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Brad Deutser’s new book "Belonging Rules" is now available to pre-order. Learn More

Our Team

We are a team united by the diversity of our approach and our experiences

Our Team

Consultants & Creators

We are a multidisciplinary team of consultants, social scientists, creative thinkers, and artists. We think inside the box, but color outside the lines.

Name

Position

Brad Deutser

President & CEO

President & CEO

Bio

Brad works where most people feel uncomfortable and try to avoid. He is known for actively seeking out challenging and charged environments, as well as societal and politically sensitive ones. Creating spaces for belonging and initiating constructs to expand leadership in a more human, connective way has been the focus of his work for decades. 

Brad’s clients and coaching take him to amazing places -- in athletics, aviation, education, entertainment, energy, finance, healthcare, non-profit -- with incredibly thoughtful leaders around the world. He takes on the most high-level challenges forging through them with creativity and grace to design and bring to life the most original solutions. Brad has been called on to define and transition the culture at the NFL’s Houston Texans as well as supporting the transformation of the University of Arizona football program, while serving as a leadership and performance coach to the players as well as executives across the world. He serves as the architect of the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at University of Houston, the three-time recognized #1 entrepreneurial program in the US. The University of Texas selected his approach to navigate complex social and cultural issues. And countless leaders have brought the Deutser team in to navigate generational transitions and conflicts within families and complex companies, to facilitate cultural integration post-merger/acquisition, and to support the health, wellbeing and safety of tens of thousands of employees across too many businesses to name. 

Brad’s first book, Leading Clarity, a national bestseller, is used by organizations to redefine their future and amplify their results. There is an indelible entrepreneurial spirit and passion for people that is evident in Brad and everything he does. One of his greatest passions is to design and create spaces for human connection, which is a hallmark of his work. 

Brad's second book Belonging Rules will be released in the fall of 2023. 

Alan Smith

Principal Consultant, Strategy

Principal Consultant, Strategy

Bio

Alan specializes in strategic planning, organizational alignment and performance improvement. His unique insight, methodical approach and engaging style have been instrumental in successful planning efforts for a diverse array of clients in industries ranging from oil and gas and aviation to healthcare and education. Publicly traded organizations, Fortune 500 companies and leading national businesses have all utilized Alan's strategic expertise to create meaningful strategies that improve overall performance. A graduate of Baylor University, Alan is a certified Balanced Scorecard Professional (BSP) from George Washington University and is certified in Lean Office and Service by the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. 

Diane Pittman

Principal Consultant, Creative

Principal Consultant, Creative

Bio

Diane is a rare creative talent who is able to leverage strategic insight and cultural understanding to “humanize” her highly engaging creative work. She has been responsible for helping to create and reinvigorate some of the most high-profile brands and impact highly important cultural initiatives. Her client experience includes Coca-Cola, Sony, AT&T, M&M Mars, Pfizer, and MetLife. Her work with Ogilvy & Mather, D'Arcy and Young & Rubicam has led to effective, award-winning campaigns. A graduate of The University of Texas, she has been recognized as a national Addy finalist, Clio winner and Cannes Finalist. 

Lauren Gow

Managing Consultant, Events & Experiential

Managing Consultant, Events & Experiential

Bio

Lauren Gow specializes in experiential marketing initiatives that cultivate customer and brand engagement for clients across a wide range of industries. With her expertise in strategic brand development, she creates unforgettable and bespoke initiatives that vary from grass roots marketing efforts to environmental design strategies to large scale events. Lauren’s keen eye for design and thoughtful intentionality ensure that the target audience’s experience is relevant and impactful from the initial touchpoint through the brand journey. Lauren’s award winning work has been featured in Houston Chronicle, CultureMap, Papercity Magazine, Houstonia Magazine and Houston CityBook.

An adopted Houstonian, Lauren is a proud member of the Houston Zoo Conservation Committee and Houston Zoo Facilities Committee. Lauren received a BA in English and a minor in Telecommunications and Film from the University of Alabama.

Catherine Campbell Lane

Managing Consultant, Education & Nonprofits

Managing Consultant, Education & Nonprofits

Bio

Catherine brings extraordinary insights to leading educational institutions and national nonprofit organizations. Within these sectors, she has guided high-profile initiatives to create more aligned and engaged organizations, which has resulted in dramatically increased performance and meaningful change. Catherine has extensive experience working with complex and multifaceted education-based issues and community-engagement challenges at organizations including Collaborative for Children, The American Spectator and Empower America. A graduate of Baylor University, she is passionate about giving back to the community as a member of the Junior League of Houston, as well as serving on a variety of nonprofit boards and education-based steering committees. 

