2025 IHAF Conference & Awards
Join us for our biggest event of the year, where we’ll celebrate two decades of milestones that have shaped the in-house community.
Over the past 20 years, IHAF has built a strong foundation through compelling content and valued relationships. This year’s anniversary conference theme, Reflect & Reimagine, honors our collective achievements by recognizing the contributions of dedicated members and leaders who have helped define the industry.
It’s a time to look back at the advancements that have made a lasting impact, acknowledging the challenges we’ve overcome and the determination that fuels us forward. As we reflect on our past, we also look to the future—reimagining how to meet evolving business needs while fostering cultures of creativity and continuous improvement. We’ll explore ideas, tactics, technologies, and partnerships to propel us into the next decade of success.
Be part of the celebration on November 11–12 at the Omni Boston Seaport Hotel. We’ll rejoice in our rich legacy while baring new ideas. Register today for this special event as we reflect on our respective journeys and reimagine the future together. We look forward to seeing you there!
The IHAF Conference & Awards is open to in-house agency professionals (members and non-members) and value-added suppliers who are members of IHAF. Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of a special room rate at our host hotel, available through October 16, 2025.
Event Details
When
Tuesday, November 11 and
Wednesday, November 12
Pricing
IHAF Member (early bird):
$999
IHAF Member (starting 9/1/25):
$1,199
Non-Member (in-house agency):
$2,399
For group pricing, contact IHAF.
Event Agenda
Tuesday, November 11
11:30 – 12:00 p.m.
Conference Check-in
Networking Lunch
Director’s Welcome
1:15 – 2:00 p.m.
Keynote Presentation: Accenture
2:00 – 2:15 p.m.
Lightning Talk: Getty Images
2:15 – 3:00 p.m.
Keynote Presentation: IQVIA
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Networking Break
3:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Keynote Panel: Brainrider, Indeed
4:00 – 4:45 p.m.
Keynote Presentation: Revlon
4:45 – 9:00 p.m.
IHAF Awards Show
(cocktail reception, seated dinner, after party)
Wednesday, November 12
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Networking Breakfast
9:30 – 9:45 a.m.
Director’s Welcome
9:45 – 10:30 a.m.
Keynote Presentation: Caterpillar
10:30 – 10:50 a.m.
Lightning Talk: ministry of DESIGN
11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
Keynote Panel: Capital One
11:45 – 12:00 p.m.
Lightning Talk: Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
12:00 – 1:15 p.m.
Networking Lunch
1:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Breakout Groups
2:15 – 2:45 p.m.
Breakout Groups
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Keynote Presentation: Luxury Brand Holdings
3:30 – 4:00 p.m.
In-House Agency of the Year Award
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Closing Reception
Sessions & Speakers
Keynote
Evolving a Legacy Brand—Even If No One Asks
Presented By
Jordan DeWitt, VP, Creative (Top Left), Kate Grillo, Executive Creative Director, (Top Right), Otis Stroud II, Senior Executive Creative Director (Bottom Left), Cassie Worley, Senior Executive Creative Director (Bottom Right), Capital One
This is the story of Capital One’s meticulously crafted, ever-evolving brand design system. Born from a long look in the mirror and a keen sense of timing, it reflects how internal creative teams can be both fearless and fiercely protective of corporate brands. Now in its second year, the system continues to adapt to shifting business priorities and design challenges. Join Jordan DeWitt, Kate Grillo, Otis Stroud II, and Cassie Worley as they share their ongoing journey including the unexpected opportunity to nurture a new culture of creativity, craft, and continuous improvement.
Jordan DeWitt Bio
VP, Creative, Capital One
Jordan leads the group that brings the Capital One brand to life through the strategic direction, development, and production of its design system, identity, and creative elements across the organization. With a passion for building diverse, innovative teams and enabling them to succeed, Jordan leads a group of over 200 associates and contractors plus 12 agencies across business units, creative operations, and creative technology. The result is an agile creative ecosystem that delivers brand recognition, business results, and growth.
