# JT Mega Appoints Erin Denham President, Succeeding Phil Lee at 50-Year-Old Agency

> JT Mega named Erin Denham president effective January 1, 2027, succeeding Phil Lee, who moves to strategic advisor at the 50-year-old food and beverage agency.

- Published: 2026-11-05T14:07:11+00:00
- Section: Leadership
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-05/jt-mega-erin-denham-president
- Source: [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jt-mega-appoints-erin-denham-to-lead-minneapolis-agency-302930223.html)

## Key takeaways

- Erin Denham becomes JT Mega president on January 1, 2027, the third president since the agency's 1976 founding.
- Denham joined JT Mega in 2006 and became a vice president and partner in 2021.
- Phil Lee, president for nearly 40 years at the agency, transitions to a strategic advisor role.
- JT Mega has more than 60 employees at its Minnetonka Boulevard headquarters.

JT Mega has named Erin Denham as its next president, effective January 1, 2027, succeeding Phil Lee, who will move to a strategic advisor role. [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jt-mega-appoints-erin-denham-to-lead-minneapolis-agency-302930223.html) reported the appointment on November 5, 2026.

## Denham's Path From 2006 to the Presidency

Denham joined [JT Mega](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000h2bf/jt-mega) in 2006 and became a vice president and partner in 2021. She will become the third president since the agency's founding in 1976, and she will take the title of president and managing partner. Alongside client work, Denham leads agency-wide initiatives on business strategy, emerging technology and professional development.

Lee has been with the agency for nearly 40 years. "Erin embodies JT Mega's independent spirit and insatiable curiosity about what's next, and she understands our people, our clients and our business inside and out," Lee said in the announcement.

Denham said she has spent more than 20 years at the agency. "That's a credit to Phil and those who came before us, and I'm committed to protecting these strengths," she said. As president, she will join partners Muriel Bartelme Kreske, Ann Strong, Mike Alberts and Anna Braun in leading the agency.

Jay Mega launched the agency from his Minneapolis kitchen table in 1976. JT Mega now has more than 60 employees at its Minnetonka Boulevard headquarters and focuses exclusively on food and beverage clients, including Hormel Foods, CJ Schwan's and Kraft Heinz.

## JT Mega's Partner Roster and Studio Work

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), JT Mega is an independent, partner-owned food and beverage advertising agency founded in 1976 in Minneapolis. The same records list Phil Lee as president and partner, with Denham, Mike Alberts and Muriel Bartelme Kreske also holding partner titles. The records describe Blue Flame Culinary Studio as an in-house production brand offering commercial kitchen, photography, cinematography and recipe development services for food clients.

The records also note the annual $25K JTM Scale Award, launched in 2018 with MN Cup and Naturally Minnesota to support emerging food and beverage startups in Minnesota.

## Agency CEO Changes Elsewhere

[AMV BBDO](https://lbbonline.com/news/katy-wright-named-amv-bbdo-ceo-as-xavier-rees-departs) appointed Katy Wright as CEO, succeeding Xavier Rees, who is departing after the agency's merger with FCB London, LBBOnline reported on October 23, 2026. Wright was previously FCB London CEO and will lead the combined business.

[SourceCode Communications](https://menafn.com/1111889381/Sourcecode-Taps-Troy-Kelley-To-Lead-Consumer-Tech-Integrated-Marketing) named Troy Kelley executive vice president of integrated marketing and consumer technology, Business & Financial reported on October 30, 2026. [JKR Automotive Advertising](https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/953913131/jkr-automotive-advertising-hires-jason-fulmino-as-senior-account-executive) hired Jason Fulmino as a senior account executive effective November 2, 2026, EIN Presswire reported.

## Denham's Start Date

Denham assumes the president and managing partner roles on January 1, 2027, the date the agency gave for the transition.

## Companies in this story

- [JT Mega company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000h2bf/jt-mega) · website: http://jtmega.com

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