Cornett Names Garrett Kelly Account Director to Lead Conagra Brands Media Account

Industry veteran joins agency’s growing Chicago team as the indie agency expands into CPG following appointment as Conagra’s Strategic Media Execution Partner

Independent, female-owned, full-service advertising agency Cornett has announced the appointment of Garrett Kelly as Account Director. Based in Chicago, Kelly will lead day-to-day management of the Conagra Brands media account, partnering closely with Cornett’s media leadership in Lexington, Kentucky.

Kelly’s hire follows Cornett‘s recent appointment as Conagra‘s Strategic Media Execution Partner. In that role, the agency leads traditional media planning and buying for a portfolio of household brands that includes Slim Jim, Banquet, Marie Callender’s, Healthy Choice, Orville Redenbacher’s, Ro*tel and FATTY’S, among others. Cornett also provides strategic advisory support across digital, social and CTV/OLV channels as Conagra’s in-house team scales.

Kelly joins from Spark Foundry, where his experience spanned cross-channel media planning, working alongside media teams to develop and sell creative media ideas to clients, and managing stakeholder consensus across complex client organizations.

In his new role, Kelly will serve as Cornett’s primary on-the-ground relationship and project lead on the Conagra business, working closely with the agency’s VP, Performance Media and VP, Creative Media at Cornett‘s Lexington headquarters to align day-to-day execution with the client’s broader business goals. 

The hire deepens Cornett’s growing presence in Chicago, where Kelly joins Director of Business Development Jamon Deaver and Senior Art Director Aleigh Hawking. Conagra is Cornett’s first Chicago-based client, and the partnership represents a meaningful expansion of the agency’s footprint into the CPG category.

“Stewarding the Conagra business calls for a leader with strategic perspective, cross-channel media fluency and steady client relationship skills, all of which Garrett has built over his over 15 years as a media leader,” said Christy Hiler, owner and CEO of Cornett. “His Chicago base also extends our footprint in a market where we’re seeing real demand for the kind of senior, accountable partnership we’re built to deliver.”

Source: Cornett

  Account Director, Agency, Appointment, Conagra Brands, Cornett, Garrett Kelly