After 21 years as the President of Pathfinders Advertising, Vicky Holland announced that she is passing the baton of leadership to her years-long mentee.
During a regular Pathfinders Advertising all-company meeting on Monday, March 27, Holland named Kelly Ball as the new CEO, effective immediately.
What’s next for Holland
“It has been my honor to have led Pathfinders,” says Holland, “and now it is my privilege to help grow the business alongside Kelly as Chief Growth Officer.”
With Holland at the helm for the past two decades, Pathfinders has grown into a larger physical location, doubled the number of internal departments, and survived the global pandemic. Pathfinders defies the odds as one of the 3% of agencies to last more than 40 years, according to Digital Third Coast’s Portrait of an Industry: Marketing Agencies in 2020 study.
In the role of Chief Growth Officer (CGO), Holland will be focused on deepening client relationships while continuing to advance the agency. “I am so excited for what’s to come and know that Kelly is more than ready for his new role,” says Holland.
Getting to know the new CEO
While he may be new to the CEO role, Kelly Ball is no stranger to Pathfinders. Having worked his way up through multiple departments, Ball is proud of his 19-year history at Pathfinders. “I have been a part of every aspect of the business, and I have seen us grow from a trusted local agency to a national presence with a large roster of B2B and B2C clients.”
Kelly received his B.A. from Miami University and is slated to graduate with his Executive M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business in 2024.
Going farther together
“Agencies are defined by their collaboration and teamwork,” says Ball, “and Pathfinders is a diverse group of integrated marketing subject matter experts committed to helping our clients get the most out of their marketing needs.”
In one of his first communications after becoming CEO, Kelly invited Pathfinders employees to be inspired by the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
As one of the largest agencies in Indiana, Pathfinders Advertising sets itself apart by applying innovative approaches to branding and marketing, and for choosing to work collaboratively with clients to help them achieve their marketing goals.
“I feel so lucky to be working with some of the smartest, most talented, hardest-working people in the ad business,” remarked Ball. “And I know that when we go together, there isn’t an agency in the country that can do what we do better.”