Happy New Year from Schafer Condon Carter. Thirty-six-year-old SCC is closing out a milestone year marked by new leadership, new work, significant business wins, and a sharpened agency identity built around a simple promise: Create. Impact.
Under President and CEO Ben Behrman, SCC completed a sweeping leadership evolution that has reshaped the agency as it heads into 2026. Craig Miller joined as Chief Creative Officer. Amy Cesta returned to the shop as Chief Client Officer. Joe Raser was elevated to the role of Chief Strategy Officer. Together, the trio brings 50 years of combined experience to SCC’s C-Suite.
The agency also added key talent beyond the executive ranks. Matt Olsen came aboard as Creative Director and Tim Reardon joined as Group Account Director, both fueled by the increased volume of new assignments.
New Campaigns
Work led the way in 2025. SCC produced a steady slate of campaigns for current and new clients across banking, CPG, retail, food and education. Longstanding partners such as Old National Bank, G.U.M., Solo and Tootsie Roll Industries launched new work.
In contrast, new clients, including the US Highbush Blueberry Council, Giordano’s, Ferris Mowers, Ortega, and Fusion Academy, rolled out fresh campaigns. According to the agency, the work delivered measurable lifts in purchase intent, brand awareness and sales and earned industry recognition from ADDYs, Obies, Tellys, the People’s Choice Awards and the Public Relations Society of America.
New Business
SCC logged one new client assignment per month throughout the year. Wins came across categories including food, retail, technology and B2B. New partners include American Egg Board, National Heritage Academy, Giordano’s, Kemp Management Solutions, and Toad and Co.
Growth was supported by the expansion of SCC’s in-house media and public relations capabilities, which the agency reports grew at a double-digit pace.
New Agency Positioning
SCC has formalized its evolving philosophy into a new agency positioning: Create.Impact. The framework reflects the agency’s roots as an independent shop with a challenger mindset and a focus on work that directly drives business outcomes. SCC points to its long-tenured staff, more than 75% of whom have been with the agency six years or longer, as the foundation for its culture and work. The agency continues to hold its standing as a Best Place to Work.
Looking Ahead
“As we look back and look ahead, we are proud of what we have accomplished in partnership with our people and our clients,” said Ben Behrman. “We may be thirty-six years old, but we approach every day as if we are a start-up. We recognize that we need to challenge ourselves to earn our clients’ trust day by day, assignment by assignment, conversation by conversation. Only then can we truly say that we are turning words into deeds and delivering Create. Impact.”
Happy New Year from Reel Chicago to SCC!
Hero Image: (SCC’s New Executive Leadership Team (L-R): Kristin Galbraith, Executive Director, Creative; Joe Raser, Chief Strategy Officer; Amy Cesta, Chief Client Officer; Craig Miller, Chief Creative Officer; Jack Hennessy, Executive Director, Media; Ben Behrman, President and CEO).
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