At the intersection of customer, culture, and content, Chris brings the wealth of OMG capabilities into a cohesive playbook for clients at Hearts & Science. He excels at connecting diverse pieces of information and naturally threads them into clear solutions and strategic narratives. Often, these insights begin by encouraging diverse viewpoints within his team to challenge the status quo, expand their skills, and identify unexpected areas of growth for clients.

With nearly 20 years of agency experience across categories like tech, telco, B2B, travel, and CPG, Chris architects integrated teams to deliver customer-centric solutions that maximize business outcomes and ROI for clients. From awareness and amplification strategies to integrated acquisition solutions, Chris knows how to build blueprints for brands to compete on the world stage.

Chris resides in Dallas with his wife and twin daughters (#twinning), where his meditative riffs often reverberate through the house as he unwinds on his guitars.

Sam McKnight sees Finance as the connection point within Hearts & Science, aligning client business leads and department heads to support growth. Known for his empathetic leadership, Sam thrives on understanding diverse perspectives to drive sound financial decisions that deliver results.

With nearly 20 years at OMG, Sam’s journey from Financial Analyst at OMG to CFO at Hearts & Science reflects his deep expertise in client and P&L management. Over his career, he’s received over seven promotions, managed major client finance roles, and led the seamless financial integration of Resolution Media into Hearts & Science.

Sam is passionate about mentoring the next wave of finance leaders, inspired by the supportive mentorship he received throughout his career. Outside work, he enjoys watching his kids compete in sports and perform on stage, trying new recipes for his family and enjoys improving his skills on the golf course.

Nadalie is known for her ability to connect the dots when tackling complex industry challenges. As a leader, she lives by the mantra of aligning her words with her actions, believing that effective leadership involves being transparent and setting clear expectations. Nadalie is deeply committed to mentoring others and supporting their career growth.

With over 15 years of experience on both the brand and agency sides, Nadalie has built a noteworthy skill set. At 360i, she led programmatic teams and formed performance solutions for Spotify. With Hearts & Science, she drove media investment strategies for Warner Media’s portfolio. As Chief Strategy Officer at m/Six, she helped grow several high-end luxury brands. In 2019, Nadalie was recognized as Rising Star of the Year by Adweek’s Media All-Stars, a testament to her leadership and impact in the industry.

Growing up, Nadalie aspired to be a doctor. If her younger self could see her now, navigating a successful career in advertising, she’d be amazed. Outside of work, she enjoys fine Scotch, baking, and traveling, with over 30 countries under her belt. A proud Leo, she brings a natural magnetism to everything she does. For Nadalie, the highlight of her professional career is about connection: the teams she’s built alongside colleagues who’ve inspired her greatest triumphs.

Andrea brings a natural curiosity and ability to turn underlying themes into actionable insights for Hearts & Science. She infuses creativity and innovation into campaigns, pushing boundaries and taking calculated risks to achieve exceptional results. Now Andrea is most excited to contribute to the success of our clients at the box office and attract new clients to the agency. 

During her 20+ years of agency experience in the entertainment industry, Andrea has launched over 350 titles for Sony Pictures, breaking box office records and winning awards along the way. She finds her passion for movies and television as a child manifested in her past work with Hulu, Mattel, and Activision. Through storytelling, she creates cultural moments that establish emotional connections with audiences. 

Andrea thrives on mentoring others and embodies the Hearts & Science value of transparency to build trust in her teams. In 2022 she was recognized as a She Runs It Working Mother of the Year and Adweek Media All-Star. Outside of work, Andrea can be found cheering her three kids on the soccer field from the sidelines.

Brandon Frese sees Operations as the “ampersand” in Hearts & Science, connecting diverse teams to create seamless client experiences. Known for his inclusive, transparent style, Brandon thrives on working with every department and level, drawing on a lifelong love of collaborating across groups, leveraged to drive meaningful impact and growth across the agency. He’s excited about enhancing employee and client journeys by integrating automation, and AI with innovative service models, freeing teams to focus on strategic work.

With over twelve years experience in account management and operations, his career includes roles at Zenith Media, Experian, Ebiquity, and IAS—each enriching his expertise in client services and media strategy. During his eight years  at Hearts & Science, Brandon has built three agency disciplines and onboarded more than 17 clients. Known for his “roll-up-his-sleeves” problem-solving, Brandon’s collaborative approach helps teams build lasting value. His impact has earned him the Ampersand Science Award and the Kathleen Brookbanks Leadership Award.

Outside of work, Brandon is a devoted pitmaster, perfecting ribs and experimenting with spice blends on his smoker. Raised in Lancaster County, he now enjoys the energy of New York City and brings the same passion that he does for refining recipes, to his workflows at Hearts.

Curious by nature, Catherine is always thinking of new initiatives to improve how Hearts & Science services its clients in the digital world. Her big-picture perspective and deep technical knowledge are the foundation of every solution and help her to balance data and emotion throughout the consumer journey. Most recently, she brought her unique expertise to key accounts by uncovering new paths to growth in opportunity-ripe areas, such as commerce and experience design.