Dr. Isabel Bilotta

Managing Consultant, Head of Learning & Innovation

Managing Consultant, Head of Learning & Innovation

Bio

Izzy received her Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Rice University. She researches diversity, fairness, belonging, and leadership at work. Her work is published in widely cited, peer-reviewed outlets including The Journal of Applied Psychology. She has conducted applied research for The Center for Creative Leadership, The Doerr Institute, and MD Anderson. As a selection specialist at NASA, Izzy helped identify the 2021 class of astronauts, the most demographically diverse group to date. A certified leadership coach, she emboldens clients to achieve their maximum potential using data-driven approaches. Hailing from D.C., Izzy loves the independent, entrepreneurial spirit embodied by Texans. 

Peter Berger

Principal Consultant, Risk & Finance

Principal Consultant, Risk & Finance

Bio

Peter enhances value through enterprise risk management, operations management, and financial analysis. By maturing risk culture and through developing risk architecture and risk appetite, Peter has steered the inclusion of risk management into decision-making. He has a strong understanding of the energy and natural-resource industries, having guided Fortune 500 and multinational companies through acquisitions, divestments, continuous improvement and business transformation initiatives. In multiple international assignments, he has led business-development activities and established new operations. Peter is a Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant. He graduated from Fordham University with a bachelor’s in Business Administration. 

Jill Zaugg

Senior Consultant, Creative

Senior Consultant, Creative

Bio

Jill is a multidisciplinary designer who is passionate about developing thoughtful and relevant work. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Communications from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Texas A&M. Before coming to Deutser, Jill worked at Ogilvy & Mather, J. Walter Thompson, Shell Oil and Phillips 66. With graphic design, production and project-management experience, Jill brings a seasoned, empathetic, and fresh perspective to all projects. Her award-winning work has been achieved through a resourceful, collaborative nature and the fact that no one has ever heard Jill utter the phrase, “It can’t be done.” 

Christy Blackburn

Managing Consultant, Creative

Managing Consultant, Creative

Bio

Christy’s expertise is vast, her experience, varied. During her 25+ year career she has art directed a regional lifestyle magazine, developed and designed “Happy Meals,” worked as senior art director at a Houston advertising agency, and been a “solo-prenuer.” As creative manager at Deutser, she oversees creative and culture workshops, helps with print production, leads design teams to award-winning work, all while having a lot of fun. A graduate of the Art Institute of Houston, Christy’s print work has received much recognition including a Regional Design Award from Print Magazine, local and national ADDYs, and a Gold award from the Independent Publishing Association for cookbook design. 

Peter Morelli

Principal Consultant, Culture

Principal Consultant, Culture

Bio

Peter has over 20 years of management consulting experience. He leads the firm’s Culture practice which includes organizational development, employee engagement and talent optimization. In addition, he directs the Deutser Clarity Institute which focuses on developing unique, creative, and performance-based content, leadership development, organizational research, engaging workshops and publications, a graduate of West Virginia University, Peter studied psychology/sports psychology. He also has a Master's degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Alliant University in San Diego, California. Peter is certified in Coaching for Development (Center for Creative Leadership) and The Balanced Scorecard (George Washington University). He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology and the Society for Consulting Psychology. 

Ashley Deutser

Consultant, Brand Strategy

Consultant, Brand Strategy

Bio

Ashley brings a unique multidisciplinary perspective to all client engagements and a sharp level of thinking and creativity to every project. An entrepreneur in her own right, Ashley brings previous experience working and starting ventures in the food and beverage industry. She excels at brand strategy, research, writing and fostering client relationships. Her resourcefulness and can-do attitude are infectious to others. A Forty Acres Scholar from the University of Texas at Austin, Ashley graduated highest honors with degrees in Business Honors and Plan II. 

Brooke Benninger

Senior Consultant

Senior Consultant

Bio

With over 10 years of experience in the natural gas industry, Brooke brings a unique perspective to the Deutser team. Her previous background in a customer-centric environment coupled with strong project management skills provides an excellent framework for creative, results-driven solutions. She knows that there is no single approach to solving the task at hand and, through collaboration with passionate people, enjoys the process just as much as the end result. Outside of work, Brooke enjoys cooking and interior design and spends her spare time exploring both hobbies in and outside of Houston. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University. 