Kate Grillo Bio
Executive Creative Director, Capital One
Kate is a seasoned creative director who believes that “everything is figure-outable.” She has led transformational design and brand identity programs for IBM, American Express, Herman Miller and the World Wildlife Fund. As ECD, she and her team are responsible for corporate brand architecture as well as the brand look and feel, naming, and design systems required for a world-class organization. As someone who gets to make creative for other creatives, she thinks she has the greatest job.
Otis Stroud II Bio
Senior Executive Creative Director, Capital One
Otis is a results-driven leader with classical CPG training and deep expertise in brand strategy, positioning, and engagement. He’s held marketing roles at Frito Lay (PepsiCo) and Choice Hotels, leading efforts for iconic brands like Cheetos, Tostitos, Walmart, and Comfort Inn & Suites. Today, he runs the brand creative team for Capital One’s US Card Portfolio. Prior to marketing, Otis served as program director for a nonprofit supporting underserved and underrepresented communities in Charlotte, NC.
Cassie Worley Bio
Senior Executive Creative Director, Capital One
At Capital One, Cassie leads internal and external teams to drive business and brand growth. Her group’s work has two main focuses: 1) elevating Capital One’s premium brand perception for products like the Venture X card, Capital One travel, lounges, and cafes, and 2) driving performance growth for the company’s retail bank products and features.
Keynote
Turning Fear into Fuel for Change
Presented By
Marc Gagnon, Creative Director and Head of IQVIA Brand & Creative Studio, IQVIA
Discover how a small, US-based creative team evolved into a 40-person, full-service internal agency spanning five countries. Initially, this group operated as a task-oriented provider, juggling hundreds of external agencies to meet project deadlines. How could they move beyond executing projects to shaping the future? How could they secure resources to grow while managing an already demanding workload? And most importantly, how could they position themselves as a true strategic partner rather than just order takers? In this session, we hear how the in-house team at IQVIA transformed hesitation into momentum, turning fear into fuel for change.
Speaker Bio
Marc is a seasoned design director with decades of experience spanning NYC ad agencies and Fortune 500 companies. As lead creative director and head of the in-house studio at IQVIA, he has spent the past seven years transforming a small U.S.-based team into a 40-person global creative agency operating across five countries. Their expertise includes creative ideation, digital production, studio operations, video production, and event management. After three decades in New York, Marc now resides in Raleigh, NC.
Keynote
Design Isn't Enough: What It Takes to Succeed In-House
Presented By
Gaemer Gutierrez, VP, Creative Director, Luxury Brand Holdings
This highly personal keynote traces the arc of a creative career through the eyes of a designer navigating the corporate world—from honing your craft early on, to refining it mid-career, to ultimately leading with creativity at the executive level. Beyond titles and portfolios lies the unspoken journey: navigating personalities and politics, learning how to embrace feedback, weathering restructures, and quietly building influence without losing your creative soul. Whether you’re finding your footing or guiding a team, this talk reveals candid insights and hard-earned wisdom from every stage of the journey.
Speaker Bio
Gaemer has championed brand storytelling and innovation across a range of categories in beauty, food and beverage, healthcare, and wellness to impact a number of high-profile brands like CVS Health, Gap, Living Proof, Staples, Valentino and, most recently, Luxury Brand Holdings. He also collaborated with celebrities including Andre Agassi, Salma Hayek, and Tommy Hilfiger to create their own namesake beauty brands. Gaemer has won numerous design awards and has been nationally recognized as one of the 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business. He is also the host of Invisible Culture, a podcast that is rooted in one truth: behind every face is an untold story.
Keynote
From Startup to Strategic Engine—The Red House Journey
Presented By
Paco Toledo, SVP, Global Head of Content & Creative, Revlon
Since its founding in 2018, Red House has transformed from a tactical creative support team to Revlon’s centralized, omni-channel creative engine—delivering high-impact, brand-aligned content at scale. In this compelling keynote, we hear about the evolution of Red House, highlighting how the team has navigated market disruptions, integrated advanced technologies like Gen AI, and built a flexible, performance-driven model that balances cost-efficiency with creative excellence. We also learn how Red House powers global and local brand campaigns, measures success through operational and performance KPIs, and continues to adapt as a future-ready in-house agency built for growth.