Catherine has over a decade of experience building future-proofed connections between consumers and global brands and knows what it takes to unlock client growth. In her previous role as SVP at Zenith, she oversaw digital investment and activation for Verizon. There, she delivered over $20M in savings and media value through strategic marketplace negotiations and joint business plan developments with key partners. During her time on Microsoft at Carat, Catherine also drove a number of key initiatives and product launches across both consumer and commercial categories. Most notably, she led the digital marketing efforts for the launch of Surface products across six markets globally.

Catherine loves to get deep into the weeds of data to uncover insights and accelerate digital transformation for clients. Her strategic vision has led to award-winning work, earning her an Effie, Cannes Creative Data Lions, and a Carat Diamond. Her obsessive digital research skills also serve her well when visiting new cities, where she is the master of finding the best restaurants, hotels, and bars. Just consider her your personal Yelp.

Every number has a story to tell, and MaryAnne digs deep into data beyond typical performance metrics to evaluate media performance for clients. She provides a tactical lens to developing strategy and applying it to consumer behavior and is excited to bring that experience to the AT&T account as the first woman to lead the team at Hearts & Science.

MaryAnne has been leading investments over the last 17+ years for brands across a wide variety of key categories, including Hulu, Nationwide Insurance, Toyota, Old Navy, Darden, and more. Prior to Hearts & Science, she worked at Universal McCann as the SVP group partner of integrated investment, where she was responsible for managing all channels and successfully launching American Express’ first-ever people-based marketing activations.

With a strong passion for embracing the challenge of change, MaryAnne learns from every failure and win to collaborate toward the best output for the next time. Which is why, after recent karaoke videos, she is deciding her spotlight isn’t on the stage. Instead, she embraces her animal whispering instincts, inspiring deep love from all furry creatures, like her mini dachshund.

Shamsa is a visionary leader who brings together the best of analytics, AI, and creativity to solve complex marketing challenges. Her mission is to drive innovation that delivers measurable business impact while empowering her teams to think boldly and take calculated risks. She has a knack for finding the “aha” moment in data, turning insights into personalized, impactful consumer-centric moments within channels and across channels. 

As a proud daughter of immigrant parents, Shamsa has spent the last three decades breaking barriers and creating opportunities for diverse voices in the marketing industry. She has led impactful work for global brands, blending client-side insights with an entrepreneurial mindset. Along the way, she’s shared her expertise at events like CES, ANA, and Money 20/20 and earned recognition on Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 list. Her leadership helps redefine what’s possible in analytics and continues to inspire innovation across the industry.

Outside of work, Shamsa channels her creativity into restoring underserved communities —breathing new life into neighborhoods one home at a time. She draws daily inspiration as a mother of three daughters, leading with strength, compassion, and resilience. Whether mentoring young professionals, hosting community events, or crafting forward-thinking strategies, Shamsa’s passion for connection and impact is at the heart of everything she does.

Ever an artist and scientist, Jason has a powerful capacity to reverse-engineer complex brand challenges and harness this knowledge in the service of growth. His strategic leadership is consistently inspired by data and powered by purpose to produce positive impact fast. No process is too technical to break down into understandable pieces, and his connection-building extends internally across the Hearts & Science team, too. He is a listener, a trust-builder and a mentor — always putting people first and letting the results follow. 

Jason has extensive experience managing marketing teams, honing his deep empathy, negotiation skills and contagious enthusiasm. From Marketing Director at ShareThis to Head of Agency & Partnership Marketing at AOL, he knows firsthand the value of a well-defined brand and how to make magic happen through marketing. His work at AOL helped drive $100M+ in revenue and prepared him for his role at Hearts & Science, where he has spearheaded and won 125+ agency nominations and awards.

Whether it’s optimizing a complicated campaign or the maximum number of travel points, Jason has a passion for hacking systems and improving processes. He also recently discovered a soft spot for rescue dogs — ask him about his latest foster!

At Hearts & Science, Jeff is all about creating a workplace where talent isn’t just managed—but truly nurtured and empowered to grow. He's passionate about making connections that help people thrive. His consultative approach to problem solving and executing solutions bolsters dynamic people initiatives. Jeff is able to harness the collective energy by engaging diverse teams across all levels of the agency to achieve common goals. 

With over 30 years in HR, including time at Citibank, L’Oreal, Ogilvy, Unilever, and IPG, Jeff leverages this experience to bring HR best practices forward to solve big challenges. He holds a Master’s in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, giving him a unique perspective on developing a successful organization. Whether working with global teams or leading talent development strategies, he’s dedicated to paving the way for people to shine. 

Outside of work, you’ll usually find Jeff chasing the sun, whether that’s visiting his family in Florida or on a trip to Latin America. Fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese, he loves exploring new places and cultures. At home, he’s joined by his beloved Manchester Terrier, Laraine. Jeff has a gift for recognizing people’s unique talents, inspiring them to unlock their full potential—something that’s always been at the heart of what he does.