Mirimar has named Zach Foster as its new chief strategy officer (CSO), the agency confirmed to ADWEEK. He succeeds Meredith Chase, who left the post in 2023.
Foster brings over 15 years of experience to Mirimar. He joins the indie agency full-time after working with the team as a freelance partner for the past two years.
Before that, the exec worked on strategy at agencies such as Droga5, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, and Venables Bell & Partners. He also founded his own consultancy firm, FosterBrands, in 2021.
Whereas Chase prioritized new business, Foster’s goal is to build a team of full-time strategists to integrate insights from culture, media, entertainment, and social media. Mirimar currently leans on a “core group” of senior-level freelancers for its strategy needs, he said, but the exec plans to add non-traditional creatives and strategists to “flex into different roles and have the versatility to put on different hats.”
Foster will also prioritize collaboration amongst his team, clients, and their media agencies.
“Mirimar has functioned without a formal strategy function for a while, and so part of my job is figuring out what our people need, what our clients need, and what’s the right role of strategy within Mirimar,” he said.
Foster will be based in St. Louis, Mo., and report to the agency’s co-founders: chief executive officer (CEO) Luke McKelvey and chief creative officer (CCO) John McKelvey.
Freelancer-turned-C-suite exec
At Droga5 in New York City, Foster worked closely alongside John to help launch Under Armour’s women’s business. He also worked on accounts like Prudential and Puma.
“We are building Mirimar to be the place where our team and clients can do the best work of their careers, and Zach is exactly who we need to do to accomplish this,” John said in a statement. “Zach’s ability to build deep, trusted client relationships makes him an invaluable addition as we evolve.”
As a freelance consultant under FosterBrands, the exec has partnered with brands including Netflix, Instacart, Microsoft, and Upwork, as well as agencies like The Martin Agency, United Talent Agency, and Saatchi & Saatchi.
Foster first worked with Mirimar on a behind-the-scenes project for Instacart in 2023. Last year, he helped the agency win Rocket Companies, becoming its creative agency of record (AOR). He has also had a hand in ideating the brand’s refresh and its recent Super Bowl 59 spot.
