WHO WE ARE

“Go Get ’Em, Tiger!”

In 1984, Liza Cirlot decided to strike out on her own. When she approached the owner of the advertising agency she had worked for to impart her plans, he laughed and said, “You’ll never make it in this business.” Yet, with a mere $78 tax return check, Liza opened The Cirlot Agency. She received her first words of encouragement as she opened the Agency’s first bank account and the officer said, “Go get ’em, Tiger!” Four years later, Liza met and married Rick Looser, an advertising executive from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who joined the firm as President and COO. In addition, the Agency has attracted a team of seasoned professionals over the years whose acumen would rival the mavens of Madison Avenue. To date, The Cirlot Agency has turned the initial $78 in seed money into a multi-million dollar, international corporate communications firm specializing in global brand strategy, integrated communications and business development. The Agency represents accounts on a national and international basis ranging from Fortune 100 companies to some of the world’s largest privately held corporations.

Rick first laid eyes on Liza at an American Advertising Federation Conference. He immediately grabbed a photographer and said, “Take a picture of the night we met so I can show our children.” Can you believe that line actually worked?

Simply put, we are business development strategists and consider ourselves your strategic partner with the sole objective of creating demand for your products and services.

PRINCIPALS

Liza Cirlot Looser

CEO

Rick Looser

COO, President

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Sharon Grubbs

CFO

Sharon Grubbs

Chief Financial Officer

At first glance, holding the position of CFO makes perfect sense for Sharon. After all, she is a person who sees the world in black and white – which serves her well professionally. But, on second glance, she is also a beach-loving, kayaking, Jeep-riding, outdoorsy girl who, in retrospect, would have called you crazy if you had said crunching numbers would become such a big part of her life.

As CFO, Sharon is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the accounting department, as well as financial reporting to the CEO and COO. She also heads the human resources department, and is responsible for payroll and all associated taxes, insurance, benefit reporting and compliance.

Sometimes referred to as the “office Mama,” Sharon is also nurturing, kind-hearted and easy to talk to. Her favorite job responsibility, however, is putting everything in order – numbers, data, papers, files, and sometimes even people! She has a very strong sense of place that has guided her well throughout her 30 years at The Cirlot Agency. In fact, it’s been wagered around the office that Navy admirals don’t run a tighter ship than Sharon!

Extremely purpose driven, Sharon is motivated daily by the people and clients who depend on her to get it right, which also includes everyone at The Cirlot Agency. It’s well-known at the firm that if you need something done right, and you need to know exactly how, what or where something is, you go ask Sharon. You may not always like her answer, but there is very little disputing the facts – they are as plain as black and white.

Greg Gilliland

Vice President
Director of Interactive Design

Greg Gilliland

V.P., Director of Interactive Design

Showing prowess in art as a young man, Greg began learning the techniques of drawing and painting from a local artist on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He was enthralled with the concept of traditional art … paints, textures, brushes, canvas … until he discovered a brand new canvas. While Greg was in college studying Fine Arts and graphic design, Apple released the first of its “artistic” computers, the SE 30. With the help of an equally intrigued professor, Greg quickly converted to digital design on the Apple.

As Vice President, Director of Interactive Design at The Cirlot Agency, Greg is instrumental in the initial design and development strategy for interactive websites, micro-sites and technology platforms. In addition, he oversees digital design work and provides direction for interactive creative, videos and television for regional, national and international accounts.

Greg has been instrumental in developing The Cirlot Agency’s Interactive Media division, and has produced web work for clients such as The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, The Air Force Historical Foundation, Bell Helicopter, Textron AirLand, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Coast Guard, Sanderson Farms Championship, Mississippi Power, Habitat for Humanity, Longleaf Camo, C Spire, and many others.

Greg graduated from The University of South Alabama with a double major, which includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fine Art with an emphasis in painting and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design.

Lynda Lesley

Vice President
Creative Director

Lynda Lesley

V.P., Creative Director

Lynda’s destiny was pretty evident when, as a toddler, she sang ad jingles instead of nursery rhymes – and sold her sister on the idea that playing “commercial” was more fun than playing “house.” Today, Lynda is still playing “commercial” … but now, she makes her livelihood doing it.

As V.P., Creative Director for The Cirlot Agency, Lynda concepts, writes and executes creative work ranging from sales literature and digital ads to television commercials and interactive media for regional, national and international accounts. Lynda has acted as Creative Director and lead writer on all communications for the Mississippi, Believe It! campaign, as well as communications for myriad private and public companies including Bell Helicopter, Northrop Grumman, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Elbit Systems of America, Textron, Bush Brothers & Company, Sanderson Farms, and many others.

She also provides strategic planning services to clients in brand development, marketing, advertising and public relations venues; discerns and communicates initial strategy direction for various projects to creative staff; supervises copywriters and art directors; provides quality assurance on all creative and public relations projects; presents creative work to clients; and executes various administrative duties. In her 32 years at The Cirlot Agency, Lynda has helped garner hundreds of awards for the Agency’s clients, including Telly’s, Communicators, Addy’s, Lanterns, Crystals, etc.

Lynda is also known for her charitable activities, including work for the March of Dimes, Special Olympics, Friends of the Jackson Zoo, Gateway Rescue Mission and Willowood Developmental Center, to name a few. She is also an Elder at Fondren Presbyterian Church.

Lynda is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in advertising with a minor in marketing. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for USM’s School of Mass Communications and Journalism.

