About me

Eric Gilbertsen built a career defined by success in building client relationships, generating growth, leading teams with great culture, camaraderie and results… and winning a few awards along the way.

As a baby, Eric only looked up at the TV during commercial breaks. As a teen, he was drawn to the idea of ad agencies by his aunt, a respected agency executive and marketing professor. So, when he graduated from Miami University with a B.S. in Marketing, he waited all of eight days to begin his career at Young & Rubicam (now VML) where his work with client Ford Motor Company earned him rapid promotions and recognition.

He joined Lowe Worldwide (now MullenLowe) in 2003 to manage GMC brand advertising, before life brought him to DC in 2005. In DC, he joined Brunner and was promoted twice for his work leading client programs with GlaxoSmithKline, the American Bankers Association (ABA), National Beer Wholesalers Association, World Bank and more.

Eric’s career blossomed in 2009 when he joined REQ as VP, Account Director. By providing inspired digital strategies and energetic service, REQ retained and grew clients such as eBay, UNICEF, Waymo, Yext, Amazon, PayPal, StubHub, Bayer, CSRA (now GDIT), Rip Curl, Constellation Energy, Circa Resort & Casino, National Association of Broadcasters, National Restaurant Association, API, AARP, PhRMA, the UAE Embassy, EVHC, Beechwood Homes, the Empire State Building, The Estée Lauder Companies, Save a Child’s Heart, Every Mother Counts, and many more.

As the agency grew, the team didn’t lose their fun, collaborative, generous and entrepreneurial culture, recognized by Washingtonian Magazine, the Washington Business Journal, and Inc. Magazine as a Best Place to Work.

Eric took pride in coaching and helped his teammates move on to companies like Hilton, Tesla, LinkedIn, Waymo, AWS, Under Armour, the NHL, VML, and VaynerMedia.

His success led to his ascension into the roles of EVP, Digital Strategy in 2014 and Chief Client Officer in 2019, during which time he continued to help lead the agency’s growth, fueled by talented people, strong client retention, new business development, and three successful acquisitions and integrations:

• Unison, a brand strategy and technology agency, in 2015

• IMI, a performance marketing agency, in 2019

• Speakerbox, a PR firm focused on the technology sector, in 2019

In 2022, Eric was accepted into the Forbes Agency Council, where he published a number of articles and commentary on expert panels.

In 2023, after more than a decade of consistent double-digit growth, REQ was acquired by Trinity Hunt Partners.