John Gardner is a senior marketing executive, agency builder, and growth strategist who helps creative and marketing firms evolve for the modern era.

As Principal of GrowthWave™ by ROJEK, John leads engagements that strengthen agency performance, positioning, and leadership alignment. His focus: helping agency owners and CEOs grow smarter, move faster, and lead through change with confidence.

With over 25 years of experience across independent and network agencies, John has led transformation efforts at every stage of the business — from startups to global networks. Before joining ROJEK, he served as President & CEO of Luckie & Company, where he modernized the firm into a data-driven, technology-enabled marketing agency serving major brands in healthcare, CPG, travel, and financial services.

Prior to Luckie, John held leadership roles at Braindance and imc², where he helped pioneer creative, technology, digital-first and CRM-led growth strategies for national brands. He also founded Integrative Logic, an analytics and digital agency that was later acquired and integrated into Luckie — giving him firsthand experience in both building and scaling successful agencies.

John’s approach is deeply collaborative — on the whiteboard with clients, not behind a desk — blending strategic clarity with operational precision.

What John Believes

“Agencies don’t need another process. They need a trusted partner who’s lived their challenges — someone to help them connect strategy, culture, and performance into one clear path forward.”

John’s educational background includes a B.A. in Political Science and Government History from The University of Alabama and an M.B.A. from University of Alabama at Birmingham. John is also very involved in giving back to his community by volunteering and holding leadership positions in several organizations from board member to Chairman of the Board of Advisors.