Lisa Comer

Vice President
Director Business Development Strategy

Lisa Stewart Comer

V.P., Director, Business Development Strategy

Having had both grandfathers serve in WWII – one in the U.S. Army and the other as a medic in the U.S. Navy – Lisa has been especially proud of the work done at The Cirlot Agency for our nation’s military and the defense industry.

As Vice President, Director of Business Development Strategy, Lisa has worked on such accounts as Aerospace Industries Association, AIRBUS, ATK, Northrop Grumman, Capewell Aerial Systems, and Elbit Systems of America, a subsidiary of Israel’s largest defense company, to name a few.

A particular strength of Lisa’s is her ability to facilitate the strategic planning process. Lisa acts as a specialist within our proprietary brand development process, helping to discern perceived company value and mapping out possible growth avenues with an eye toward increasing actual sales to customers.

Day to day, Lisa serves as the direct liaison between the client and the firm’s creative, market research, media, and public relations departments to develop effective business development results for her clients, on time and within budget. Also serving as brand watchdog, Lisa works with her clients to be sure that all messages, both internal and external, are consistent and on target.

Lisa’s responsibilities also include a comprehensive understanding of the clients’ target audience and product/service portfolio, along with the ability to effectively gauge competitors’ efforts and assist in the development of strategies to combat those efforts. With that, a great deal of time is spent researching the industry and competitors’ campaigns.

After attending Mississippi College, Lisa joined The Cirlot Agency’s team in 1994. A true philanthropist at heart, Lisa also volunteers for many non-profits, including Habitat for Humanity, the March of Dimes, Here’s Life Mission to Africa, Mistletoe Marketplace, Friends of the Jackson Zoo, and has volunteered in many capacities as a member of the Junior League of Jackson.

Steve Erickson

Vice President
Director of Creative Design

Steve Erickson

V.P., Director of Creative Design

From his earliest years, Steve showed an affinity for the arts. In fact, one of his most memorable gifts as a child was a drum set, which sparked a love of music that lives to this day. Since 1980, Steve has been involved in performing, producing and recording music. He studied jazz under the late Lee Fortier, trumpeter for Woody Herman’s Big Band. Steve plays a variety of instruments but considers drums and percussion his instruments of choice. He considers it a privilege to have performed and opened for acts like Alan Jackson, Charlie Daniels, Alabama, Hank Williams, Jr., and Ricky Skaggs, to name a few.

Steve has a diverse background in the advertising industry. He has art directed photography, booked model talent and created ads for fashion publications and newspapers in New Orleans, Atlanta, Dallas and St. Louis. He has also created innovative direct mail, sales promotions for special events, and storewide campaigns for department store chains such as Goudchaux’s, Maison Blanche, Proffitts, Venture and McRae’s.

Currently Vice President, Director of Creative Design for The Cirlot Agency, Steve is able to put his creative abilities to work in promoting everything from battleships to baked beans. His account experience includes developing concepts and design for clients such as Shared Health Mississippi, Wayne-Sanderson Farms, the Sanderson Farms Championship, Bush Brothers & Company, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Textron Systems, Northrop Grumman, Elbit Systems of America, Bell Helicopter, the U.S. Coast Guard, Raytheon, Community Bank, and St. Dominic Hospital, among many others.

Steve oversees the artistic development of marketing and promotional materials, including print, television and outdoor advertisements, collateral materials, websites, social media graphics, eblasts and internal and external corporate publications. Steve also supervises graphic artists, photographers, and illustrators on projects and works with copywriters to develop strategies for advertising campaigns.

Steve majored in Graphic Design at Louisiana State University, from which he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Sabrina Turner

Director of Brand Strategy

Sabrina Turner

Director of Brand Strategy

As an avid equestrian who competes on a national level, Sabrina has grown up competing in an industry where a single brand carries the histories of the champion horses and riders that have come before them. She understands a brand means more to an audience than a logo on a shirt. As such, it is only fitting her passion has bled into the work she performs every day.

As Director of Brand Strategy, Sabrina is responsible for the development, execution, and oversight of overall brand and marketing operations for the Agency’s clients. She excels at managing integrated marketing campaigns that both establish and differentiate new and existing brands in their markets of choice. Through her aptitude for data analytics, Sabrina translates key metrics into actionable objectives for both B2B and B2C clients. In addition to leading several regional, national and international accounts, Sabrina is responsible for public relations efforts and media relations for the Sanderson Farms Championship, Mississippi’s only PGA TOUR event.

Sabrina currently serves as President of the Mississippi Amateur Quarter Horse Association, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports and promotes the welfare of the American Quarter Horse. Through her work with the organization, Sabrina donates her time to support the annual Dixie National Equestrians with Disabilities horse show and the Dixie Challenge, a Semper Fi & America’s Fund event for wounded veterans.

Sabrina is a graduate of The University of Alabama where she holds a Master of Arts in Advertising and Public Relations. Before achieving her master’s degree, Sabrina played Division I softball at Mississippi State University where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Risk Management and Insurance.

How you say “Cirlot”

No matter how you say it, Cirlot can help you figure out the rhyme and reason of your global brand strategy, integrated communications and business development needs.

WE ARE OUR CLIENTS'
MOST FERVENT ALLY.

We take a hard look at where you are … and envision where we can take you. We bring every advantage to you to establish, enhance and protect your corporate image and position you in your marketplace.

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WHO WE ARE