Who you work with as a client matters. A LOT. And we think we got it right.

Our People

MEET THE PEOPLE WHO HELP YOUR BRAND MEET PEOPLE

Who you work with as a client matters. A LOT. And we think we got it right. All of GRP Media’s clients enjoy high-touch service from the team of GRPers assigned to their business. And each client team is led by one of our senior level veterans who has a wealth of industry experience, including working with some of the world’s largest brands and media firms. Consistent senior level attention is a client guarantee at GRP Media.

Guy is the agency’s founder and President/CEO, which is the same title he took when he started his first ad agency, AdVantage Advertising (clever, huh?) as a junior at the University of Texas. A start in advertising sales uprooted him from his native Texas and a career selling print, broadcast, and out-of-home helped prepare him for “the other side of the desk.” What he learned along the way was that each client deserves to be treated like they are the only one, that each GRPerson should be treated like they own the business, and that sales reps should be treated like agency partners, not suppliers.

Those attitudes have allowed GRP Media to grow into one of the largest independent media agencies in the Midwest. Showing growth year over year is always a goal and GRP Media has grown over 20% a year, every year, since 2002. That growth has been fueled by client satisfaction scores in the 96% range and an employee base that shows very little turnover.

An empty nester, Guy lives with his wife Jen and a not so well trained chocolate lab. He is available at any time by cell, unless his beloved Longhorns are playing, then you will go straight to voicemail. He is a passionate (and frequent) golfer, just check out the collection of golf pencils on his desk!

Guy Lay

CHAIRMAN, CEO

Bob joined GRP Media in the role of EVP Managing Director in 2014 and was elevated to President in 2019.

Born and raised in the Chicagoland area (he’d never stray too far from his beloved Cubbies), Bob has 30 years of agency experience under his belt. With previous stints at FCB/Chicago, Element79 Partners and Omnicom’s OMD, Bob brings to GRP Media some especially broad client and category experience that includes Kraft, SC Johnson, Quaker Oats, Barilla Pasta, Citibank, Walgreens, PetSmart, Gatorade, Tropicana, Coors and Porsche.

This vast client experience means that Bob has dealt with just about every strategic marketing issue and media vehicle that’s out there, and that’s a good thing for GRP Media’s staff and their clients. Bob’s zeal for getting his clients’ ads in front of the right people in the right places at the right times goes all the way back to his college days at Indiana University where he was exposed to a Media Planning 101 course as part of his Journalism curriculum and he decided then and there to pursue a career in media strategy.

Residing in the northern suburb of Northbrook, Bob has three kids and a very chill box turtle named Stanley. He is still in shock that his beloved Cubbies won the World Series a few years back and hopes to live to see another. He’s also a frustrated, but very addicted weekend golfer still on a quest to record his first hole-in-one. A man can dream…

Bob Porcaro

PRESIDENT

John heads up GRP Media’s operations, including Accounting, IT, HR and Research & Resources. He started his career in the media department of J. Walter Thompson at about the time Lotus 1-2-3 was introduced and in the entire agency of 700 workers, a personal computer could not be found. Four years later, he’d created a spreadsheet that allowed a planner to analyze dozens of media plan options in seconds, instead of hours with a pad of paper and calculator. He rose to Associate Media Director at Bayer Bess Vanderwarker before transitioning into full-time IT, Research and Operations responsibilities. In 1996 he helped Guy Lay open our doors and bring us to where we are today.

Golf, the Michigan Wolverines and his weekend home in New Buffalo are his major diversions.

John Reebel

EVP, COO

Jen has worked in media for 25+ years both on the agency side and sales side of the business. Upon graduating from Denison University, Jen began her journey in media at Leo Burnett where she supervised media teams on United Airlines and P&G before crossing over to print media sales. After a 10-year run in sales management with some top publishing firms including Time Inc. and Conde Nast, she returned to her roots in the media planning and buying world at GRP Media in 2002. At GRP Media, Jen has led clients small and large, bringing strategic leadership to brands and businesses such as American Girl, Abercrombie & Kent, Grant Thornton LLP, redbox, New Chapter, Invesco and PowerShares.

Jen is married to Guy Lay, founder of GRP Media, and has two grown children and a chocolate lab. Jen enjoys traveling to her favorite beach destinations, going on a yoga retreat or skiing in the Colorado Rockies.

Jennifer Lay

EVP, MEDIA DIRECTOR

Jill has been in the media business for 20+ years. Hailing from the Hawkeye State, Jill began working at Meredith Corporation throughout her stint at Drake University on various editorial projects. Jill moved up north to the land of 10,000 lakes and began working at Martin|Williams. A desire for brighter lights and warmer summers sent her packing to Chicago where she landed at GRP Media after a sales rep told her about how great it was to work with the people there.

