Agency Brings on ‘Secret Weapon’ to Guide Continued Growth and Further Develop Infrastructure of Happy People, Great Work and Robust Financial Health

Oakland, Calif. — April 12, 2019 — WHM Creative, a San Francisco Bay Area-based full-service creative, marketing and advertising agency, has added Dodie Martz to its award-winning team as chief operating officer and general manager.

Martz will work to grow the agency by creating the kind of efficient, scalable infrastructure conducive to happy people, great work and robust financial health. She will report to WHM principals Audrey Merritt and Thomas Whalen.

“We heard through the grapevine that Dodie was the ‘secret weapon’ at her last agency of 20 years. She’s been with us for one week, and I have no doubt that was an accurate description,” said Merritt. “Dodie has held every agency role you can think of. It’s one thing to find someone you know is a cultural fit. It’s another to find someone who comes from an agency you admire and that maps to your company’s capabilities and values. Let’s just say we are more than thrilled to have her. If there’s anyone out there equipped to take us to the next level, it’s Dodie.”

Martz joins WHM from Eleven, an agency she helped grow from 11 people to more than 120 with revenue in excess of $30M. In the course of her two decades with Eleven, she held many different roles — director of revenue and operations, account director, new business director, project management director and creative services manager — which allows her to thoroughly understand the challenges that various departments face and add value across the entire organization.

Prior to her work with Eleven, Martz held roles at Goldberg Moser O’Neill, Marchese Communications and Grey Advertising. She is also a respected industry thought leader and keynote speaker, primarily on the subject of cultivating healthy agency-client financial relationships.

“There’s a magic at WHM. The team’s enthusiasm and commitment to making great work is contagious,” said Martz. “There’s also a ‘sweet spot’ at WHM that is rare to find: a small, independent agency that has experienced steady growth over a decade with big brand anchor clients — this is exactly the opportunity I was looking for. The last 20 years have prepared me well for my role at WHM, and I’m excited about the journey.”