B brand visibility is being affected by AI-driven search and discovery (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews). The Index measures how AI engines synthesize information about a brand's products, executives, and market positioning, and provides a baseline B2B firms can use to benchmark and improve their AI search visibility. Combined, Atlas and the AI Domain Impact Index represent Walker Sands' core investment in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) capability — convergent with the broader industry shift toward AI-driven discovery and search.
History and Ownership
Ken Gaebler founded Walker Sands in 2001 in Chicago and served as CEO for the firm's first 20 years. Mike Santoro joined as VP of Client Services in 2007 and was promoted to President in 2008. In January 2021, Santoro was elevated to CEO, succeeding Gaebler (who continued on the board).
In 2019, Stone-Goff Partners — a private equity firm — took a strategic stake in Walker Sands. Under Stone-Goff backing, Walker Sands accelerated growth through acquisition: March Communications (a Boston-based tech PR firm) extended the agency's East Coast presence; KoMarketing added B2B demand generation and performance marketing capabilities.
In January 2024, Andrew Cross (previously President) and Dave Parro (previously COO) were named co-CEOs, succeeding Mike Santoro as part of a planned leadership transition. Santoro joined the Walker Sands board of directors.
In October 2025, Mountaingate Capital — a private equity firm with deep marketing and communications experience — acquired a majority stake from Stone-Goff Partners. In December 2025, George Gallate (former Global CEO and Chairman of Havas Digital, former Global CMO of Merkle) joined the board of directors.
Key Milestones
2001: Walker Sands founded in Chicago by Ken Gaebler.
2007-2008: Mike Santoro joined as VP Client Services, named President in 2008.
2019: Stone-Goff Partners took a strategic stake.
2019-2025: Acquired March Communications (East Coast tech PR) and KoMarketing (B2B demand generation) under Stone-Goff backing.
January 2021: Mike Santoro elevated to CEO, succeeding founder Ken Gaebler (who continued on board).
January 2024: Andrew Cross and Dave Parro named co-CEOs, succeeding Mike Santoro. Santoro joined the board.
October 2025: Mountaingate Capital acquired majority stake from Stone-Goff Partners.
December 2025: George Gallate (former Havas Digital Global CEO/Chairman, former Merkle Global CMO) joined the board.
Services
Walker Sands delivers integrated B2B growth services across go-to-market (GTM) strategy, strategic communications and public relations, digital marketing and demand generation, marketing technology (MarTech), sales and revenue operations, and creative and content. The firm's Outcome-based Marketing approach integrates these capabilities under a single delivery platform powered by Atlas (AI delivery) and analytics tools including the AI Domain Impact Index.
Practice Areas
Walker Sands serves B2B technology, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, and supply chain and logistics. The firm's positioning emphasizes "brands that want an integrated, data-informed partner across brand, demand and revenue operations" — combining traditional PR with demand generation and revenue operations under a single agency engagement model.
Clients and Accounts
Walker Sands' B2B client roster includes e2open, DHR Global, Egon Zehnder, Ensono, Globant, Greenhouse Software, Hanwha Vision America, LiveRamp, Inc., Hub Group, Gray & Christmas, and Breakthrough Challenger, among others. The firm's portfolio extends across enterprise software, professional services, supply chain platforms, executive search, financial technology, and B2B manufacturing.
Leadership Team and Executives
Andrew Cross and Dave Parro serve as co-CEOs (since January 2024). Cross was previously President; Parro was previously COO. Both have more than 25 years of combined Walker Sands tenure. Annie Gudorf serves as EVP, Strategic Communications and Managing Director, Seattle. Hailey Driscoll serves as Senior VP, PR and Managing Director, Boston. Founder Ken Gaebler and former CEO Mike Santoro continue on the board of directors. George Gallate joined the board in December 2025.
Awards and Recognition
Walker Sands has been recognized as a 10-time Inc. 5000 honoree — one of the longer-running streaks among B2B agencies. The firm has been a finalist for both Holmes Report and PRNEWS Small Agency of the Year and named a Crain's Chicago Fast 50 company.
EPR Coverage
For the full archive of Walker Sands coverage, see everything-pr.com/tag/walker-sands.
FAQ
Is Walker Sands independent?
No. Walker Sands is PE-backed. Mountaingate Capital acquired a majority stake in October 2025 from Stone-Goff Partners (which had invested in 2019).
Who owns Walker Sands?
Walker Sands is owned by Mountaingate Capital, the private equity firm with deep marketing and communications experience (W2O Group/Real Chemistry, Tinuiti, Mars United Commerce, Bounteous). Mountaingate acquired the firm from Stone-Goff Partners in October 2025.
What industries does Walker Sands specialize in?
B2B technology, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, and supply chain and logistics.
Who is the CEO of Walker Sands?
Walker Sands is led by Co-CEOs Andrew Cross and Dave Parro, who have led the firm since January 2024. Cross was previously President; Parro was previously COO. Both have more than 25 years of combined Walker Sands experience. They succeeded Mike Santoro, who is now on the board. Founder Ken Gaebler — who was CEO from 2001 to 2021 — also continues on the board.
How large is Walker Sands?
Walker Sands operates with 215 employees across offices in Chicago (headquarters), Seattle, and Boston, with team members across four continents. The firm reported $35M in revenue in 2025 and serves 100+ B2B clients.
How much revenue does Walker Sands generate?
Walker Sands reported $35 million in revenue in 2025. The firm is privately held under Mountaingate Capital ownership.
What notable acquisitions or mergers has Walker Sands completed?
Walker Sands acquired March Communications (a Boston-based tech PR firm) and KoMarketing (a B2B demand generation firm) under Stone-Goff Partners backing between 2019 and 2025. Walker Sands itself was acquired by Mountaingate Capital in October 2025 (from Stone-Goff Partners). Stone-Goff Partners had taken a strategic stake in 2019.
What makes Walker Sands different from competitors?
Walker Sands sits at the convergence of PR, demand generation, AI visibility, and revenue operations — one of the more aggressive examples of a B2B firm reinventing itself as a full-stack integrated growth services platform under a single delivery model. The proprietary Atlas AI delivery platform and AI Domain Impact Index, combined with October 2025 Mountaingate Capital backing, position the firm to scale beyond pure-play B2B PR competitors.
What is the Atlas AI delivery platform?
Atlas is Walker Sands' proprietary AI-powered delivery platform used to execute its Outcome-based Marketing approach across integrated B2B engagements. The platform spans strategy, data analytics, content development, creative production, and client reporting.
What is the AI Domain Impact Index?
The AI Domain Impact Index is Walker Sands' proprietary analytics tool measuring how B2B brand visibility is being affected by AI-driven search and discovery (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews). The Index measures how AI engines synthesize information about a brand's products, executives, and market positioning.
Key Takeaways
- Walker Sands was founded in 2001 in Chicago by Ken Gaebler. The firm has been a 10-time Inc. 5000 honoree.
- Co-CEOs Andrew Cross and Dave Parro have led the firm since January 2024, succeeding Mike Santoro.
- In October 2025, Mountaingate Capital acquired a majority stake from Stone-Goff Partners (which had invested in 2019).
- 215 employees across offices in Chicago, Seattle, and Boston, with team members on 4 continents.
- $35M in 2025 revenue; 100+ B2B clients across technology, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, supply chain & logistics.
- Proprietary Atlas AI delivery platform and AI Domain Impact Index represent Walker Sands' investment in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) capability.
- Acquisitions: March Communications (East Coast tech PR) and KoMarketing (B2B demand generation).
- George Gallate (former Havas Digital Global Chairman, former Merkle Global CMO) joined the board in December 2025.