Client experience includes: Abbott, BMO Harris Bank, Cargill, Donato's Pizza, Duke's Mayonnaise, Grant Thornton, Jockey, Lincoln Financial Group, Marvin Windows, Northern Trust, Propane Education & Research Council, Redbox and Terlato Wines.

Jill lives in Chicago with her husband and children. They enjoy traveling, snowboarding, and spending as much time as possible near the water.

Jill Arthur

SVP, MANAGING DIRECTOR

Agency Leadership

A native Chicagoan, Kim is GRP Media’s VP, Broadcast Director. Kim joined GRP Media in 2003 after doing time at Lois/EJL, DDB and Omnicom’s OMD Chicago. During her over 20 years in “the business,” Kim has worked with clients in virtually every imaginable category, providing her with a wealth of knowledge and experiences. A tough but fair negotiator, Kim believes that the best deal leaves everyone feeling like they left the table winners.

Kim’s dedication to GRP Media’s clients shows in all she does. She excels at finding different ways to make a splash, whether lighting the Chicago skyline blue or developing promotions with media outlets and sports teams. Kim’s ideas and expertise go well beyond “spots and dots.”

Having earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Illinois, Kim bleeds orange and blue, especially during basketball season crypto news. She and her family live in the northern suburbs of Chicago, where Kim can be found reveling in her two passions, her family and Pearl Jam.

Kim Haskell Neiman

VP, VIDEO/AUDIO DIRECTOR

Joe somewhat unknowingly began his career in media by responding to a help-wanted ad for a mail clerk position after graduating from San Francisco State University. He took the position with the hopes of working hard and getting a chance to prove himself and start his move up the ladder. After a year on the job, Joe’s plan started to pay off when he was offered and accepted a junior marketing position which ultimately set him on the path to a career in media strategy.

Joe has been at GRP Media for a little over half of his near two-decade long media career. He currently oversees a passionate and engaged team of GRPers leading the day-to-day charge on the Invesco and American Century Investments businesses.

Outside of work Joe is devoted to his family, enjoys being outdoors as much as the Chicago weather will possibly allow and absolutely LOVES driving his Cooper Mini (VERY FAST).

Joe Soriano

VP, GROUP MEDIA DIRECTOR

Colleen is a graduate of the University of Arizona (go Wildcats!) with a BA in Marketing and a minor in Spanish. Moving from Arizona to Chicago in the Fall of 2011, she loves living near the Lake and has become an expert at surviving Illinois winters.

She was searching for a career that would combine the two halves of her brain – one part analytical, with a knack for puzzles and one part creative, with a passion for doodling. She found that home at GRP Media.

In her free time, she loves reading as many books as she can, iced coffee (even if it’s 10 degrees outside), all things Disney and anything else that makes her feel like a kid again.

Colleen Maguire

GROUP MEDIA DIRECTOR

With over 20+ years of media strategy experience, Mara brings a valuable mix of digital and traditional experience to GRP.  Her 360 degree view of strategic media plans is invaluable given the constantly evolving and fragmented state of today's advertising environment. Mara's passion lies in advocating all things digital; she has managed and implemented strategic digital media plans that include Social, Native, SEM, Programmatic, Mobile, Video, Lead Gen, Retail, Influencer Marketing, and Content Marketing.

Mara’s prior agency experience includes Initiative Media, Zocalo Group, Conroy Media, and Draft/FCB. Her extensive category experience includes Healthcare, Entertainment, CPG, Education, Financial, B2B, E-commerce, Retail, Telco, and Aerospace.

A native Chicagoland resident, Mara lives in the suburbs along with her husband, two kids and an Airedale Terrier named Nymeria. They enjoy playing Spikeball, “bored” games, and riding on the hundreds of miles of biking trails right outside their front door.

Mara Schneider

GROUP DIRECTOR, PERFORMANCE MEDIA

Client Leadership

Born and raised in Chicago, Anthony attended St. Rita High School and, upon graduation, decided to stay close to home at Benedictine University. At Benedictine, Anthony majored in Business Administration and Marketing, and was a part of the university's Black Student Union and track team. Shortly after graduating from college, he pledged to Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and began his career in digital marketing.
Anthony is excited to be joining GRP Media and working with clients on their performance media strategies.

Anthony Driver

PERFORMANCE MEDIA ANALYST

Ashlyn moved to Chicago shortly after graduating from the University of Kansas in 2023. She holds a Marketing and Entrepreneurship degree and was a part of the university's Marketing Club. She has professional experience in marketing and sales through her previous role at CommScope. Ashlyn is excited to be a part of the GRP Media team and grow in her professional career.
In her free time, Ashlyn loves to take yoga classes at CorePower Yoga, explore the city, and try out new restaurants with her friends. As a Kansas City native, she is excited to experience life in Chicago.

