About

Prior to starting Knecht Solutions, LLC., Karla Knecht spent over 29 years serving in various roles within Starcom, a Publicis Media Agency. She served as the Chief Operating Officer for Starcom US, where she drove operational excellence both internally and with clients. She oversaw the Starcom US Analytics & Technology practice, new client onboarding, and served as the connector for Starcom clients into the Holding Company Operating System. Her role was to ensure that people, processes, and technology were optimized to meet client needs. In her former role as the Chief Client Officer, she had client responsibilities over 60% of US revenue which was comprised of half of the Chicago-based clients and the entire Starcom NY office. During her tenure, she worked across various categories including: Consumer Packaged Goods, Pharmaceuticals, Retail, Entertainment, Insurance, Restaurants, Airlines, Government, serving tops clients: Novartis, Lowes, Mars-Wrigley, Luxottica, Alcon, Fairlife, Paper & Packaging Board, Altria, Blue Cross Blue Shield, PUIG, ESPN, Grupo Bimbo, Wingstop, Olive Garden, Allstate, Esurance, Abbott, Applebee’s, ComEd, Delta Air Lines, Heinz, Maytag, Oracle, Sealy Mattresses, American Egg Board, Keebler.

She is a master of collaboration, partnering with clients and their marketing agencies to implement business-building ideas that generate cost-efficient results. She recognizes the power of precision marketing and the influence of data on the industry. Under her leadership, Keebler undertook its first foray into the digital space. Applebee’s was a first mover in the addressable TV space, and Allstate benefited from her leadership in developing a one-of-a-kind cross-channel attribution beta test that linked first-party transaction data to media exposure.

She builds teams that foster innovation, exemplified by launching the Effie-winning Allstate Mayhem campaign, winning the first Gold Lion for Starcom via the Allstate Save 11 campaign, and receiving an award for Ad Week’s Media Plan of the Year for the best use of Programmatic for Mars Petcare. She was also recognized in 2018 as a She Runs It Working Mother of the Year.

In May 2024, Karla launched Knecht Solutions LLC., a consultancy focused on helping clients and small agencies through key marketing challenges such as:

  • Interim Leadership & Media Support – Provide interim media and marketing leadership to bridge talent gaps during hiring or leave periods within a client’s organization.

  • Organizational Improvements and Enhancements – Evaluate and optimize the client’s operational and organizational structures (internal and external) to enhance accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness.

  • Agency Reviews, Onboarding & Agency Transition –Guide the RFI/RFP process, facilitate post-agency pitch transition of services and partnership engagement, ensure alignment on goals, workflows, and performance expectations.

  • Procurement & Contract Optimization – Review and assess contracts, including preparation, negotiations, and delivery processes, to identify cost savings and operational improvements, thereby maximizing the ROI for both the client company and the businesses and services they engage with.

  • Thought Leadership – Share experience and insights on the marketplace and how to effectively navigate client & agency dynamics.