Meet the People that Make Grit Go

The Grit Design team comes from a host of different backgrounds. That’s because we believe the best ideas come when many forms of intelligence collaborate to produce a bulletproof idea. One thing we all have in common – a deep-rooted sense of pride in everything we make.

Mark Stewart
Technical Director

In 1993 after completing training in music production, Mark began working as a recording engineer in Toronto where he honed his craft working in studios, touring and working at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In 2000 Mark was one of the core developers of Intra.net, one of the world’s first SaaS products that is still sold to this day. Mark began his agency career at Ogilvy & Mather Detroit where he developed many websites for Ford Customer Service Division and other clients. In 2006 Mark was promoted to Partner, Director of Technical Strategies at Ogilvy Detroit where he led a diverse team of developers to create a Ford Global Marketing Excellence award-winning direct mail program.

Eric D. Livingston
Creative Director

Eric was one of the few corporate branding and advertising leaders who made the jump to digital when the internet was just a fad. With 18 years experience, he’s served as Creative Director for both Razorfish Chicago and Young & Rubicam/Wunderman in Detroit, lending his extensive expertise to major automotive brands like Ford, Cadillac, Lincoln/Mercury, Buick, Land Rover and Jaguar. Eric contributed to the 2004 Mercury Mariner launch with a series of webisodes that made it into AdAge’s top 10 campaigns of the year. His constant drive to seek out what’s next has led him down many paths, giving Eric experience in nearly every business vertical.

Andrea Livingston
Managing Director

Andrea has lived for results from the beginning. Since 1995, she’s been a digital pioneer as Senior Vice President, Digital Director of Ogilvy in Detroit. Andrea also opened and ran the Chicago office as Senior Vice President, Group Account Director of Wunderman Team Detroit. Andrea has led the development of everything from innovative digital database applications to multi-media campaigns to sophisticated internal communication systems for auto show displays. Never daunted by a challenge, she’s led many first-time initiatives, including the development of the first Cadillac.com and the first vehicle e-commerce website for Ford Motor Company. Andrea also has an extensive business-to-business background, leading the development of many regional retail marketing tools for Ford Motor Company.

Carrie Thorpe
UX and PMP(r) Project Manager

Carrie is a rare mix of “doer” and “manager.” Equally adept at getting the most out of teams as she is focusing on user-centered design, Carrie comes from a varied 10-year background in e-commerce, emerging media, online media, website development, software development, social media and SEO planning for both B2B and B2C Clients. Carrie has delivered multi-channel SEO strategies, a Corporate Enterprise Social Media plan and is a PMP® certified project manager. To her, delivering results is like figuring out a puzzle – you have to be able to see the big picture while patiently and flawlessly figuring out how all the little pieces fit together.

Brendan E. Colley
PMP(r) Project Manager

Brendan has been in the marketing game for 14 years, starting as a Field Marketing Representative for global brands including Disney and Microsoft. Joining the digital marketing and advertising agency world in 2001, he has performed work for brands such as Ford Motor Company, Ford Customer Service Division, Compuware, Dollar General, Warrior and Brine. During his time in agency life, he spearheaded digital program management for GENUINE Direct, a Ford Global Marketing Excellence award-winning direct mail program. He is an accomplished business analyst and a PMP® certified project manager. An aficionado of organization, process and execution, Brendan believes the intricate details lead to the success of each and every project.

Rob Richie
Technical Project Manager

Rob has been going above and beyond his job title for 12 years, living the philosophy that you are capable of more than your job description. With a robust background in web and software development, he’s worked on major brands like GM, Ford, the U.S. Air Force, Steelcase, Compuware and many others. Rob’s focus on effectively communicating business needs and technical requirements to diverse team members is the key to delivering a product that lives in the sweet spot of what users and clients want. That and a relentless acumen for delivering on time and resolving issues make him an invaluable asset for any project.

Floremin Mesic
Developer

Floremin thrives on the bleeding edge of technology, and nothing excites him more than using the latest and greatest tools to solve the problems of the here and now. As the chief sound engineer for a radio station, technology was infused in everything he did. That made the transition into a 12-year career in web application development seamless. Before he moved to North America to work on small business solutions and Ford’s Customer Service Division, Floremin studied computer science in Belgrade, Serbia.

Rodney Golpe
Developer

Rodney has been mixing it up with design, business requirements and elegant code for over a decade. He’s delivered information technology, marketing research, website and application development solutions to clients like Ford, Quick Lane and Covenant House. Rodney is well-versed in HTML, CSS, Javascript, CMS, and Facebook/Wordpress integration. On every project he’s touched, Rodney has been an advocate for extensible and forward-compatible work that lives and breathes well beyond a live date of the project.

Nick Palmer
Developer

Solving development problems and designing frameworks is second nature to Nick. He’s been a big agency guy right from the beginning, working at Ogilvy & Mather and Team Detroit Interactive for nearly 8 years after studying computer science at the University of Windsor. Nick is the type of person who’ll pull apart a problem, analyze all the separate pieces and fasten them back together in a way that makes the sum much, much greater than the parts.

Leslie Zager
Creative

Leslie has been bringing her passion for beautifully crafted design to the digital space for over a decade, having worked on a “who’s who” client roster that includes all Big Three automakers, and brands for Abbott Industries including Similac, Pedialyte and EAS. Sometimes, creating a simple, understandable design is the toughest challenge of a project, and that’s where Leslie rolls up her sleeves and gets to work taking loads of information, chunking it out and fitting it together to create something with both form and function.