In the advertising world, names on the door usually belong to the founders, the visionaries, or the creative titans. But for anyone who has stepped inside Fallon over the last 34 years, they know the most important name in the building has always been Stacy Runkel.
As she prepares to retire this May, Fallon is making it official. For her final week, the agency is re-naming itself Runkel.
“How do you honor a legend who has quite literally seen it all and held us all together?” asked Nikki Baker, CEO of Fallon. “She embodies that ‘special touch’—the pixie dust that makes Fallon, Fallon. She knows every person in this office by name and, more importantly, she knows exactly what makes them tick. I simply couldn’t have led this agency over the past year without her. This week, we aren’t just celebrating an employee; we’re honoring the woman who defines our soul. We are Runkel.”
The heart, soul, and true boss
Stacy hasn’t just witnessed Fallon’s history; she has helped to write it every single day. Joining the agency in 1992, she spent 24 years working side-by-side with Pat Fallon. She was the ever-present gut checker, the gatekeeper of his vision, and the steady hand behind the scenes of the industry’s most legendary pitches.
Whether it was proofreading high-stakes decks at midnight, planning the agency’s famous annual State of the Agency (SOTA) meetings, or ensuring a team member made it home in time for their kid’s soccer game, Stacy’s legacy isn’t just about the work—it’s about the people. She is the reason for the “Runkel Rule” (everyone gets their birthday off) and the only person (sorry) who remembers a specific client’s favorite drink from a decade ago.
A legacy in numbers–the Runkel timeline
To understand Stacy’s impact is to look at the sheer scale of her tenure as the longest serving employee. She has been the constant through every evolution of the agency:
–34 Years of dedication (414 months to be exact)
–24 Years side-by-side with Pat Fallon.
–6 building moves.
–8 Logo Redesigns seen from start to finish.
–Too many pitch deck proofreads to count.
–Approximately 80 tons of the greatest scones (from a bakery only she knows)
–2.2 Billion flights booked, if we were to guess
–1 iconic legacy
Words from the family and across the industry
Stacy’s influence reaches far beyond the current walls of the agency, touching the leaders who have spent time at Fallon and gone on to help shape our industry.
“Imagine having a tough, smart guardian angel for over three decades.” — Fred Senn, Fallon co-founder.
“Pat without Stacy could never have been Pat. Guardian angel, Guardian spirit; Transformative; redefined traditions and expectations; unprecedented; touched each and every one of us who called Fallon ‘home’; Stacy made each and all of us that much better, forever.” — Irv Fish, Fallon co-founder
“Stacy’s impact transcends any job title. One of the zillion things she did was proofread work. She caught late-night pitch-losing typos, sure. But what mattered more was when the note came back to me that she liked the work. She didn’t always. Her nod means everything. Stacy made us all better by expecting the best from us, both in our work and how we worked. Kind and tough is not an easy combo to achieve; she set the standard.”— Lesle Shaffer, Fallon chief creative officer
“During my time at Fallon, Stacy was Pat’s anchor. She seamlessly ran that driven, bouncing-off-the-walls, larger-than-life, eccentric character. Helped him be as great as he was – smoothed the path like an Olympic curling broom sweeper; anticipated what was ahead like Radar on MASH. She was just super good. Congratulations on a fantastic run, Runkey.” — David Lubars, formerly Fallon, currently BBDO chairman and chief creative officer
“Stacy was the nucleus of a company that attracted and produced more talent than arguably any other agency in this country. She has had an impact on every employee at Fallon today, and everyone who passed through those sacred halls over the last 34 years. Nothing happened without Stacy. Every decision crossed her desk. There is no Fallon without Stacy.” — Alex Leikikh, formerly Fallon, currently EVP, Interpublic Group
“Stacy was an integral part of Fallon for so many years, I’ve lost count. She was the backbone of the agency. Fun, passionate, a chaos coordinator and master of multitasking.” — Bob Barrie, formerly Fallon, currently a retired ad guy.
“Stacy was much more than my dad’s EA. She was, and is, part of our family. Her title or position never mattered, she was the one we knew would get anything done, at any time, no matter how absurd. And she did it with love and a smile on her face.” — Kevin Fallon, Pat’s son
A final act, all for Stacy
While she isn’t one for a big celebration, the agency she helped build isn’t letting her go quietly. As the “Runkel” logo takes over this week, it serves as a reminder that while some people come and go, the true heart of an agency is found in those who do whatever it takes for the place they love.