Speaker Bio
At just 23, Paco turned his entrepreneurial vision into reality by launching his first photo production company in Madrid. What began as a creative boutique quickly evolved into a full-service agency with offices in Madrid and Barcelona. Over the next 25 years, Paco built a global portfolio, leading photo, video, experiential, and digital projects for powerhouse clients including Nike, Google, Mercedes-Benz, Corona, Jeep, and Amex, as well as disruptive startups like Allbirds and Casper. Today, he serves as Revlon’s global head of creative, where he leads the company’s in-house agency, Red House—driving creative excellence and innovation across all Revlon brands worldwide.
Keynote
Building the Agency Behind the World's Toughest Brand
Presented By
Carrie Wallendal, Director of Ironworks, Caterpillar
Ironworks, Caterpillar’s in-house creative agency, wasn’t built overnight. It was the result of years of intentional process-building, talent curation, and trust earned through partnership. That foundation was put to the ultimate test during Caterpillar’s Centennial—a global celebration that demanded bold creative leadership across branding, storytelling, and event production. From the ground up to center stage, Ironworks proved what’s possible when an agency is built to scale, adapt, and deliver. Whether your team is just starting out or seizing its next big moment, this story offers a blueprint for assembling the right pieces so when the ask-of-a-century comes, you’re ready.
Speaker Bio
As the head of Ironworks, Caterpillar’s 70-person in-house agency, and Chief of Staff for the Marketing VP, Carrie brings over 20 years of experience as a strategic marketing leader across global markets while driving customer-centric solutions, operational excellence, and measurable business impact. Her 15-year journey at CAT began in integrated purchasing, evolving through roles of increasing scope and influence. Before joining Caterpillar, Carrie held positions in corporate operations at Abbott, Baker Tilly Consulting, and Bucyrus, building her foundation of cross-functional insight and leadership while informing her leadership of Ironworks today.
Keynote
Shaping the Future of Creative Through Change
Presented By
Jason Warnke, Senior Managing Director, Global Lead, Accenture Experiences, Accenture
At Accenture, change is a way of life. From a collective of separate teams three years ago to a singular 300-person global creative powerhouse today, Marketing + Communications Experiences (M+Cx) serves Accenture’s 805,000 people. From drafting comms for the CEO and helping the business win clients, to hosting global broadcasts and driving innovation across the company, their work isn’t just marketing—it’s proof of concept. Agile yet strategic, M+Cx mobilizes where needed and serves as a rallying point to drive brand cohesion. Through collaboration, persistence, and a commitment to excellence, they transform challenges into opportunities and skeptics into advocates.
Speaker Bio
With a career that spans over 25 years, Jason has played a pivotal role in driving innovative and memorable experiences across various corporate functions and stakeholder groups at Accenture. His leadership has been instrumental in transitioning and integrating teams, ensuring seamless delivery and high client satisfaction. In his current position, Jason oversees a team of 300 individuals focused on crafting compelling stories, designing user-centric products, and creating immersive experiences that amplify Accenture’s strategic messaging and brand. Under his guidance, Accenture Experiences continues to solve tough problems and create moments that resonate with Accenture’s people, partners, and clients.
Keynote
The Nearshore Advantage
Presented By
Scott Armstrong, CEO & Founder, Brainrider (Top Left), Chelsea Madey, Managing Director, Brainrider (Top Right), David Ruiz, Senior Producer, Indeed (Bottom Left)
Faced with rising workloads and shrinking budgets, in-house agencies are reaching a crossroads: keep patching gaps with freelancers or try a new model. By partnering with a global agency offering nearshore studio services, some have found a way to scale output, accelerate turnaround, and maintain quality without the cost, complexity, or overhead of building the capability themselves. In this lively panel, in-house leaders share how nearshoring became a practical, cost-efficient extension of their teams and what it signals for the future of creative resourcing and operational agility.