Santiago Ceballos

Consultant, Creative

Consultant, Creative

Bio

Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, Santiago started his career in the United States as a 3D graphic designer with his family’s prominent kitchen design company. After earning an associate’s degree in graphic design from HCC, he came to Deutser as an intern and immediately won over the entire staff with his exceptional skills and big heart. With a penchant for learning innovative technologies that help propel our clients forward, Santiago has become an integral part of the creative team, working on everything from brand identities to video production, holograms to websites, helicopter design to language translations and more. 

Mandy Ahr

Consultant, Creative

Consultant, Creative

Bio

Mandy is a native Texan with a “world-wild” view. As an experienced designer, she has a distinct eye for detail and a strategic approach to creative. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Advertising from The University of Texas at Austin, and a degree in Design from the Art Institute of Houston. Before joining Deutser, she worked at Savage Brands, Landry’s Inc., Axiom (BrandExtract), and Shell Oil in Houston, Texas; Girvin Strategic Branding and Design in Seattle, Washington; and Robilant Associati, a creative lab in Milan, Italy — where she also became fluent in Italian. Bravissima! And, Mandy's the wrangler of a teenager and three rescue dogs.

Kelsey Fritz

Associate Consultant

Associate Consultant

Bio

Kelsey leverages her experience in the professional sports and entertainment industries to help organizations and their leaders implement necessary change. With an inclination towards high pressure atmospheres and creative problem solving, she has had success leading large production teams to bring sporting events to screens across the country as a live sports television producer. Having also worked for professional sports organizations in both the Los Angeles and Denver markets, she has a passion for business development initiatives and bridging the gap between organizations and their surrounding communities. Kelsey graduated magna cum laude from Liberty University with a bachelor’s in Business Administration: Digital Media and Advertising. 

Jared Cole

Consultant

Consultant

Bio

A native Houstonian, Jared has stayed true to his Texas roots. Prior to joining Deutser, Jared worked for the Houston Texans and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. Growing up and working in a family business, Jared developed an entrepreneurial spirit, fierce work ethic and a unique ability to quickly adapt to any circumstance and resolve challenges. With the Houston Texans, Jared held various roles ranging from leading community development initiatives and grassroots marketing efforts, to facilitating various football operations issues. At Deutser, Jared is working with some of our biggest clients on cultural change, safety initiatives and awareness campaigns. In his free time, Jared volunteers for the Pro Player Foundation and enjoys playing golf and exercising. 

Jennifer Bailey

Senior Consultant, Identity Design

Senior Consultant, Identity Design

Bio

Jennifer has been in the graphic design field for more than 15 years and has worked on many high-profile projects, winning local and national awards along the way. She supports clients in a variety of industries, from education to healthcare to energy. Jennifer brings a keen eye and a unique design expertise to every project she undertakes, whether it’s a website, an outdoor board, a brochure or a one-of-a-kind invitation. Clients appreciate her meticulous attention to detail as she addresses their most pressing and exciting opportunities. Jennifer earned her degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Houston. 

Michelle Hagler

Senior Consultant, Interactive Design

Senior Consultant, Interactive Design

Bio

Michelle is a design professional who brings varied and technically proficient creative talent to her work. She views design as problem-solving, and has expertly executed campaigns built around a variety of design solutions, from digital creation to identity systems, graphic treatments to conceptual videos and print. Among her award-winning portfolio credits are engaging, large-scale high-tech and video presentations, as well as social media design and implementation which she handles for Deutser. Michelle graduated with a communication design degree from Syracuse University and has garnered numerous awards including the American Marketing Association's Crystal Awards and The Tellys. 

Jennifer Huggins

Senior Consultant, Experiential & Production

Senior Consultant, Experiential & Production

Bio

Jennifer is a seasoned marketing and sales professional with 20+ years of experience in the areas of Consumer Packaged Goods, Retail, and Entrepreneurship. With a creative eye and collaborative approach, she has led global, household name brands through brand strategy, integrated marketing, product and project management, and market share growth. She brings her expertise to Deutser with a focus on experiential marketing strategy and implementation, and production sourcing and management. Raised in the piney woods of East Texas, Jennifer grew up splitting her time between city and country before she left for Baylor University where she received her BBA in Marketing. In her spare time, she can be found dilly dallying in her garden, reveling in her role as Aunt, and chasing her Beagle, Phineas. 

