Zirkle Joins LST Marketing as Chief Operating Officer
Respected attorney and marketing professional Zirkle will be responsible for the business operations of LST Marketing and its various business units, including Finance, Legal, Events, Experiential Marketing, Communications, Facilities, and Sports & Entertainment Sponsorship Management. His leadership will foster growth initiatives and provide opportunity for LST Marketing to expand into new areas of business.
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Wesley Zirkle |
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Zirkle joins LST Marketing after an esteemed, successful tenure of nearly 12 years as executive vice president & general counsel of Just Marketing Inc. (JMI) and as a member of the Board of Directors of the North American division of JMI's parent company, CSM Sport & Entertainment.
He joined JMI in November 2004 and served as the company's chief legal advisor throughout his tenure. He also served on JMI's leadership team during its impressive growth period that included a round of private equity investment in 2008, culminating in the successful sale of JMI to London-based CSM in 2013.
"I have known John Lopes and Starke Taylor for years and have tremendous respect for them and LST Marketing," Zirkle said. "While I am proud to have been an integral part of JMI's impressive accomplishments over the years, I am genuinely excited by the way LST has uniquely positioned itself to service its clients in emerging marketing platforms that are noted as high-growth markets with significant barriers to entry.
"LST's business plan reminds me of the way JMI positioned itself in the early 2000s to be the world leader in motorsports marketing before the sport became a sponsorship juggernaut. Similarly, LST is poised to be the leader of several new marketing platforms with positive momentum. I am delighted to apply what I have learned during my 15-year career to position LST as an international leader in innovative marketing solutions."
Zirkle's achievements at JMI helped him to earn honors in 2014 from the Indianapolis Business Journal's Forty Under 40 program, which recognizes Central Indiana professionals who have become leaders in their respective fields before their 40th birthday. The Indianapolis Bar Association also honored Zirkle in 2011 with the President's Award for Service to the Profession by co-founding and sustaining The Racing Attorney Conference (TRAC), an international organization dedicated to furthering learning and cooperation among attorneys working in the motorsport industry.
Before joining JMI, Zirkle worked as an attorney for nearly five years at CMG Worldwide, a leading intellectual property management and marketing agency representing icons such as James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Chuck Berry, George Patton and the I Love NY trademark.
"Wes Zirkle is one of the most accomplished, respected professionals and keen minds in global marketing," LST Marketing CEO John Lopes said. "His vast experience working with multinational firms to find solutions to complex business challenges will be a huge plus for LST Marketing and our clients as we expand partnerships with a growing portfolio of international brands."
Said Starke Taylor, president of LST Marketing: "Everyone associated with LST Marketing benefits from the addition of Wes Zirkle to our leadership team. Wes is someone we've wanted to bring into LST Marketing for a long time, and his experience elevates our day-to-day operations."
Zirkle is a member of various associations and boards, including the Indianapolis Bar Association's Sports & Entertainment Executive Committee and the United Methodist Foundation of Indiana, for which he serves as vice-chair, responsible for leading and implementing its strategic plan. Zirkle also served as an adjunct professor of law at the Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where he taught Contract Drafting. He is actively involved with the IUPUI Sports Innovation Institute, and he frequently speaks at law schools and seminars about sports marketing and intellectual property.
Northern Indiana native Zirkle received his law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2001. He earned a bachelor's degree in Religion with a minor in Economics from Wabash College in 1998. He studied Comparative Religion at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in 1997.
Zirkle resides in Fishers, Indiana, with his wife, Jennie, and their three children.
The hiring of Zirkle is an important milestone in the aggressive, strategic growth this year of LST Marketing. The company is pursuing talented, creative professionals for a variety of roles to accommodate its rapidly expanding client base in marketing and communications. To review those available positions, please visit lstmarketing.com.