Independent media advisory · Chicago
Build a media operation you can trust.
I help CMOs, media leaders and procurement teams get clear on agency economics, install real governance, and bring media in-house when it makes sense — without the holding-company spin.
The situation
Most media operations weren't designed. They accumulated.
Opaque agency economics
You can't see what your agency keeps versus what reaches working media. Tech fees, principal-based buying and rebates sit outside the reports you're given.
Governance by opinion
No KPI hierarchy, no SLAs, no decision-rights matrix. Quarterly reviews become debates about whose numbers are right.
In-housing without a plan
Bringing media in-house is a talent, tech and contract problem at once. Done loosely, it costs more than the agency did.
How I help
Three engagements. Defined scope, defined outcomes.
Agency Transparency Audit
Know exactly where every media dollar goes.
Contract, fee and supply-path review against market benchmarks. You get a recovery model your CFO and procurement team can act on.
ExploreMedia Governance Sprint
Put control back in the client's hands.
Decision rights, KPI hierarchy, vendor SLAs and a reporting cadence your agencies are held to — designed, documented and installed.
ExploreIn-Housing Roadmap
Build the team without losing performance.
Hybrid model design, org and hiring plan, ad-tech selection, privacy-compliant implementation and transition management.
ExploreSelected work
Moving $150M of media in-house for a Fortune 500 CPG brand.
Hybrid operating model design, a 25-person team built and upskilled, privacy-compliant tech implementation, a new analytics framework and a managed transition — with performance held through the cutover.
Read the case studyWhy JDKCHI
"I spent twenty years inside the holding companies. I know where the margin sits, how the contracts are written, and what a client should be asking for. Now I sit on the client's side of the table."
Jon Krasnoff
Founder · Omnicom, WPP, IPG Kinesso, Dentsu Merkle
Independent
No media buying, no rebates, no platform incentives.
Senior, hands-on
You work with me directly — not a junior team.
Scoped
Fixed deliverables and timelines. No retainer drift.
Let's look at your media operation together.
A 30-minute call. You'll leave with a clear read on where the risk and the opportunity sit — whether or not we work together.
Book a strategy call