Danny Fell
Danny Fell, who has served as president of Neathawk Dubuque & Packett since June 2012, has assumed the additional role of CEO effective Jan. 1, as part of the company’s long-term succession plan. Based in the Chattanooga office of ND&P, he will remain based locally.
Roger Neathawk, CEO and chairman of the advertising and marketing agency, is stepping down from day-to-day management, becoming non-executive chairman of a newly expanded board of directors. Chattanooga-based Fell joins controller Michelle Ward on the new board along with founding partners Neathawk, Susan Dubuque and Chuck Miller.
“Danny and the senior leadership team have been working for more than a year for this moment, and the planning will pay off as we transition the agency to a new generation of leaders to take the agency into the future,” Mr. Neathawk said. “While I am leaving day-to-day management, I will remain active in steering the future of the company.”
Mr. Neathawk, who is 74 and has led the agency for nearly 30 years, will maintain an office in Richmond, Va. In addition to chairing the company’s board, he will continue to represent ND&P in the community and serve as chairman of the board of Fan Free Clinic and as an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Health Administration. The former pharmacist with a master's degree in business managed a respected Virginia hospital for several years before starting the agency in 1984 with Dubuque and Miller.
“Advertising and marketing are things that just stay in your blood,” he said. “I’m not the kind of guy who will trade in a desk for the golf course, so I look forward to staying engaged as we turn over the keys to a seasoned team. Danny has surrounded himself with great people and I’m confident his team will lead us – and our clients – to success.”
“I thank Roger for his tireless years of service to ND&P, the industry and our clients,” Mr. Fell said. “He truly is one of the giants of our industry, particularly in health care as a former hospital administrator and pharmacist. His wit, positive attitude and focus on client service and employee satisfaction make him a rare gem. He has left our company positioned for success and I look forward to moving our agency forward with a full line of services in marketing, advertising, public relations, digital, online engagement and media to meet the needs of clients now and in the future.”
With the company’s senior leadership team, Mr. Fell says he will continue to focus on delivering high-quality, award-winning work for local, regional and national brands as one of the Southeast’s leading agencies.
“While planned for some time now, this is a significant step forward in the success and growth of our agency,” Mr. Fell said. “By investing in our people and processes, building a fun and respectful culture and staying on top of marketing trends and technology, we’re prepared to serve clients throughout the nation.”
Mr. Fell, 48, is an innovative marketing planner and strategic thinker with more than 20 years of marketing experience. He leads strategic consulting efforts for many clients and has overseen the firm’s interactive and new media team. He has contributed to a number of marketing-related books and magazines and frequently speaks about the convergence of marketing and technology.
In 2012, Mr. Fell received the John A. Eudes Vision & Excellence Award for his work in online health care marketing.
Prior to joining ND&P, Mr. Fell co-founded Daniel+Douglas+Norcross (ddN), a marketing and communications company, and served as a partner and senior vice president of Notch/Bradley, a national healthcare marketing firm.