Brian Kristofek

Brian Kristofek is an award-winning brand and creative marketer who has worked with world-class brands like Procter & Gamble, Corona, Disney, Subway, Hilton Worldwide, Polaris, Starbucks, Google, Tyson, New Balance, AT&T and Sony. He is the President & Founder of Joyride Consulting, a marketing consultancy dedicated to businesses that create cultural impact (local businesses, start-ups and nonprofits). Most of his experience is on the agency side. He recently managed a collection of consumer, shopper and hospitality agencies at Advantage Solutions comprised of Upshot, Six Speed, Sunflower Group, Eventus, Halverson Group, IN Connected, Edge, Marlin, Alchemedia Project and CSSI. The majority of his career was at the helm of Upshot, a full-service creative brand marketing agency in Chicago. Brian’s years of brand marketing and agency experience gives him real world perspective as well as proven tools and methodologies spanning brand positioning and all aspects of activation. He is an adept business manager with experience guiding teams through key business pillars of vision/mission/positioning, annual operating plans, budgeting, P/L, financial forecasting, capability development, business development, employer branding and internal communications. Brian has M&A experience on both sell and buy side. He is known as a company culture architect skilled at building collaborative and innovative work cultures. Upshot was recognized as a Top Place to Work by multiple publications for many years under his leadership. Brian has been an industry advocate and a featured speaker on the power of company culture (‘Marketing Your Mojo’), brand activation (creator/host of Brand Brilliance Awards) and retail (‘Intuitive Retail’). He was the co-chair of Brand Activation Association Conference (‘Game Changers’). As a trusted expert he has trained top brands on creative brief, feedback best practices and brand positioning.Brian is a graduate of Marquette University with a BA in Journalism. He resides in Louisville Kentucky. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have two wonderful daughters, Genevieve and Lilah. And a dog named Zoe.