Scott Armstrong Bio
CEO & Founder, Brainrider
For more than two decades, Scott has led teams to deliver award-winning marketing for ambitious companies seeking flexible partnerships and trusted advisors. In 2010, he set out on a mission to create a better marketing agency, providing deeper client collaborations and more client value. Thirteen years later, Brainrider partners with high-growth companies to fill capacity and capability gaps with a flexible resourcing model that scales up or down based on client workloads.
Chelsea Madey Bio
Managing Director, Brainrider
Chelsea has over a decade of experience in creative operations and strategic partnerships. She started her career in production, working with a variety of globally recognized brands before moving into operational leadership. Today, as managing director at Brainrider, Chelsea focuses on building smarter processes, streamlining workflows, and helping teams work better together. Her goal is to bring clarity and efficiency to the workplace so teams can focus on work that drives real results for the business.
David Ruiz Bio
Senior Producer, Indeed
As a senior producer at Indeed, David helps bring brand storytelling to life through video and multimedia content across YouTube, social, and global marketing campaigns. His career reflects a sharp balance of creativity and operational precision whether leading in-house productions, managing agency partnerships, or scaling content with efficiency. David thrives in creative collaboration, turning bold ideas into compelling campaigns that resonate with audiences.
Lightning Talk
Reflecting on Revolutions, Reimagining Work
Presented By
David Barron, Director, Creative Operations & Technology, Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
In the early 1990s, the arrival of desktop publishing tools like PageMaker revolutionized design. Suddenly, anyone with a computer could create layouts, sparking fear among typographers, designers, and art directors—fears that proved justified as roles shifted and some jobs disappeared. Today, AI is sparking similar anxieties for copywriters, programmers, and countless others. This talk looks back on lessons learned from similar upheavals, reimagining what the evolution of AI might mean. By understanding how disruption reshapes creative work, we can better navigate the risks, seize new opportunities, and shape the future rather than fear it.
Speaker Bio
David started out as a computer typesetter in the early 1990s, laying the foundation for a career that blends creativity and technology. He rose through advertising and marketing agencies, pushing boundaries at the intersection of design and innovation. At Wilson Sporting Goods, David oversees digital asset management, photo studio operations, and workflow optimization. His career reflects how technical expertise and creative vision can solve complex challenges. Off the clock, David performs improv comedy—bringing quick thinking and adaptability from the stage to his leadership role in the corporate world.
Lightning Talk
Rewriting the Brief on Diversity
Presented By
Tysonn Betts, Founder, ministry of DESIGN
For years, conversations around diversity have sparked fatigue for leaders, teams, and those living the reality behind the rhetoric. What if the real issue isn’t diversity itself, but the way we’ve been framing it? In this provocative talk, Tysonn Betts urges leaders to stop treating diversity as a checkbox and start seeing it as a catalyst for growth. With insights from three decades at a global brand powerhouse, Tysonn challenges us to “rewrite the brief”—shifting the narrative from compliance to impact. Through personal reflection and industry examples, hear how reframing diversity can elevate the value of design and the success of your organization.
Speaker Bio
Tysonn is a creative strategist and consultant who believes in discontinuous thinking to address business and brand challenges. Over nearly three decades, Tysonn worked across multiple categories at Procter & Gamble, launching new brands, establishing new categories, reviving the relevance of heritage brands, and partnering to amplify beloved brand icons. Dedicated to making great design, resonant brands, and a better industry, Tysonn has consistently been involved in forging creative pathways and building a more-diverse creative ecosystem. Today, his focus remains on leveraging his experience to establish, build, and grow brands—newly founded, Fortune 50, and non-profit.
