PHILADELPHIA, PA (SEPTEMBER 11, 2026) — Sparks, a leading global experiential marketing agency, today announced two senior leadership appointments centered on one goal: driving client success through transformative experiences. Adam Charles has been named to the newly created role of Chief Client Officer and head of Sparks’ Events & Experiences business, with a mandate to ensure every client partnership drives measurable outcomes and lasting results. Grant Ogburn has joined Sparks as Chief Growth Officer to extend that track record of client success to new brands and categories. Both report to Melissa Levy, President of Sparks.
“Client success is our only goal,” said Melissa Levy, President of Sparks. “When our clients win — when their brands break through and their events move the needle — that’s what drives everything else we do. Adam has built his career on making clients successful in their highest-stakes moments, and Grant knows how to build the kind of growth engine that brings more clients into that circle. Clients are winning with us, the category is booming, and we’re expanding our leadership team to lead that boom, not just keep pace with it.”
Adam Charles, Chief Client Officer
Charles has spent more than a decade with The Freeman Company (TFC), including as Executive Vice President of Freeman’s agency business, before joining Sparks in 2024 to lead the expansion of its corporate events, exhibits, and brand experience business. Over his 30-year career in marketing and live events, he has produced work ranging from fashion shows and international sporting ceremonies to major broadcast and consumer marketing campaigns — consistently turning high-stakes client moments into measurable wins that drive repeat business and long-term relationships.
“The best thing that can happen after any event or experience is a client who walks away knowing it worked — for their business, for their audience, for their brand,” said Charles. “That’s what I’ll be focused on: making sure every client, at every level of our business, feels like we’re as invested in their success as they are.”
Grant Ogburn, Chief Growth Officer
Ogburn joins Sparks from dentsu, where he served as Chief Growth Officer for Media North America. Previously, as Global Chief Growth Officer at UM (IPG Mediabrands), he led a transformation that delivered billions in net new media billings, with wins including GEICO, General Mills, Levi’s, L’Oréal, and Hawaiian & Alaska Airlines. Earlier in his career, he served as Publicis Groupe’s CMO of Production launching Publicis Production Services and rebuilt their experiential business from the ground up after Covid, growing it tenfold in a single year — a track record built on a simple thesis: when clients succeed, growth follows.
“The brands that are winning right now are the ones that show up for their customers in ways that actually matter,” said Ogburn. “Sparks already delivers that. My job is making sure more clients get to experience it — and that we build the infrastructure to scale what makes clients successful here.”
Contact:
Bryan Shapiro
Senior Communications Manager
The Freeman Company (TFC)
[email protected]
About Sparks
Sparks is a leading global experiential marketing agency specializing in the design and execution of award-winning experiences that connect brands with their most important audiences. With a strong emphasis on creativity, innovation, and flawless execution, we deliver experiential marketing solutions that deepen relationships, inspire action, and build trust—all around the world. As the experiential marketing agency line of business within The Freeman Company (TFC), Sparks brings a unique blend of strategic insight and executional excellence to every brand activation, corporate event, and trade show exhibit. Learn more at www.wearesparks.com.