Ashlyn Horton

ASSISTANT MEDIA PLANNER

Caitlin joined GRP Media in 2024 after graduating from the University of Dayton in May 2023 as a marketing major. She was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, studied abroad in Rome, and was the captain of the university's Women’s Club Lacrosse team. As an Evanston, Illinois native, she has always loved all things Chicago, and specifically Chicago summers. In her free time, you can find Caitlin at the beach, at a Cubs game, or trying out a new restaurant or workout class. Caitlin is excited about working at GRP Media alongside a dynamic and skilled team of professionals.

Caitlin Murphy

Ellie started her career at GRP Media in 2022 after graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in Political Science and double minor in Law, Justice, Policy & Public Relations. Her interest in media stems from her experience working on politicians’ social media campaigns and exposure teams.

When Ellie isn’t working, you can find her taking walks to a local farmers' market, reading Colleen Hoover books, and cooking homemade meals.

Ellie Elkin

MEDIA SUPERVISOR

Emmy joined the GRP Media team in April 2018 after spending a year and half pursuing different opportunities in the media industry. Prior to that, she studied Marketing at the University of Dayton. As a native of Louisville, Kentucky, she moved to Chicago a year after graduation to work and live in one of her favorite cities! She is excited to work with and learn from all of the talented people at GRP Media.
 
Emmy loves exploring Chicago and finding out all that it has to offer. Being from Kentucky, she enjoys horse racing and University of Kentucky Basketball. In her free time, she loves to try new restaurants or head to the lakefront with friends and enjoy the beach in the summer days. Although she misses Kentucky winters, nothing beats a Chicago summer.

Emmy Pickerill

ASSOCIATE MEDIA DIRECTOR

Lily moved to Chicago shortly after she graduated from The Ohio State University in 2023 with a degree in Strategic Communications. Lily has experience in social media marketing spanning from content creation to analyzing the intricacies of social media analytics, where she discovered her love for the behind-the-scenes magic of campaigns. She is also self-taught in website development, leveraging her skills to transform brands' online presence through website optimization, intuitive design, and user experience enhancements. She has a never ending eagerness to learn and grow in the ever changing world of digital marketing.
You can find Lily during the weekends walking on Lakeshore, trying out new coffee shops in the city or with her nose in a new book.

Lily Collignon

Linda is a 20+ year GRPer. In her role as Office Manager, she is responsible for office procedures, supplies and ensuring everyone has what they need to do their jobs well. Linda uses her organizational skills to ensure smooth daily operations within GRP's very busy work environment. In addition to her operations responsibilities, Linda plays a key role in GRP's accounts payable process; seeing to it that our vendor partners get paid in a timely manner.

A longtime Chicago resident, Linda lives in the southwest suburbs with her two loveable dogs. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family/grilling/swimming/watching horror movies, and having fun with her grandson.

Linda Bustos

OFFICE MANAGER

Lydia, a native of Columbus, Ohio, is an accomplished professional with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Central State University, which she earned in 2016. With a strong foundation in finance and a passion for customer service, Lydia has cultivated a diverse and extensive career in marketing, encompassing various facets such as leading a social media marketing team, PPC, and Direct Marketing. She is enthusiastic about embarking on her new journey with the GRP Media Team and is eager to build meaningful connections within the organization.

Outside of work, Lydia's a real foodie, always up for trying new recipes and exploring new restaurants. She's also a big fan of anime and cosplay and enjoys going to anime conventions. Lydia is passionate about the community and giving back and community service is near and dear to her heart. Family means the world to Lydia, and she cherishes quality time with her loved ones. She enjoys taking walks in downtown Chicago and taking in the historic architecture.

Lydia Curtis

PERFORMANCE MEDIA SUPERVISOR

McKenzie joined the GRP Media team in March 2019 after starting her career at a large media agency supporting a varied list of clients. Prior to that, she studied New Media and Communication Technology at THE (had to say it!) Ohio State University. This Michigan resident, who became a Buckeye has a love for urban settings and knew Chicago would be her first stop after college. It has been everything she hoped for! McKenzie is excited to learn from and grow in her career in media alongside the amazing people at GRP Media. McKenzie has a passion for traveling and exploring new cultures, she loves her barre classes, cheering on the Buckeyes and checking Chicago restaurants off her list, as she experiences the “foodie” scene that Chicago offers.

McKenzie Borland

Nicolle joined the GRP Media Team in May of 2021 after graduating from Grand Valley State University. During her years as a GVS Laker, Nicolle was a member of the Delta Zeta sorority, she studied abroad in Europe, and had the opportunity to explore pure Michigan in all its glory.

Nicolle attributes her love for city living to the many amazing restaurants and coffee shops that Grand Rapids had to offer-- her bank account did not appreciate that, while her belly definitely did. She could not wait to get back home to start her career somewhere in “the Windy City”! Nicolle is so excited to learn and grow as an advertising professional with such a knowledgeable group of people at GRP Media.

Outside the office, you can typically find Nicolle at the gym, at a happy hour with friends, on a long walk with the pup or cheering on the Minnesota Vikings.