Jon Inthavong

Associate Consultant, Creative

Associate Consultant, Creative

Bio

Jon has been a student of life and the graphic design world for over a decade. Jon is known for his infectious laugh and willingness to jump in to help solve any creative challenge. His enthusiastic personality carries into his creative work and especially his passion for environmental design. Rather it be practically, metaphorically, literally, or spiritually, he embraces the importance of communication and connection. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Communications from the University of Houston.

Karen Kain

Managing Consultant, Creative

Managing Consultant, Creative

Bio

Karen has always had a creative eye and positive, infectious spirit. After studying Design Communications at Texas Tech University, she spent more than 22 years honing her art direction skills at some of Houston’s most prestigious advertising agencies. Her conceptual and beautifully designed work for clients like Walmart, Bank of America, Verizon Wireless and Reliant Energy has won awards and, more important, garnered results. At Deutser she applies her exceptional talents to produce intelligent and exquisite campaigns for clients like Houston Community College and Holocaust Museum Houston. When she’s not working, Karen spends her time biking, digging in her garden and playing with her beloved rescue dog, Olive Oyl. 

Caroline Oster

Associate Consultant

Associate Consultant

Bio

After spending three consecutive summers interning with Deutser, Caroline joined our team as an Associate Consultant, where she thrives within the collaborative, fast-paced environment. She embraces the opportunity to develop as a professional and a leader, as well as engage with a wide variety of industries. Caroline’s passion for effective communication shines through her writing, a skill she continues to refine and apply in her role at Deutser. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Human and Organizational Development with a focus on Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness and a minor in Spanish. 

 

Blas Pereyra

Senior Consultant, Creative

Senior Consultant, Creative

Bio

Blas infuses creative strategy and art direction using cross-cultural influences and a perpetual study of design trends. He helps our clients discover more authentic ways to tell their stories by making meaningful connections with real people instead of faceless demographics. His empathic approach to creative helps Deutser craft more impactful experiences. With an insatiable curiosity, Blas continues to grow through the practice of design, connecting questions, truth and ideas to something well made. 

Stefany Recinos

Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant

Bio

Born and raised in Houston – a city with a rich, diverse cultural landscape and a deeply creative spirit – Stefany has always recognized the importance of making space for the differences that make each of us unique. She possesses a profound passion for empowering people and unifying teams to achieve common goals. Stefany began her career in accounting, where she refined her attention to detail, analytical mindset, and developed client relationship management skills. She went on to work as an Interim Executive Assistant, and it was in this role that she quickly discovered her "home" in the professional world. As a direct right-hand to our CEO, Stefany provides independent, high-level support with a talent for seamlessly translating ideas and projects from conceptual form to reality. Her organizational, multitasking, and communication skills, along with her ability to handle diverse tasks, are instrumental in enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and success of the team. Stefany is a graduate of Andrews University.

Caroline Thompson

Consultant

Consultant

Bio

Caroline specializes in marketing, strategy, public relations and communications with clients across a wide range of industries. She has experience in education, real estate, restaurant, and tech fields, and has a passion for building client relationships and business development. Caroline holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Public Relations and Political Communication from the University of Texas at Austin. A Kansas City native, Caroline embraces her new Texas home through volunteering at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. 

Raelyn Wright

Consultant

Consultant

Bio

Raelyn is an experienced consultant and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a degree in Public Relations with a minor in Business. With a strong focus on marketing and communications, Raelyn has showcased her expertise throughout her career. She's held key roles, including Business Affairs Manager at the Houston Texans and Communications Coordinator at Amegy Bank. Raelyn's skills encompass strategic marketing, effective communication, and a talent for crafting engaging narratives. Her well-rounded abilities make her a valuable asset in the consultancy field, where she continues to excel and make her mark.

Our Office

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Our Approach

We pride ourselves on creating and maintaining a healthy work culture where our people thrive.


We practice what we preach to our clients, continuously striving to develop an unparalleled work environment.

 

  • Create Collaboratively

  • Love What We Do & It Shows

  • Think Like an Entrepreneur

  • Lead and Embrace Change

  • Design for Impact

"We believe teams are most productive when fun happens."

D people

Looking to change futures?

Deutser is always evolving and on the look-out for bold, imaginative, and passionate change agents to join our team. Collaboration and creativity infuse everything we do. 

If you’re interested, please reach out here.