BarkleyOKRP Taps Former FCB CMO Brandon Cooke to Lead Client Growth

BarkleyOKRP Names Brandon Cooke to Oversee Client and Tech Growth

Independent agency BarkleyOKRP has named Brandon Cooke its next global chief marketing and growth officer, succeeding Jason Parks, who held the role for nearly three decades before announcing his retirement. Cooke, the former chief marketing officer at FCB, started at the agency's New York office earlier this month and has already joined pitch meetings and met with clients, according to the agency.

CEO Katy Hornaday said Cooke will have a full view to chart thoughtful growth for the agency, with the head of client experience reporting directly to him. Cooke also joins BarkleyOKRP's integrated leadership team, which extends his mandate to include growth opportunities for the proprietary tech platforms the agency is developing. Cooke described the central question of his role as understanding what work will help the agency grow with each client and whether clients see the agency as a great partner.

The appointment follows a long succession period at the agency, which is backed by private equity firm Keystone Capital and was formed through the 2024 merger of independent agencies Barkley and OKRP. Cooke left FCB after its acquisition by Omnicom, and said he was drawn to the independence, nimbleness and client-first culture of a standalone agency. He acknowledged the pressure of following someone who held the role for so long, but said Parks encouraged him to make the role his own.

BarkleyOKRP's current clients include Burger King, Frontier Airlines, Macy's and the WNBA's Chicago Sky. Cooke said he is eyeing the insurance and automotive industries as sectors with large ad budgets, while also stressing the need to balance new-business momentum with giving current clients enough attention.

What Cooke's Arrival Signals for BarkleyOKRP's Strategy

A dual mandate: clients and proprietary platforms

Cooke's title combines marketing with growth, and the reporting structure gives him direct authority over the client experience function. That suggests BarkleyOKRP is trying to tie service quality more tightly to revenue growth, rather than treating new business and client service as separate tracks. His place on the integrated leadership team also makes him responsible for commercializing the agency's own tech platforms, signaling that BarkleyOKRP wants to build product-led revenue alongside traditional agency fees.

The autonomy pitch vs. the private equity backer

Cooke's move from FCB after the Omnicom acquisition is framed as a return to a more agile, client-focused environment. His comments about holding-company agencies being pulled between shareholder demands and client needs position BarkleyOKRP as an independent alternative. But the agency itself answers to Keystone Capital, the private equity firm behind the 2024 Barkley-OKRP merger. The real test is whether Cooke's client-side autonomy can coexist with the financial growth expectations that come with PE ownership.

Insurance and automotive as expansion targets

Cooke specifically named insurance and automotive as sectors with large advertising budgets. Both categories are heavy media spenders and are actively rethinking brand and customer experience, which makes them natural targets for an agency pitching strategic growth. For an independent shop, winning a major account in either sector would meaningfully change its revenue mix. BarkleyOKRP has a roster spanning restaurants, airlines, retail and sports, but the agency has not disclosed which new business pitches it is currently pursuing.

Following a three-decade legacy

The succession element matters as much as the hire itself. Parks held the global marketing and growth role for nearly three decades, giving him deep institutional knowledge and long-standing client relationships. Cooke says Parks encouraged him to adapt rather than replicate the role, and Cooke has kept Parks's phone number for guidance. Smoothly managing that transition while maintaining client trust will be one of the earliest tests of Cooke's tenure.

What Clients and Competitors Should Watch Next at BarkleyOKRP

BarkleyOKRP clients, prospective clients and industry watchers can draw a few concrete implications from the appointment:

• Current clients such as Burger King, Frontier Airlines, Macy's and the Chicago Sky should expect more integrated service, since the head of client experience now reports directly to Cooke and growth conversations are likely to be bundled with day-to-day account work.
• Marketers in insurance and automotive, the two sectors Cooke named, are the most likely targets for the agency's next new-business push. Incumbent agencies in those categories should monitor BarkleyOKRP's pitch activity.
• Prospective clients can test Cooke's stated approach by asking how BarkleyOKRP's proprietary tech platforms will improve campaign performance, since growing those platforms is now part of his formal mandate.
• Investors and industry observers tracking Keystone Capital's portfolio should measure success by new client wins and the commercial traction of BarkleyOKRP's tech products, rather than by the leadership announcement itself.