Advertising alum Lacey Gilbert named to 2023 Rising Stars of Madison Avenue by ‘Business Insider’

Lacey Gilbert (MS ’11, advertising), vice president and strategy director of Leo Burnett advertising services in Chicago, has been named to Business Insider’s 2023 Rising Stars of Madison Avenue.

Gilbert, who joined Leo Burnett in 2020, has led award-winning campaigns like Beam Suntory’s “Bourbon Time” and Coors Light’s “Clone Machine.” She has also directed the strategy behind campaigns for Campbell’s Chunky Soup, including “Lunchtime is your Halftime” and the current “Champions of Chunky,” which features NFL players and brothers Travis and Jason Kelce. That work helped Chunky Soup double its sales growth, outperforming the wider soup category, and earned Leo Burnett a gold at the ARF David Ogilvy Awards. A passionate educator, Gilbert co-authored a comprehensive crash-course strategy guidebook, known internally as the Strategy Launchpad. 

Gilbert is a board member and mentor for the University of Illinois Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising’s James Webb Young Advisory Board. She is also involved in Leo Burnett’s Pencil Project, an initiative in partnership with Chicago State University to introduce students of color to mentorship and educational opportunities.