TAMPA, Fla., March 27, 2023 – Schifino Lee, a leading national advertising and branding agency, today announced that it has named Jeff Philbin to the role of partner, in recognition of his achievements and in alignment with the agency’s goals amid a rapidly evolving marketing landscape. He joins agency founders Paola Schifino and Ben Lee and is the first partner to be named since the founding of the agency, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
Philbin joined the agency in May 2021 as Director of Business Strategy and was initially responsible for new-business development. He quickly expanded his role at the agency, becoming a senior account manager for select clients, then adding talent recruitment and management of strategic agency partners, and also taking on the role of media spokesperson for the agency and for tourism industries across the Tampa Bay area.
“Jeff has been named a partner because he earned it,” said Ben Lee, co-founder, Schifino Lee. “Since joining our agency almost two years ago, Jeff has re-energized our new-business outreach, strengthened our pipeline of prospects, landed several major clients, and taken on agency management responsibilities. On top of this, he’s an incredibly fun and positive person to work with.”
Among Schifino Lee’s clients, which include Alessi Foods, Coast Automotive, The Bank of Tampa, the Cross-Bay Ferry, Kimmins Contracting, MGT, the Steel Manufacturers Association, and UBS Wealth Management USA, Philbin has played an instrumental role in landing several new clients, such as Florida Advanced Spine & Orthopedics, the Florida Bar, Hyde Park Capital, and MaintenX.
“We’ve now moved past the COVID era and entered a time where ad agencies are having to operate more quickly and nimbly in order to keep pace with the accelerating rate of change in the advertising market,” said Paola Schifino, co-founder, Schifino Lee. “Jeff’s skill and experience will play a crucial role in enabling us to continue to pivot to this changing agency business model. With our senior leadership team now expanded by a third with Jeff’s addition, we’re now able to better divide senior responsibilities to more strategically focus on high-priority goals as well as have more time for less urgent and more long-range goals.”
Philbin brings more than 10 years of experience in senior marketing and business development roles, both through the entrepreneurial businesses he founded as well as through other Tampa Bay companies, including Helicon, Burger 21 International, PPK, and Grillsmith Restaurants.
“I’m extremely privileged and honored to be chosen to join the Schifino Lee partner team and continue our agency’s 30-year legacy of excellence in advertising, branding, and communication,” said Philbin. “We’re well prepared for the challenges of today’s rapidly changing economy and marketing landscape, and we’re excited about what business opportunities lie ahead for us and the fast-moving Tampa Bay media market.”
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