5.23.2019

Brighton CEO Named "Business Person of the Year" by Clayton Chamber of Commerce

Exceptional work with a healthy dose of fun. This is how our president and CEO, Tina VonderHaar, describes our Brighton Agency culture.

In typical fashion, Tina is quick to share her recognition as the 2018 Business Person of the Year by the Clayton Chamber of Commerce with the 90-person agency she leads, attributing the positive impact that Brighton employees and clients have on our community.

"Relationships aren't limited to the office," she says. "They're also vital to fostering growth in the community, and why Brighton supports several important St. Louis community nonprofit organizations."

Under Tina's leadership, Brightonians are eager to help our marketing partners solve business problems; we look at each project not as a conversation, but as a relationship. "I believe building a successful brand means building long-term relationships with our customers," Tina says. "Brighton brings together the best parts of an ad agency — inspired creative — with the best parts of a consulting firm — strategic thinking — to help our clients think differently about their brand and how to engage customers. It's creative that means business."

Tina has championed this approach since joining Brighton as a consultant in 2004 and later becoming our Chief Operating Officer. She purchased the agency in 2008 with the goal of transforming it from a traditional advertising agency into an integrated marketing consultancy. Along the way, she's been recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal with a 2010 Most Influential Business Women Award, among others. Brighton was designated a Top Workplace of Greater St. Louis by the St. Louis Post Dispatch in 2018 — an honor that Tina holds dear since it stems from input by Brighton employees.

As our president and CEO, Tina may have the corner office, but her door is, quite literally, always open to us. Not only does she encourage us to pop in any time to brainstorm or pose a question, she actually offers her office as a conference room, telling us she'll work from the agency "bistro" if others need to use her space. Not surprising, coming from a smart, humble leader who invites suggestions (and reads and responds aloud to them all in monthly town hall meetings), encourages collaboration and transparency and is at the ready to jump in and help her teams continue to earn clients' business by helping them build their businesses. We appreciate Tina's leadership and celebrate her recognition as the Clayton Chamber of Commerce 2018 Business Person of the Year!

Watch the congratulatory video we created for Tina to celebrate her recognition:

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