DELAFIELD, Wis. (April 12, 2023) – Leading enthusiast lifestyle agency Gunpowder, Inc. is proud to announce its newly formed executive leadership team, which will focus on growing the business, fostering a collaborative team environment and delivering quality outcomes for clients. The move promotes Carie Breunig to Chief Operating Officer, Leah Berg to President and Caitlin Conley to Vice President of Finance. Agency Founder Ryan Chuckel will remain in the CEO role.

This leadership group is largely responsible for the agency’s substantial growth over the last three years and innovative campaign execution for Gunpowder’s impressive roster of outdoor enthusiast clients, including SITKA Gear, Pure Fishing, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Johnson Outdoors, Breeo, Uncharted Supply Co., and THOR Industries, among others.

The newly formed executive team comprises three women who have been industry and agency trailblazers. With their combined decades of experience working and recreating in the outdoors, they will continue to give women an elevated voice in the outdoor industry.

“Carie, Leah and Caitlin have been instrumental to the success of Gunpowder, and are now stepping into roles that will guide the direction of our agency over the coming years,” said Ryan Chuckel, Founder/CEO of Gunpowder. “We are establishing a more intentional approach to leadership—one that allows me to focus on growing the business while putting key leaders in position to manage the work and our people. We’ve built a phenomenal team—it’s evident in the work we do and our reputation for being one of the best marketing communications groups in the industry. With these changes we are well positioned for long-term growth.”

Chuckel has more than 25 years of experience leading strategy and idea development for some of the world’s most iconic brands and companies like MillerCoors (now MolsonCoors), Wrigley, GoPro, Kraft Heinz and McDonald’s. He has spent a significant part of his career supporting “passion brands” while connecting people to the brands that care about them, their lifestyle and their passion. Whether it’s outdoor pursuits, cooking and food or home improvement and DIY activities, Ryan has poured his heart and soul into brands that live in the heart and soul of their consumer. In 2015, he started Gunpowder Inc. as an agency designed to help passion brands win in a changing media environment, where digital savvy and an agile approach are rewarded.

Breunig, COO of Gunpowder, has 24 years of marketing and communications agency experience, serving large-scale consumer brands such as Costa Sunglasses, GoPro, OPTIMA Batteries, Southwest Airlines Vacations, Cousins Subs, Schneider National, Nestle Healthcare Nutrition, THOR Industries, Pure Fishing and SITKA Gear. Her work in marketing has been diverse but has always been inspired by big ideas. From the coordination of a nationally televised fishing tournament to launching a product on a charter boat in the Channel Islands, Carie is a creative at heart who values strategic thinking combined with breakthrough ideas and flawless execution. Carie’s biggest value is her innate ability to quickly and crisply understand a client’s business needs and drive the execution of programs to success, while effectively managing internal teams.

For the past 15 years, Berg, President of Gunpowder, has built lasting relationships with clients in categories ranging from baby care, running shoes, life insurance, fishing baits and just about everything in between, serving brands such as Northwestern Mutual, Sea Ray, Saucony, P&G’s Pampers and Luvs, General Mills, and Pure Fishing. Leah has an innate ability to lead by example. She’s a thinker, a doer and a valuable client sounding board. Leah has spent much of her career in account management while also diving into strategy and creative work, developing tight-knit relationships with internal teams and combining her strategic and analytical approach with creative ideation.

VP of Finance, Conley, has spent the last 12 years helping businesses and marketing agencies run more efficiently and optimally for financial success. Her knack for problem solving and organization has been instrumental in driving business results for Gunpowder, where she has overseen accounting and business operations since 2019. She has played a pivotal role in overhauling the agency’s accounting and billing systems to facilitate and optimize business with external partners and clients. Caitlin also has implemented processes that have streamlined efficiencies across Gunpowder’s accounting department and business operations, including payables, receivables, payroll, HR/onboarding, IT and tax preparation.