Lightning Talk
Thoughtful Storytelling in Uncertain Times
Presented By
Tristen Norman, Head of Creative for the Americas, Getty Images
Creativity is undergoing a radical transformation. Brands and agencies are racing to meet evolving consumer expectations while navigating political instability, economic uncertainty, and the nonstop churn of internet culture. Breaking through and building trust has never been more difficult, especially as the volume and velocity of visual content makes it harder than ever to connect with audiences. In this revealing talk, Tristen Norman shares emerging trends and visual insights to help brands, marketers, and designers navigate today’s assorted disruptions—with actionable advice on how to adapt to audiences’ changing needs and how to define visual strategies that are built to go the distance.
Speaker Bio
At Getty Images, Tristen manages a team of visual researchers and curators focused on identifying and influencing the creation of compelling visual content. With a career that spans marketing, research, creative, and brand strategy, she views the evolution of visual language through a multidisciplinary lens, partnering with brands and advertisers to craft strategies and solutions that keep pace with rapid change. A passionate advocate for elevating underrepresented voices, Tristen also plays a key role in the development and amplification of imagery collections such as the Nosotros Collection, Project #ShowUs, #AutisticOutLoud as well as partnerships with advocacy groups like SEEHER, Women’s Sports Foundation, and GLAAD.
Breakout
Beyond the Backlog: A Diagnostic for Smarter Resourcing
Presented By
Justin Amendola, Marketing Operations Strategist & Industry Advisor
In this breakout session, attendees will gain peer-tested insights and a hands-on diagnostic approach to assess their in-house agency’s operational maturity. The session covers key dynamics facing internal teams in today’s uncertain business climate, offering industry benchmarks and practical tools to identify areas for improvement. Participants will walk away with a customizable framework and team exercise designed to unlock efficiencies, ease budget pressures, and guide 2026 planning. Whether you’re scaling or stabilizing, this session equips you to evaluate where your team stands and where it has the potential to go next.
Speaker Bio
Justin is a marketing strategy and operations leader with over 20 years of experience building and scaling global teams, processes, and technologies that connect campaigns to customers. He’s known for fostering high-performing, cross-functional teams that elevate both results and morale, and he champions metrics, accountability, and innovation across business lines. With a track record of success in hypergrowth in-house environments and top agencies, Justin brings deep expertise in scaling existing teams and systems to deliver global impact and measurable product and revenue growth.
Breakout
From Ideas to Impact
Presented By
Brianne Gallagher, Head of Creative Operations, Wayfair
Leaders who set and share clear goals are significantly more likely to achieve them, especially when those goals are written down. This engaging breakout session provides a practical framework for translating vision into actionable objectives that inspire teams, align priorities, and deliver measurable results. You’ll explore methods for setting goals, tracking progress, and fostering accountability across your organization. Attendees will walk away with tools to help your team stay focused, build momentum, and turn your ideas into outcomes that matter.
Speaker Bio
Brianne oversees the teams, systems, and budgets that power Wayfair’s 100+ person in-house agency. Her work spans project management and physical production, shaping the operational strategy that supports six brands and results in thousands of assets each month. A founding member of Wayfair’s creative ops and video teams, she also built the production models, resourcing plans, and cross-functional workflows that support the company’s evolving creative needs. She’s led efforts to modernize the tech stack, integrate AI and automation, and bring greater clarity and measurability to creative output. Brianne is passionate about making creative work more effective, scalable, and supported.
Breakout
Building Our Value Story
Presented By
Cathy Ihler, SVP, Goldmind Creative, Synchrony
Goldmind Creative, the in-house agency at Synchrony, has scaled its reach and impact dramatically over the past three years, with momentum building toward even greater expansion in 2026—but growth alone didn’t earn corporate trust. In this breakout, Cathy Ihler shares how her team built credibility with execs and internal clients through four key moves: implementing chargebacks for transparency, reclaiming work from external agencies, adding project management discipline, and hiring creative strategists to deliver increased value. Now evolving into a center of excellence, Goldmind is embracing AI-native processes, offshore production, and stronger governance with yet another aggressive goal and a focus on becoming indispensable by 2027.
