Meet our team.

Phil Stephens

CEO & President

Joining Stephens Direct in 1997 and leading as agency President since 2003, Phil has honed his vision of the agency, continuously evolving the strategic and creative output by integrating new technologies and utilizing sound marketing principles to deliver innovative, highly effective solutions for our clients.

Phil has more than 25 years of experience in B2B, B2C, and B2B2C marketing, including clients like Lowe’s, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Wright State University and the College of Charleston. He plays an integral role in the management of client and partner relationships, guiding every initiative to go above and beyond to achieve ultimate success. Phil is an avid Orangetheory Fitness member and in 2020 earned his third-degree black belt in tae kwon do.

Jen Ball

COO & Executive Vice President

As the COO/EVP of Stephens Direct, Jen is responsible for working with our clients and partners to gain an in-depth understanding of their marketing objectives, technologies, operations, and processes so that we can exceed client expectations. Leading and collaborating with our cross-functional internal teams, she ensures we are considering all factors and proposing innovative solutions that enable our clients to achieve their goals. As our COO, Jen also works to ensure that our business is operating as efficiently as possible, that we are hitting key benchmarks, and that our team’s needs are prioritized. Jen has supported our clients since 2012 and has led the charge on hundreds of projects.

Prior to her role at Stephens, Jen worked on marketing and advertising programs for colleges and universities in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges and Best Graduate Schools issues. Jen lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, two children, and three dogs.

Kerry Broderick

VP & Creative Director

Kerry leads our Creative Team, which includes Copy, Design, and MarTech and has been instrumental in helping to build a collaborative and innovative team. As the Creative Director for the agency, she is integral in ensuring that our work delivers excellent results.

Kerry’s expertise includes brand creation, launch, support, and relaunch across multiple tactics, including TV, video, radio, digital, social media, CRM, professional programs/outreach, events, demos, and environmental.

Before joining Stephens Direct five years ago, Kerry was VP/Group Creative Director at a full-service agency known for creative excellence and prior to that, she led creative at a digital agency. Kerry is a registered yoga teacher and leads our agency’s weekly meditation sessions.

Jason Reubel

VP, Growth & Strategy

Jason has more than 20 years of experience in Account Management and Strategic functions at marketing agencies, as well as 10 years of experience in Strategy, Marketing, and Operations in high-growth SaaS startup environments. Jason’s category experience ranges from Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) to pharmaceutical to retail to financial services, with a heavy emphasis on digital, branding, and relationship marketing.

Tim Hartke

Director of Client Services

Tim is responsible for leading our Client Services team — comprising Account, Strategy, and Project Management — to deliver exceptional customer service and to work with our internal teams to provide smart and creative solutions for our clients. He is focused on growing our client relationships by fostering strong partnerships that lead to successful projects. Tim has been with Stephens Direct for eight years and has experience working in all marketing channels.

Before joining Stephens Direct, Tim ran paid media campaigns in the automotive industry. He also plays competitive tennis.

Justin Barraclough

Design & Technology Director

As the Design & Technology Director at Stephens Direct, Justin oversees the creative design and execution of visual communications that meet the client’s marketing and advertising objectives. He ensures the integrity of the creative and is responsible for developing work that has meaningful and measurable impact, achieves marketing/strategic goals, and satisfies client brand requirements.

With over eight years of experience in architectural visualization and environmental design, he has been instrumental in shaping notable projects, including the Ashland University athletic facilities and the revitalization of the Arena District in downtown Columbus, Ohio (home to the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets). Collaborating closely with architects, Justin has crafted immersive presentations and dynamic fly-through animations, injecting life into plans and blueprints. Justin is a long-time hockey player.

Amber Warnecke

Account Supervisor

Amber is responsible for establishing and growing key client relationships for the agency. She manages day-to-day client projects, cross-functional agency partners and deploys teams efficiently and productively to meet client objectives. Amber has been with Stephens Direct for five years and has worked as a partner with the Lowe’s team for most of that time. Prior to joining the agency, she managed a team responsible for executing strategic digital initiatives for clients primarily in the automotive industry.