For more than 40 years, Simantel has evolved with intention. Each chapter of our story has been shaped by leaders who strengthened the foundation they inherited and prepared it for what came next.
We’re stepping into another one of those chapters now.
Over the past seven years, Misty Klobucher and Tim Leesman have served as majority owners of Simantel. While each leader brought unique perspectives and strengths, both shared the same aspiration: helping Simantel become the very best version of itself.
Like the leaders before them, Misty and Tim have been thinking about both the short- and long-term future of the company since the beginning of their partnership. Today, they are announcing a shared and collaborative decision about the next step in Simantel’s journey.
Misty Klobucher has sold her ownership stake in Simantel as part of a planned evolution in the agency’s ownership structure. She will continue to support the agency through the end of April to help ensure a smooth transition.
Tim Leesman will become Simantel’s president and continue as a majority shareholder, with six additional minority shareholders joining the ownership team alongside Tim.
“We couldn’t be prouder of this decision,” said Tim. “It was a long time coming and involved many thoughtful conversations and options. Ultimately, we know this is what’s best for both of us, for the company and for the incredible team we have building the future of Simantel.”
“Of course, this moment is bittersweet,” said Misty. “Simantel has been my home and passion for more than 20 years. Building this company alongside Tim and so many talented leaders has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. But this is the right time for me, for my family and for Simantel. I believe strongly in trusting your intuition and taking your best next step forward.”
Strengthening Leadership for What’s Next
Alongside this evolution, we’re also welcoming an expanded group of long-time leaders into ownership and enterprise leadership roles.
Six new minority shareholders and five new executive leaders are taking on increased responsibility across creative, client services, technology, data and operations. Together, they represent a deeper leadership bench and a more distributed model of ownership across the agency.
New Minority Shareholders
- Abby Bell, Vice President of Performance & Analytics
- Erin Bowald, Vice President of Client Services
- Lori Johnson, Vice President of Delivery & Transformation
- Jillian Light, Chief Operations Officer
- Chris Moehn, Vice President of Creative
- Chrissie Niedens, Chief Financial Officer
Executive Leadership Team Additions
- Renee Andrew, Executive Client Services Director
- Nicole Bruns, Executive Client Services Director
- Van Burnett, Executive Creative Director
- Sara Ingles, Executive Creative Director
- Gena Killion, Executive Director of Technology & Data
These leaders are not new to Simantel or to our clients. They have been shaping strategy, creativity and performance across our work for years. Expanding ownership reflects a deeper commitment to shared leadership and building an agency designed to endure.
Related Content: Meet Our Full Leadership Team
Leadership Continuity and a Stronger Bench
As the agency has expanded in recent years, a deeper and broader bench of both generalist and specialist leaders allows Simantel to continue building on its strong foundation while supporting client partnerships on a regional, national and global scale.
Tim brings deep experience running both the client and business sides of the agency for nearly 25 years. With a background in account management, he has long been focused on operational discipline and strong client partnership — an approach that builds on the agency’s momentum while ensuring Simantel remains both bold in its thinking and grounded in execution.
Our new minority owners and executive directors already play an active leadership role across our teams and are familiar, trusted partners to our clients. We’re excited to see them further shape company strategy while continuing to strengthen the relationships they’ve built.
Looking Ahead
Many people have asked what this means for the future of Simantel.
For our clients and partners, the answer is simple: you will continue to see investment in talent, culture, community and capabilities. Our purpose remains the same: “We love the thrill of problem solving, and we never let anything stand in the way of a good idea.” And we will continue doing exactly that with clarity, partnership and a focus on delivering meaningful results.
We’re entering this next chapter with strong leadership, shared accountability and a continued commitment to the clients and communities we serve. That’s how Simantel has grown for more than 40 years. And that’s how we’ll continue building what comes next.
Clients often tell us something that means a lot to our team: Simantel doesn’t do the work for us — they build it with us. This leadership transition strengthens that philosophy even further. We could not be prouder of what has been built together, and we are grateful to both Misty and Tim for their collective and individual contributions to the agency, its future direction and to one another. We’re also excited to see another generation of Simantel leaders step into ownership and executive leadership, setting up Simantel for another 40+ years of successful partnerships.
Please join us in congratulating everyone on this important milestone and in recognizing the many leaders across Simantel whose commitment and drive continue to shape what the agency is today and what it will become in the years ahead.