Speaker Bio
Cathy leads Goldmind Creative, a team of 100+ creative professionals who comprise Synchrony’s in-house agency. Goldmind serves over 300 internal client partners, producing creative solutions for brands such as Lowe’s, TJX, Virgin, J. Crew, Sam’s Club, and CareCredit, as well as Synchrony’s branded specialty credit cards, bank and general-purpose cards. With over 20 years’ experience as a creative leader and marketer, Cathy is passionate about developing talent, finding ways to leverage technology and operational capabilities for faster and more-successful creative outcomes, and championing the role that smart, imaginative creative can play in organizational success.
Breakout
Own Your Story
Presented By
Laura Powers, VP, B2B Marketing Operations & Communications, Aramark
Danielle John, President, VerdanaBold
Internal agencies and corporate creative professionals alike must own their own narratives. That means defining who you are, what you stand for, and how you deliver unique value. This engaging breakout session explores how storytelling can shape identity, influence perception, and amplify impact. Through real-world insights from a seasoned in-house leader and a creative partner, learn why crafting an authentic story is essential for individuals and teams, and why it’s important for you to tell your story before someone tells it for you.
Laura Powers Bio
Laura runs the in-house agency at Aramark, focused on design and content for client acquisition and retention. The team handles creative, copywriting, video, and print services for 11 verticals as well as Aramark as an enterprise. Laura is an award-winning communications and marketing strategist with an extensive background in stakeholder engagement, reputation management, business development, advertising and PR campaigns, integrated branding initiatives, digital platforms, and marketing technology. Prior to Aramark, Laura held leadership positions at Philadelphia Bar Foundation, Furia Rubel Communications, and HG Marketing Group.
Danielle John Bio
Danielle started out as a designer. Somewhere between creating logos, brand campaigns, and new business pitches, she realized her true calling: helping people find clarity in their stories. That led her to launch VerdanaBold—a presentation design and storytelling agency that also provides training. Today, Danielle partners with companies to rethink how they communicate, from branded templates to high-stakes sales presentations. But it isn’t just about pretty slides. Danielle makes sure the message lands, proving that owning your story can shape perception, unlock influence, and help you (and your team) show up with more purpose and impact.
Breakout
Fast, Brave, and Human: Putting AI to Work
Presented By
John Roberts, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Truth Collective
This fast-paced workshop empowers AI-curious creative leaders to unlock the real business lift of AI—not just as emerging tech, but as a catalyst for creativity and team value. In just 30 minutes, you’ll learn how to make AI adoption a team sport, embedding tools and habits that fuel curiosity and collaboration. You’ll rapidly design a custom AI “co-worker” tailored to your brand and workflow, then brainstorm bold, practical ways to put it to work. Ready to move from possibility to practice? This is your launchpad, including three actionable takeaways you can use right away.
Speaker Bio
John brings more than 30 years of business leadership and a deep passion for what truly moves people and brands. As founder and managing partner of Truth Collective, he has guided teams and global brands through transformation with sharper strategies and braver creativity. Today, John brings that same perspective plus an infectious curiosity for AI, positioning it not just as a creative tool, but as a powerful business lever to unlock growth, efficiency, and bold new possibilities for teams.
Welcome to Boston!
Get the best rate—book your stay by October 23 while availability lasts.
Make the most of your visit—explore the city!
Hotel Stay
Main Venue Hotel Is Full —
But Great Options Are Nearby
InterContinental Boston by IHG
510 Atlantic Avenue Boston,
Massachusetts 02210 United States
Hotel Website
InterContinental Boston by IHG
510 Atlantic Avenue Boston,
Massachusetts 02210 United States
Hotel Website
InterContinental Boston by IHG
510 Atlantic Avenue Boston,
Massachusetts 02210 United States
Hotel Website
Turn Your Trip Into an Experience!
Title Sponsor
Awards Sponsor
Event Sponsors
Reserve your spot at the industry’s most celebrated event—the IHAF Conference & Awards!
Questions about attending our event?
We’re here to help—reach out anytime.
Hollis Gesen
Senior Program Manager
617.587.3945
Email Hollis