Concussion’s casino experts consist of a well-seasoned staff of professionals, including agency principals and support personnel. Put our brain power to work for you.
Allen Wallach, CEO/Partner
When other kids in his Florida neighborhood were trying to master Dungeons & Dragons, young Allen was mapping out his strategic plan for world domination. Fortunately for us all, he found a healthy outlet for his competitive drive and compulsion for excellence. After graduating from TCU, he began his career in a boutique agency in Fort Worth, serving a number of Bass Brothers Enterprises ventures. While there, he quickly distinguished himself by grabbing national headlines for clients including rock star Stewart Copeland of The Police and the Superconducting Super Collider. At 25, Allen launched his own marketing firm with a $1 million account with Choctaw Bingo. Over the past 20 years, he has become the architect of many successful casino campaigns. Today, Allen is a highly sought-after consultant in the gaming industry, speaking at conferences such as G2E, NIGA, Bingo World and others.
Andrew Yañez, CCO/Partner
As a second grader at El Paso’s Lamar Elementary School, Andrew drew a kick-ass picture of a car. No surprise, it featured shark’s teeth. Recognizing his prolific talent, his teacher, the very perceptive chain-smoking Mrs. Edwards, placed the prodigy in a 7th grade art class. Seven years later, art and commerce collided when Andrew began hand painting all of the signs at the local Furr’s Grocery Store. Today, his unique visual aesthetic is no longer admired by shoppers milling about the produce section, but rather by an elite group of peers who have selected his work for inclusion in Print, Graphis and Communication Arts. As an award-winning creative director, he has rocked brands including Acura, Nestle, Texas Instruments, Nokia, Ryobi Tools, ExxonMobil and others. Prior to founding Concussion, Andrew was a freelance art director who added creative firepower to agencies such as TargetBase, Temerlin McClain and LMS/Marc. His work also includes extensive development of complete casino identity packages and integrated advertising campaigns for casinos.
Dan Wagner, Group Account Director
Manager. Strategist. Father of four. Self-proclaimed “pain in the tail.” Concussion’s newest heavy-hitter has many roles both in the office and out. From the time he was a little boy, Dan has had varied interests ranging from dreams of veterinary school to creative writing, intermixed with an oh-yeah-just-try-and-make-me attitude and a stubborn streak that sent him on many trips to the principal’s office. Now, Dan channels all that explosive brainpower into providing strategic leadership, as well as managing clients and personnel for Concussion’s gaming-centric accounts. With an impressive resumé featuring diverse clients such as Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., Coca-Cola, Bank of America, Frito-Lay and Burger King, Dan brings a unique sensibility – and the patience only a man with four daughters can have – to the table.
Amy Yañez, Media Director
Fondly known as “The Velvet Hammer,” Concussion clients and vendors alike find Amy’s unique blend of buoyant charm and killer instincts hard to resist. While it only took Andrew two months to persuade Amy to become his better half, it took him nearly five years to lure her from the lofty heights she had ascended at Clear Channel Communications. Others may flinch brokering multimillion-dollar deals, but Amy simply smiles while picking pockets. With negotiating skills that merit a diplomatic post at the U.N., Amy knows how to “get ‘er done.” She honed her moxie during a stint with Katz Media in Dallas where she placed more than $500 million (a.k.a. half a billion!) in media in 140 U.S. markets for major players including Honda Automotive, Yum Brands, Coca-Cola and other Fortune 500 companies. Today, her savvy insider knowledge of media markets and “behind-the-scenes” tactics ensures Concussion’s casino clients get the biggest bang for the buck. Break out the “Whoo Hoo” dance.
Derek Johnson, Creative Director
California’s siren call lured this Tulsa native to the City of Angels right after he graduated from the University of Oklahoma. There, he kicked off his advertising career at J2 Communications and National Lampoon Magazine, soaked up the sun, caught a few waves, and heated up the airwaves on Love Connection and Studs – landing more screen time than his struggling actor friends. He eventually abandoned L.A.’s smoke-and-mirrors for Big D. As associate creative director for Meyer & Johnson and creative director at Bozell Kamstra, Derek refined his signature style while working on accounts such as BMW, EDS, Ford, U.S. Air Force, Fujitsu, Allstate and Exxon. His awards include national, district and local ADDY Awards, International ECHO Awards and TOPS. Today, Derek is passionate about creating unique advertising that leaves an indelible impression on his audience. He has helped move the dial for Route 66 Casino, Osage Million Dollar Elm Casinos and FireLake Grand Casino.
Khris Kesling, Creative Director
As many ad men of his generation, Khris wanted to be genius Darren Stevens from Bewitched. However, his creativity would carry him in many directions during his college years – from music, TV and film to even the culinary arts. Luckily for the industry, he returned to his first love where he realized he could do all of the above. In 1997, he joined Vertis and led the growth from five to more than 40 employees. Then came the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and Khris took time to reevaluate his priorities. The need to focus on family brought him to Concussion where again, he played an integral role in growing the company from five to more than 50. His two decades of creative writing, advertising experience and strategic savvy spans numerous industries – including gaming clients Choctaw Casinos, Shooting Star Casino, Comanche Casino and WinStar Casino.
Rose Gomez, Associate Creative Director
Rose had her first taste of fame at the tender age of four when the Corpus Christi Caller-Times chose her “Little Bunny” portrait as the newspaper’s drawing of the week. Although she has always been passionate about art, Rose planned on being a lawyer but had a change of heart and settled for being an award-winning creative director instead. After stints in Austin and Tulsa, Rose spent a decade at Dieste Harmel and Partners where she was integral in creating a new private label brand for JCPenney with Salma Hayek. Later, she leveraged her unique insights into the Latino market as the creative director on PowerPact’s Sony account. Since her “Little Bunny” triumph, Rose has won other accolades – most notably as a 2006 Cannes finalist, along with a nod from the Association of Independent Commercial Producers for Best Public Service Spot.
Amanda Gibson, Account Supervisor
Before she became Concussion employee number 12, Amanda charmed the Detroit boys as the account manager for Subaru of America and brand manager for Subaru Canada during a three-year stint at Temerlin McClain. She admits she poured the accent on a little thick for her dealers who liked “The Texas Girl.” When headhunters started calling from Motor City, Amanda knew it was time to shift gears. Allen Wallach hired her as Concussion’s first AE – but forgot to tell anyone else at the agency. No problem. Amanda’s outgoing personality gracefully squelched what would have been an awkward first workday for lesser mortals. Day two saw her off on a road trip to an Oklahoma casino. Five years and millions of dollars later, Amanda knows how to deliver results for her casino clients. “After pushing sheet metal over the curb, now I put butts in seats at Casinos,” she admits. As with everything, Amanda does it very well.
Courtney Crummel, Senior Account Executive
Beneath Courtney’s polished professional demeanor is the heart of a brave soul who loves taking on new challenges. At one time, Courtney actually considered becoming a marine biologist just so she could train dolphins for Sea World (hard to imagine when you see her always perfectly–coiffed hair). Thankfully, she abandoned her desire for aquatic adventure and decided land pursuits were more her style. Leaving sunny San Diego after graduate school, she returned to her native Texas and blazed a trail at Firehouse in Dallas – tending to a wide range of companies including CompUSA and Centex Homes. While Flipper may still wonder what might have been, Concussion clients including Shooting Star Casino, Route 66 Casino Hotel and Konami Gaming count on Courtney to help find strategic solutions to their business challenges.