Sullivan Higdon & Sink restructures leadership team

Sullivan Higdon & Sink, one of the area’s largest advertising and communications firms, promoted top executives John January and Ali Mahaffy to co-CEO’s, effective immediately.

They will oversee the agency’s roughly 141 employees — 95 in Kansas City, 45 in Wichita and one in Washington, D.C. The agency represents local, regional and national clients with a global reach. It has annual capitalized billings of $126 million.

January most recently served as senior vice president and executive creative director at SHS and executive-on-loan at SHS spinoff, Volcanic.

Mahaffy, previously senior vice president and director of brand management, has been with SHS for 14 years.

They will report to a board of directors that includes longtime managing partners Rand Mikulecky, Tom Bertels and Lynell Stucky, who will continue to work with key clients and handle current responsibilities.

Other promotions include: P. Scott Flemming to vice president and executive creative director; Lathi de Silva to vice president reputation management; and Jim Vranicar to vice president connections planning. Vice president Brock Campbell has added business model innovation to his duties.

January and Mahaffy will continue to be based out of the firm’s Kansas City office, but they said that doesn’t mean that SHS is now a Kansas City firm.

“(Wichita) is the founding office, and we have great momentum in Wichita,” said Mahaffy, who added that she’s from Newton and that January began at SHS in the Wichita office.

“So, we have roots in Wichita,” she said.

The Wichita office has been adding staff in recent months because last year it won the Textron Aviation account and this year its scope of work for Cargill Meat Solution is expanding.

January said the Wichita office has added about 12 people in the last six months and could add another eight in coming months.

The two said the biggest change at the agency will be increasing the unity of the now largely divided office staffs and accounts. That means more communication among offices via technology, of course, but it also means more commuting between Wichita and Kansas City by SHS staff.

“We see unifying all of the SHS offices as way to bring all of the resources and all brain power to all of our clients,” Mahaffy said.

This story was originally published April 8, 2015 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Sullivan Higdon & Sink restructures leadership team."