Editor’s Note: Supporting women should not be limited to a month. So at Reel 360 News, we have decided to amplify and promote dynamic women’s voices year-round. Today, let us introduce you to President of R/GA Americas, April Quinn.
President of R/GA Americas, April Quinn is a marketing leader with extensive experience helping clients grow and transform their businesses. She has a deep understanding of and passion for work that lives at the intersection of data, creativity and technology.
April has helped clients solve business challenges spanning from brand and product positioning and new product development to platform and service innovation. April has been a key member of the R/GA Leadership team for over three years, leading some of the company’s largest accounts.
In 2020, she co-founded the company’s Health practice because she recognized that there’s no category more in need of a more human future than health, and that R/GA brings a unique outside perspective to it. As President, she is responsible for the health and growth of a client portfolio.
Prior to joining R/GA, April held a variety of business leadership roles at Publicis Groupe, RAPP, and FCB, where she had success with a range of clients across categories including healthcare, financial services, insurance, telecom, CPG, beauty, and retail.
April is known for her leadership, integrity, and passion for great work. She has won a multitude of awards, including Cannes Lion Silver and Bronze awards, multiple Clios, Effies, Webbys, Shorties, and more. She is a 4A’s member, an American Marketing Association member, an executive board member of NYC Public Schools, the executive chair of the Women’s Resource Group at R/GA, and more. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and resides in New York City with her family.
Let’s meet April!
What’s your origin story? Where did this journey really begin?
I’m just a girl from a small farming town in Michigan, which is not exactly where you’d expect an ad career to start. I was originally born in Southern California, but moved back to my dad’s hometown in Michigan when I was really young. My family stood out a bit, as we were the only Mexican American kids at our school at the time. But that really never phased me, I was super involved in sports, school and church. I had great friends, but definitely had the classic itch to “head to the big city.”
My first opportunity was getting to attend Northwestern in Chicago. I studied Poli Sci and International Studies, and I fully thought I was going to law school. That was the plan. But before committing, I needed a couple of years to make some money and save up.
Through a very random chain of “friend of a friend of a friend,” I landed an interview at a mid-sized direct marketing agency on the west side of Chicago. They worked mostly with fashion and beauty brands, and I remember thinking the idea of using data to better target and understand how to talk to people was really interesting, it was the early days for that kind of thinking. And I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.
At one point, the head of the agency asked if I wanted to be on the business side or become a copywriter, since I loved writing. I had zero context for what either path really meant, so I asked him what he thought. He said the business side. And that was it—that was the decision that started everything.
What hooked me wasn’t just the work; it was the people. The art directors, designers, photographers, and the clients were all real characters with a lot of personality. Very authentic and I loved that. I didn’t even know this world existed, and suddenly I was in it.
That agency happened to have a tiny New York office, six people, and I raised my hand and asked to go. They gave me a nine-month trial. I arrived in NYC at 23, I knew no one, and I never left.
I stayed with that company for another year and then made the jump to one of the “big boys” —which meant taking a lateral move and a pay cut. That was incredibly hard as I could barely make my rent, but I knew it was the right move that would pay out in the long run.
The rest kind of builds from there. But that’s really where it started—accidentally, honestly, and by saying yes before I fully knew what I was getting into.
When you walk into a room today, what do you want people to understand about you before you even speak?
I’d want them to understand that I’m just a regular person trying to hold a lot of things together – career, four kids, family, health, all of it. I don’t have it perfectly figured out, and I don’t pretend to.
I care a lot about what I do, but I also care just as much about showing up for my life outside of work. That balance is always a work in progress.
And a big part of how I navigate all of it is my faith. It grounds me, gives me perspective, and brings a sense of peace to the chaos. I hope that shows up in how I carry myself, even before I say anything.
What’s one decision you made that shifted your trajectory?
There wasn’t just one decision – there were a few, and interestingly, a lot of them didn’t look like obvious “upward” moves at the time.
Early in my career, I was very driven by forward momentum – more responsibility, more growth, the next step. And that’s not a bad thing. But along the way, I was presented with opportunities that didn’t come with a bigger title or more money. Sometimes they were lateral, sometimes even a step back on paper.
Those were the moments that really mattered. I had to slow down and ask different questions—What am I going to learn? Who am I going to work with? Is this the right fit for where I am in my life, not just my career?
Making those decisions wasn’t always easy, especially when they didn’t follow the traditional path. But I made them very intentionally, with a lot of thought and my husband’s support.
Looking back, those choices shaped my trajectory more than any straightforward promotion ever could.
Imposter syndrome is real for many women. When did you stop questioning whether you belonged in the room?
I actually really hate the phrase “imposter syndrome.” It turns something very human into this big, heavy label that isn’t helpful. The truth is, most people, men and women, question themselves at some point. Am I good enough? Smart enough? Saying the right thing? That’s just part of the human experience. The real work is learning how to quiet that noise.
