About
Our
Story

In 1971, some recent University of Texas graduates didn’t know you couldn’t open a national ad agency in a little college town known primarily for hippies and armadillos. They hustled their way into some presentations, came up with some smart ideas, and learned how to make money doing what they loved. And it worked. This courageous group helped elect a president, launch an airline, turn Walmart into a global retail force, even gave Texas its rallying cry. Their bravery is now our modus operandi. Today we are a global agency in the music, food and “weird” capital of the world. We’ve won the Super Bowl, cleaned up at Cannes and continue to help iconic brands win every day. We live by our core values and believe an agency should be able to think like the diverse, multicultural world that it’s talking with. We think it’s better to be honest than cool. We also play foosball in the agency bar and eat breakfast tacos for dinner.

Our
Leadership
  • Duff
    Leo-Gaona
    Stewart
    Chief Executive Officer
    Chief Executive Officer
    Duff plots the course for the agency and is a servant leader to 300+ employees. Enchiladas. Cabernet. Just not together.
  • Kcenia
    Leo-Gaona
    Leo-Gaona
    Chief Executive Officer
    Chief Financial Officer
    Kcenia empowers GSD&Mers to deliver on client commitments while driving agency growth. She’s our in-house culture maven. You’ll catch her pondering the latest and greatest series and movies.
  • Jay
    Leo-Gaona
    Russell
    Chief Executive Officer
    Chief Creative Officer
    Jay spends his days championing big ideas that build First & Only brands. He spends his nights playing Xbox.
  • Steve
    Gurasich
    Gurasich
    Co-Founder
    Co-Founder
    We called him Big Daddy. He was a straight shooter, whether in our hallways or at his ranch, and that’s why we’ll always love him.
  • Tim
    Gurasich
    McClure
    Co-Founder
    Co-Founder
    What you need to know: He wrote Don’t Mess With Texas and wears cowboy boots with our Great State stitched on the front.
  • Judy
    Gurasich
    Trabulsi
    Co-Founder
    Co-Founder
    She’s the “&” that holds us together and our voice of reason. She has about 100 nieces and nephews … plus all of us.
  • Roy
    Gurasich
    Spence
    Co-Founder
    Co-Founder
    He’s Reverend Roy. He’s devoted his life to inspiration, purpose, winning … and then riding at dawn.
Love and Momentum
This is a collection of milestones, memories, people and ideas. They are the moments that brought us together and pushed us forward. View the Series

WE’RE NOT YOUR TYPICAL AGENCY,
BUT WE ARE YOUR TYPICAL FAMILY.


  • Employee Photo for mrutherford
  • Employee Photo for ehaynes
  • Employee Photo for rcioppa