Alonzo leaves Droga5 where she spent four years in various strategy roles
The Los Angeles office of Mother U.S. has announced has the appointment of Katy Alonzo as Head of Strategy. In her new role, Alonzo will oversee the strategy department for Mother L.A. and report to Charlie McKittrick, partner and chief strategy officer of Mother U.S.
The indie creative agency said Alonzo rounds out its leadership team as the third and final executive in its new L.A. office, which opened last year, following the hiring of Joe Staples as partner and executive creative officer and Romain Naegelen as managing director.
“What drew me to Mother was the agency’s optimism for the future of creativity and, of course, its independence,” Alonzo said in a statement. “This independence affords Mother the freedom to live by its values when it comes to its partners and its people, and I am honored to become a part of that legacy.”
Alonzo added she wants to, “build a department that can develop provocative, rigorous strategies built for the needs of modern marketers.” As “an advocate for inclusion, I plan on recruiting and nurturing talent with diverse life experiences as well as diverse skill sets.”
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Alonzo comes from Droga5 where she spent four years rising from senior strategist to strategy director to most recently group strategy director. Prior to that, she served in strategy roles at Anomaly and Publicis.
According to reports, Mother “spent over a year looking for Katy,” McKittrick said. “Mother strategists have to be interesting, honest and uncomfortably passionate. Katy has that Venn diagram overlap on lock and I can’t wait to get her in the mix.”
Staples added, “There has been a hole in this office and in hindsight it has always been Katy-shaped. We just didn’t know it until we met her. … I’m thrilled to work with her and argue about hip hop and junk food.”
Outside of being a brilliant strategist, Alonzo is “passionate” about Mexican food, dogs and fitness, according to Mother.
“I could sit here and tell you all the things you’d expect to read: that Katy’s work speaks for itself; that she is just perfect to complete our leadership team of three; that she will deliver outstanding work for our existing clients and help us keep growing our business,” Naegelen noted. “This is all true. But really what it comes down to is that Katy is an amazing human with a big heart who values creativity like we do. OK, can she start now?”
She officially joined the office on Sept. 4. Reel360 wishes Alonzo the best of luck and many celebratory burritos.
Source: Mother