For me, a lot of it comes down to preparation. Knowing the topic, thinking through what I want to say, and understanding who’s in the room. That kind of preparation builds confidence over time.
And the other shift is realizing that people aren’t actually sitting there judging you the way you think they are. Most of the time, they’re focused on solving the problem at hand. You’re there because you have a perspective that can help move things forward.
So instead of overthinking it, I focus on engaging, asking questions, contributing to the conversation, being willing to challenge and be challenged. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes.
If you’ve been invited into the room, you’re there for a reason. The most important thing is to actually show up and use your voice.
What conversation about women in this industry still isn’t being had loudly enough?
I don’t think we talk honestly enough about what it actually means to “have it all” or whether that’s even the right goal.
Many women are building careers while also managing full, complex lives outside of work. And it’s not always clean or perfectly balanced. There are trade-offs, there are seasons where something has to give, and a lot of that reality goes unspoken.
At the same time, I think we need to broaden our definition of ambition and success. For a long time, it’s been measured in titles, compensation, and a very linear path. But for many women, it’s more multidimensional than that.
It can be about growth and leadership, but also about family, flexibility, and being present for different parts of your life at different times.
We celebrate the outcomes, but we don’t talk enough about the complexity behind them—or make enough space for different versions of what success can look like.
Have you ever walked away from a lucrative opportunity because it didn’t align with who you are or where you’re headed?
Yes, and I won’t name names.
My values are incredibly important to me, and they guide the decisions I make. That’s not to say I got every decision right—I haven’t. But when something doesn’t feel aligned, it’s hard for me to ignore that.
My path hasn’t been linear. I’ve taken plenty of zigs and zags, and I’ve learned to be open to that. For me, it usually comes down to a few things: Am I going to learn something new? Is this adding to my overall skill set, even if it doesn’t look like a step forward on paper? And who are the people I’ll be working with?
That last one matters more than people always admit. I spend a lot of my time at work—I genuinely want to connect with the people around me. If I can’t see that, it’s usually a sign it’s not the right fit.
Money is always a factor, of course. But it’s never been the deciding one for me.
What are you building that will outlast you?
Two things.
One is the next chapter of R/GA. It’s a company with a nearly 50-year legacy, and we’re actively reinventing what it can be for the future. That’s a rare opportunity—to help shape something that already means so much to the industry, but still has room to evolve. It’s exciting to know that the work we’re doing now will carry forward in ways we won’t fully see yet.
The other is the people. I care a lot about building and supporting the next generation of creative leaders—people who are going to step into an industry that looks very different from the one I started in. If I’ve played even a small role in helping them grow, find their voice, and lead in their own way, that’s something that lasts.
If you could change one structural thing about this industry tomorrow, what would it be?
If I could change one thing immediately, it would be the time-and-materials business model. It’s been on its way out for a while, and we’re all trying to figure out what comes next.
It was never a great way to measure the value of what we actually create. At its worst, it turns creativity into a commodity, and that’s only becoming more pronounced in an AI-driven landscape.
The challenge is that, as an industry, we haven’t fully aligned on what replaces it. Brands want to compare partners consistently, which makes it harder to introduce something new. But it’s clear the current model doesn’t reflect the real impact of the work.
And if I could sneak in one more, spec work in the pitch process. It’s always been a tough part of the industry, but it feels increasingly out of step with how great work actually happens.
The best ideas come from real partnership—when both sides are invested, take risks together, and build something over time. That’s hard to replicate in a two-week sprint where you’re expected to “wow” without context or collaboration.
We can, and should, do better there.
What’s the title of the chapter you’re currently living in?
I’d call it “Riding the Wave.”
We’re in the middle of a massive technology shift—arguably the biggest I’ve seen in my career—and there’s a real sense that things are moving faster than anyone can fully predict.
Right now, it’s less about having all the answers and more about staying present, paying attention, and adapting in real time. Trying to stay on top of it, even if you don’t know exactly where you’ll land.
There’s something both challenging and energizing about that.
After all the grind, what still excites you?
After all these years, I’m still excited by change and the chance to learn something new.
This business doesn’t really reward people who want things to stay the same. You have to be comfortable operating in ambiguity, and honestly, I’ve come to really like that part of it. The mess is where the interesting stuff happens.
It’s where you get to be resourceful, break the rules a bit, and try things you haven’t done before. That’s what keeps it from ever feeling stale for me.
What song plays in your head when you land a big win? And do you Happy Dance?
Song: Thunderstruck by AC/DC. It takes me right back to Friday night high school football games—every win had that soundtrack.
And no, I’m not breaking out into a dance in the office. I’m more of a high-fiver.
The dancing is reserved for late nights in the kitchen with my kids.
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