Insights, commentary and news

Cleveland, Ohio, February 16, 2026 – Marcus Thomas, a Cleveland-based integrated marketing communications agency, today announced three executive appointments: Stephanie Burris to chief creative officer, Jill Lewis to chief client officer, and Pato Sapir to senior vice president, product innovation.  

“Each of these leaders has consistently demonstrated the ability to help our clients grow their business and see around corners, and consequently, grow the agency,” said CEO Scott Chapin. “We’re fortunate to have client relationships that exceed the average industry tenure, work consistently recognized on the national stage, and an entrepreneurial drive for innovation that is helping our clients make practical sense of AI. These leaders have been on the ground making it happen, and they are the perfect combination to help lead the agency into the future.” 

Jamie Venorsky, who previously served as president and chief creative officer, will focus on his role as president, driving market strategy and growth for the agency.  

“Aligning exceptional talent to lead our creative product, our client relationships and innovation puts us in a strong position to navigate our clients through AI disruption while still prioritizing the need for emotional connections with human beings,” Venorsky said. “These are transformational times for our industry, and I’m excited to chart the future in partnership with each of them.” 

More About the New Leaders 

Stephanie Burris, Chief Creative Officer 

Burris brings 20 years of experience to the role, 11 with Marcus Thomas, having led creative strategy for some of the agency’s largest clients, including Dexcom, Festival Foods, Vitamix and Akron Children’s Hospital. Under her direction, the work has earned accolades such as ADDY Awards, Communication Arts Awards of Excellence, Radio Mercury Awards and more. As a creative leader, Burris masters the art of blending empathy, insight and inventive storytelling and brings a clear, grounding perspective to clients’ biggest creative challenges – from global brand campaigns to Super Bowl spots. Burris has served on multiple awards juries, including the ADDYs, ANA REGGIE Awards and the Effie U.S. Awards Final Round Jury, among others. She was recognized for her early achievements in advertising as the inaugural recipient of the David L. Stashower Visionary Award from the American Advertising Federation – Cleveland. She is a passionate, longtime member of the Board of Directors for Shoes and Clothes for Kids and was awarded the organization’s highest honor, the Morrie Sayre Award for Outstanding Volunteerism.   

Jill Lewis, Chief Client Officer 

With more than two decades of experience guiding large-scale, integrated marketing efforts at the agency, Lewis was appointed senior vice president, interim director of client service in 2025 before being named chief client officer. She previously managed the agency’s Health & Wellness practice, leading client Dexcom’s growth from a million-dollar company to a billion-dollar global leader over the course of its 10-year relationship with the agency and overseeing the longstanding success of the award-winning Akron Children’s account for nearly two decades. Most notably, Lewis played an integral role in managing the execution of the agency’s first Super Bowl spot for Dexcom, featuring brand spokesperson Nick Jonas. Known for her thoughtful approach and sharp business instincts, Lewis was first introduced to Marcus Thomas as a client, an experience that contributed to her ability to successfully lead client relationships with empathy and collaboration. 

Pato Sapir, SVP, Product Innovation 

Sapir has been a dedicated consultant and entrepreneur in the digital marketing space for the past two decades, positioning the agency at the forefront of innovation since the founding of marketing automation company Devs United in 2015. Over the past 10 years, Sapir has grown and managed a team of more than 50 people across North and South America; provided dynamic solutions to a diverse array of brands, including LATAM Airlines, Disney and Fanatics; and established opportunities to support future talent through the creation of Devs United Academy. He has been named a Salesforce Marketing Champion and Salesforce MVP and will continue to revolutionize the category in his new role as senior vice president, product innovation through the launch of the agency’s latest AI-powered marketing automation software, Nucleus.