DonerColle Partners has appointed award-winning creative leader Mariana O’Kelly as its first Chief Creative Officer, signaling the company’s growing ambitions as it continues positioning the Midwest as a major creative force between the coasts.
O’Kelly will oversee creative direction across both Doner and Colle McVoy beginning June 1, bringing nearly three decades of international creative leadership to the newly formed partnership.
Most recently, O’Kelly served as EVP and Executive Creative Director at Leo Chicago, where she led the Kellogg’s portfolio under a unified creative vision that modernized brands including Special K, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Raisin Bran, Kashi, and Frosted Mini-Wheats. The work earned industry acclaim, including a Cannes Lion.
“Mariana’s ability to uncover the emotional and cultural truth within a brand and turn it into creative work that influences behavior is what makes her the kind of leader brands need in their corner to win today,” said Jessica Henrichs, CEO of DonerColle Partners.
Before Leo, O’Kelly spent nearly a decade at Ogilvy, including leadership roles in Johannesburg and Chicago. During her tenure in South Africa, she helped build the Johannesburg office into one of the most awarded agencies in the country and one of the top 10 creative offices globally within the Ogilvy network.
Her résumé includes work for brands such as KFC, Philips, Campbell’s, SC Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Huggies, and Pledge, with campaigns consistently blending cultural storytelling and measurable business impact.
Among the standout examples highlighted by DonerColle Partners:
- A Huggies “Baby Marathon” campaign featuring babies racing in custom tracking wearables that helped drive nearly a 30% increase in diaper sales.
- A Frosted Flakes collaboration with rapper J.I.D. that brought Tony the Tiger into hip-hop culture and generated a reported 2,000% spike in YouTube traffic.
- A Special K campaign featuring chef Molly Baz on limited-edition cereal boxes after a pregnant billboard image in Times Square was removed, igniting a national conversation and selling out in under a week.
“Joining DonerColle Partners is an opportunity to help shape the next chapter of creative for brands that move everyday American life,” O’Kelly said.
As CCO, she will oversee creative across a roster that includes The Coca-Cola Company, DQ, Hershey, Jeep, Ram, La-Z-Boy, Perdue, McCormick & Company, Revlon, and The UPS Store.
The appointment comes at a strong moment for the collective. Earlier this year, Colle McVoy was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026, while Doner continues earning recognition for its strategic and creative leadership.
Reel 360 News wishes Mariana the best of luck in her new role.
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