leadership team

The Leadership Team is the guiding force behind the Pepper Group. They make the goals, set the standards, and are constantly on the lookout for ways to enhance and improve our offerings. Meet the big enchiladas (all made with extra hot sauce, of course):

TIM PADGETT, PRESIDENT & CEO

In 1994, Tim founded the firm with a vision of providing first-class creative services to drive better business results. Tim built the organization with a solid base of loyal clientele, highly skilled employees and industry-leading capabilities.
With a philosophy of continuous learning and improvement, Tim keeps the Pepper Group at the forefront of marketing evolution and technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Communications from Southern Illinois University.

GEORGE COURIS, VICE PRESIDENT

George’s primary focus is the development and execution of creative, effective and results-driven marketing programs for Pepper Group clients. He also supervises several key accounts and develops the Pepper Group account team. George is the President of the Chicago chapter of the American Marketing Association, the largest of the AMA’s more than 70 chapters.
Prior to joining the Pepper Group, George held numerous positions within Michelin North America and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

LAURA FRIZZO, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Laura is responsible for the creative strategy and execution of marketing initiatives for Pepper Group clients. She brings more than 15 years of experience creating effective and unique, strategic solutions.
Laura brings a vast range of experience to every project. She has worked in both B2B and B2C, at agencies both large and small, in nearly every possible medium, including identity, branding, print collateral, high-end website development, and advanced multimedia deliverables. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northern Illinois University in Visual Communications.

DENISE O NEILL, VP, FINANCE & OPERATIONS

Denise is responsible for the financial and internal operations of the Pepper Group. Having kept the books since the founding of the firm, she works towards ever-greater efficiency to ensure that clients receive the most value possible.
Prior to her time at the Pepper Group, Denise worked for several years as a project coordinator at a number of prepress companies. She uses her considerable prepress/print industry experience to complement her financial and organizational acumen.