ACCREDITATIONS

We are proud to be certified members of the following organizations
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who we are

We are different from traditional agency auditors.

We are a team of advertising and media “trust but verify” audit specialists with
50+ years of combined experience
having worked at large global consultancies as well as media/advertising agencies.

Our focus is on transparency and assisting advertisers with the most cost-effective way to get the facts, assess financial stewardship, and improve processes with marketing groups and agencies.

We do this with minimal disruption for both clients and their agency partners.

We are very knowledgeable with both production and media transparency issues and deeply familiar with the ANA report and findings.

We are independent and do not own or operate media/advertising agencies like many of the accounting and consulting firms - so we are objective.

We are nimble and can start work quickly – all without the bureaucracy and intensive administrative burden of the accounting and consulting firms.

We are CPA-owned and an accredited AICPA member firm.

We are LGBT-owned and assist clients with meeting their supplier diversity requirements

We cover all types of marketing agencies
  • • Creative
  • • Media planning/buying
  • • Digital
  • • Consumer promotions
  • • Direct marketing
  • • Barter
  • • Marketing research
  • • Production houses
  • • Database Marketing
  • • Branding
  • • Meeting & Events
  • • Sponsorship
  • • Sports Marketing
  • • Public relations
  • • Fulfillment
  • • Call centers
  • • In-house agencies and studios
  • • Printing and graphics
  • • Healthcare
  • • Customer Relationship Management
  • • Multicultural

what we do

We offer unique services to make the agency audit process easier.

Our approach is geared toward providing the greatest flexibility of your internal resources and our process is simpler and more cost-effective than a traditional agency audit.

Our focus touches upon identifying areas of non-transparency in addition to identifying cost savings and process opportunities to improve the overall financial stewardship within the advertiser/agency relationship.

We provide actionable recommendations for our clients that are practical and easy to implement.

Guidance
Package

Perfect for advertisers who have the internal resources to conduct agency audits

Performance
Package

Perfect for advertisers
who want to outsource the agency audit function

Guidance Package

Perfect for advertisers who have the internal resources to conduct agency audits but may lack the industry knowledge and experience.
  • • Guide your people – whether Internal Audit, Finance, Procurement, or Special Project team - so they can perform agency audits with our supervision and participation
  • • Provide you with the know-how on performing agency audits of any type (e.g., creative, media, direct marketing, public relations, event/meeting, consumer promotions, etc.)
  • • Implement industry leading practices
  • • Recommend contract improvement opportunities
  • • Assist you with compliance procedures providing cost savings and process improvement
  • • Helps manage process, operations, and controls
  • • Provide results and value to clients
  • • Cover both in-house and third-party agencies
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Performance Package

Perfect for advertisers who want to outsource the agency audit function.
  • • Perform with minimal disruption and faster than a traditional agency audit
  • • Perform high-level data analytics and diagnostics aligned with your contracts
  • • Review agency key reports, metrics, and reconciliations
  • • Recommend contract improvement opportunities and share industry leading practices
  • • Identify cost savings and process improvements
  • • Perform on a periodic basis according to your needs
  • • Cover both in-house and third-party agencies
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industry experience

We have collectively worked with advertisers across all industry sectors, including:

  • • Airlines
  • • Automotive
  • • Financial Services
  • • Insurance
  • • Telecommunications
  • • Entertainment and Media
  • • Retail
  • • Healthcare
  • • Schools & Universities
  • • Utilities
  • • Hotels
  • • Non-Profit
  • • Beverage & Spirits
  • • Consumer Products
  • • Software and Technology
  • • Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences
  • • Private Equity
  • • Travel & Leisure
  • • Restaurants
  • • Casinos
  • • Gaming
  • • Grocery

biographies

Tom Gibney

Tom has worked in advertising/media finance for 25 years. Most recently, he was the Director of Client Financial Services for Re:Sources, the shared service entity for the Publicis Groupe, where he was responsible for the bill/pay and master data management functions for all entities within North America. Prior to that he was the CFO of Consolidated Data Services, the IT shared services company for DAS (a division of the Omnicom Group). While there he built the financial and operational structures to support the rapid growth of the company across two continents.

