CJRW, Arkansas largest advertising and communications agency, announced a management shakeup Friday that will usher in a new CEO and a new president on Jan. 1.
CEO Darin Gray is transitioning out of that role, which he has held since 2015, but will remain chairman of the employee-owned firm’s board. And company President Jill Joslin, the first woman to hold that position, announced she is retiring after a decade of leadership.
Senior Vice President Mark Raines will take Gray’s place as CEO, and Katherine Vasilos will succeed Joslin as president. All of the changes will take effect New Year’s Day.
Joslin, who spent two decades at Gary Heathcott’s Heathcott Associates Advertising in Little Rock before joining CJRW in March 2015, said leading CJRW was the honor of her career.
“I’m deeply grateful to our employees, clients and community partners for their trust and collaboration, and I leave confident in the strong foundation we’ve built together,” she said in a news release. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to serve and look forward to cheering on CJRW’s continued success.”
Gray praised Joslin for her leadership and success building a strong agency portfolio and preparing CJRW for long-term strength through stock growth, bigger client billings and innovative programs.
“Leadership transitions represent moments of opportunity for organizations like CJRW,” Gray said in the release. “As we have been working through this process over the last few months, it reinforced our belief that our greatest strength is our people. I’m confident this new leadership team will accelerate innovation, strengthen our client partnerships, and drive meaningful progress for our employees and all stakeholders.”
Gray also said that Raines, who joined CJRW in 2014 as senior vice president of client services and public relations, is ready to lead the firm day to day.
“Mark brings unique qualities and experiences to the CEO role that will help us grow our business not only in Arkansas but nationally as well,” he said. “The perspective he brings from successful stints in broadcast news and corporate communications will be invaluable as he guides our company into the next chapter of its storied history.”
Raines was a broadcast newsman and news director at KTHV, Channel 11, in Little Rock from 1999 to 2007 before taking corporate communications and public relations roles. He worked for Chesapeake Energy and BHP Billiton in the Fayetteville Shale gas fields before joining CJRW in 2014.
“CJRW is an iconic Arkansas company, and I am honored to be selected as its next CEO,” he said. “Our employee-owners are a team of fearless leaders — driving bold strategies, pioneering innovative solutions, and sparking limitless creativity that shapes the future of our company and our clients. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together.”
Vasilos joined CJRW in 2016 and led strategy for the Arkansas Tourism and Arkansas State Parks accounts. With experience in brand management, public relations, and government relations, she brings a strategic perspective to her role, the firm said. She is on CJRW’s board of directors and its executive leadership committee.
“Katherine has an unmatched ability to connect strategy with storytelling — building brands that stand for something and turning vision into results,” Gray said. “Together, she and Mark will form a dynamic leadership team that will serve CJRW and our clients well.”
Vasilos said she was pleased to become president during a pivotal time for the agency.
“I’m honored to help lead CJRW and to work alongside the most talented marketing team in the state,” Vasilos said. “As a proud Arkansan, partnering with the industries and iconic brands that define our state is deeply rewarding. I’m inspired by what’s ahead as we grow, innovate and keep building success for our clients, our employee-owners and our state.”
CJRW’s clients include the Arkansas Department of Tourism; Arkansas State Parks; Oaklawn Hot Spring; the National Cold War Center; Delta Dirt Distillery; Visit Hot Springs; the Arkansas Department of Commerce; and the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.
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