(New York, December 2, 2025) Zulu Alpha Kilo (Z.A.K.), a full-service creative company, has announced that Kelly Mikhael, executive producer at Johannes Leonardo, has joined the New York office as executive producer effective immediately.
Mikhael is one of the most respected producers in the U.S. She joins Z.A.K. NY from Johannes Leonardo, where she steered campaigns across brands like Uber, adidas, VW, and more.
As Z.A.K. NY’s first Executive Producer, Mikhael will oversee a growing production team as the creative company elevates its offering of in-house creative opportunities while continuing to explore new horizons with A.I. She will spearhead production for all key client partnerships, including Booking.com, Harry’s, Stonefire, and more, and will play a key role in pursuing and managing new business partnerships.
“Kelly’s combination of creative thinking, her strong commitment to unconventional visual expression, and passion for storytelling made her top-of-mind for us as we developed this role,” says Tim Gordon, CCO and Partner at Z.A.K. NY. “She’s a thoughtful team leader who pulls together the most talented creative minds to create work that transcends advertising. We look forward to Kelly helping us to shape not only our own agency as we expand our unique production capabilities, but the industry at large.”
Over the past decade, Mikhael has produced award-winning work across film, print, social, and digital for leading brands including Uber, VW, adidas, Gap, Kraft, BMW, Starbucks, State Farm, and more. Known for her command of an evolving production landscape, she’s helped redefine how modern storytelling is done. Highlights include Kraft’s “La Dolce Velveeta” spread in Vogue, Uber’s “Getaway” holiday short films that ran in theaters as “trailers”; and adidas originals’ latest global campaign, introducing Samuel L. Jackson as their latest “Superstar” among a stacked cast of other cultural icons. Her work has been repeatedly recognized and awarded by Cannes, Effies, Clios, D&AD, AICP, One Show & more.
“I love a beautifully told story. It’s fun figuring out as a team the strongest way to visually express an idea. It’s an art form—you’re matchmaking all these super-talented creative minds to shape something that, in the end, hopefully represents the brand and connects to their community authentically,” says Mikhael.“The team at Z.A.K. NY is top tier. The creative and collaborative energy, relentless ambition, and well-crafted client work is outstanding. I can’t wait to be a part of this team and to help continue to build and shape the next chapter of Zulu Alpha Kilo NY.”
Mikhael joins Z.A.K. NY during a run of great success. The agency spearheaded the New York Times’ Family Subscription campaign in a massively popular spot featuring Eli Manning and family. Recently, Z.A.K.’s global #ChangeTheCompliment campaign for Dove earned 5.9 stars out of 5.9 by System1, placing it at the very top of their effectiveness scale for emotional response and business impact. Their massively popular 2024 and 2025 Super Bowl ads (with Tina Fey and Miss Piggy, respectively) for Booking.com led to an expanded remit that includes a 2026 global brand campaign, MLB and NBA sponsorships, brand stewardship, and new B2B responsibilities. Additionally, the Z.A.K. relaunched the Stonefire Naan brand in North America and continues to partner with Global Action on Gun Violence to help end gun violence in the U.S. and globally.
The latest maker of the company’s success, Mikhael’s hiring comes as Z.A.K. enters its fourth year in its New York office with a spate of rapid growth, having recently moved to the Domino Refinery building in Williamsburg.
