Meet our team.
OUR TEAM OF AGENCY EXPERTS
BRIAN KESSMAN
Founder & PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT
As Lodestar's founder and principal consultant, Brian works with agencies—from mid-size independents to multinational networks—to move their firms beyond billable hours and commoditized services to scalable, profitable models centered on client value.
Before founding Lodestar, Brian held leadership roles at independent agencies and within global networks in New York and Los Angeles. Now based in North Carolina, he advises clients worldwide.
An inaugural member of the 4A’s Expert Network, Brian regularly delivers keynotes and workshops for the 4A’s, Mirren, AMIN, Magnet, Worldcom, and other leading industry organizations. Blending hands-on leadership with strategic advisory experience, he is a trusted partner to agency teams ready to break from outdated models and build more profitable, future-ready firms.
TIM WILLIAMS
BUSINESS PARTNER
Tim is an ad industry veteran and a noted author and presenter for major industry associations and business conferences worldwide on the topics of positioning, pricing strategy, and business models. As the founder of Ignition Consulting Group, Tim has worked with hundreds of agencies ranging from mid-size independents to multinational networks.
ADRIANNE CALABRIA
RESEARCH LEAD
Adrianne is the founder of C2B Research and Market Research Consultant. She manages the administration and analysis of Lodestar’s Diagnostic surveys. She specializes in quantitative methods after honing her skills in both client and agency market research positions, such as at Bayer, Cotton Incorporated, and full-service agency, McKinney. She has designed and executed research programs ranging from Fortune 100 company initiatives to non-profit organizations.