Tom spent a number of years working in Europe. First in France as the Director of International Finance for Digitas; then in the U.K. as a Regional Finance Director, EMEA, for Vivaki. He also worked with Ken at E&Y as a part of the Marketing & Advertising Risk Services Group. While there he led multiple audits and internal client projects focusing on contract compliance, transparency and process improvement. He has also held various accounting and finance positions at Wunderman, Merkley + Partners, DMB&B (part of Publicis Groupe), and Ogilvy & Mather.

Tom is a licensed attorney, having earned his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. He holds a B.A. in Finance from The Catholic University of America.

Ken Fakler

Ken is the pioneer of the advertising and media agency auditing services in the U.S. Most recently, Ken established and led PwC’s Media and Advertising Assurance (MAAS) practice, after building and leading EY’s practice - for a total of 16 years between the two global audit and consulting companies. He has worked extensively with top global and national advertisers across multiple industries in providing assurance services related to advertising, media, and marketing activities. He has led many media and advertising projects and assessments, which have included cost reduction programs for major advertisers; has helped many organizations increase transparency through implementation of compliance programs across all types of marketing and advertising agencies.

Prior to working at EY and PwC, Ken worked at Y&R and Wunderman, part of WPP group, focusing on financial operations, policies and procedures, and client contracts. He also worked for Publicis Groupe (then DMB&B) for 12 years, where he built and ran the internal audit department, focusing on agency processes, profitability, and governance. Ken began his career at Coopers & Lybrand as an audit professional.

Ken is a CPA and holds an MBA in Accounting and Finance from Northeastern University. He holds a bachelors degree in Marketing and Finance from Boston University. Over the years Ken has been actively involved with the ANA Advertising Financial Management Committee and AAAA sub-committee on Internal Audit.

Tom Gibney

Tom has worked in advertising/media finance for 25 years. Most recently, he was the Director of Client Financial Services for Re:Sources, the shared service entity for the Publicis Groupe, where he was responsible for the bill/pay and master data management functions for all entities within North America. Prior to that he was the CFO of Consolidated Data Services, the IT shared services company for DAS (a division of the Omnicom Group). While there he built the financial and operational structures to support the rapid growth of the company across two continents.

Tom spent a number of years working in Europe. First in France as the Director of International Finance for Digitas; then in the U.K. as a Regional Finance Director, EMEA, for Vivaki. He also worked with Ken at E&Y as a part of the Marketing & Advertising Risk Services Group. While there he led multiple audits and internal client projects focusing on contract compliance, transparency and process improvement. He has also held various accounting and finance positions at Wunderman, Merkley + Partners, DMB&B (part of Publicis Groupe), and Ogilvy & Mather.

Tom is a licensed attorney, having earned his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. He holds a B.A. in Finance from The Catholic University of America.

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Ken Fakler

Ken is the pioneer of the advertising and media agency auditing services in the U.S. Most recently, Ken established and led PwC’s Media and Advertising Assurance (MAAS) practice, after building and leading EY’s practice - for a total of 16 years between the two global audit and consulting companies. He has worked extensively with top global and national advertisers across multiple industries in providing assurance services related to advertising, media, and marketing activities. He has led many media and advertising projects and assessments, which have included cost reduction programs for major advertisers; has helped many organizations increase transparency through implementation of compliance programs across all types of marketing and advertising agencies.

Prior to working at EY and PwC, Ken worked at Y&R and Wunderman, part of WPP group, focusing on financial operations, policies and procedures, and client contracts. He also worked for Publicis Groupe (then DMB&B) for 12 years, where he built and ran the internal audit department, focusing on agency processes, profitability, and governance. Ken began his career at Coopers & Lybrand as an audit professional.

Ken is a CPA and holds an MBA in Accounting and Finance from Northeastern University. He holds a bachelors degree in Marketing and Finance from Boston University. Over the years Ken has been actively involved with the ANA Advertising Financial Management Committee and AAAA sub-committee on Internal Audit.

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