Justin earned a bachelor of design in graphic design from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Studying both print and web design, his strong design fundamentals and fresh perspectives allow him to visualize ideas in innovative ways. He is always eager to learn new things and never hesitates to experiment.

What he’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Descendents, Milo Goes to College
Dio, Holy Diver
Ramones, Ramones
Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes
Weezer, Weezer (Blue Album)

Prior to joining Leff, Katie worked as a print operator and a freelance designer. She studied graphic design with a focus on printing, typography, and design history at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is interested in the ways in which traditional and digital design can overlap and interact. She's lived in and repeatedly fallen in love in Chicago for almost 6 years and isn't sure why anyone would want to live anywhere else.

What she’s playing on the Leff turntable:
The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night
David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars
Marvin Gaye, What's Going On
The Strokes, First Impressions of Earth

Jake specializes in working with business writers and editors to visualize complex data and information. Before coming to Leff, Jake began his career at McKinsey & Company, eventually joining the McKinsey Quarterly team. He has also worked as a freelance designer for several movie and music projects.

What he’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Iron Maiden, Piece of Mind
Thin Lizzy, China Town
Dokken, Under Lock and Key
Wishbone Ash, Argus
Kiss, Love Gun

Allan recently retired from McKinsey & Company, the management consulting firm, after 22 years in its editorial and publishing group. He lived and worked in Asia, Europe, and North America, collaborating on content with every McKinsey functional and sector practice, with a concentration on emerging markets.

Over the years, Allan served on the board of editors and as editor-in-chief of the McKinsey Quarterly, the firm’s flagship publication; as editor of www.mckinseyquarterly.com (subsequently absorbed into www.mckinsey.com); and as an executive editor in the firm’s publishing group. He edited "Alchemy of Growth" (Perseus and Orion) and the third edition of "Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies" (John Wiley). Allan also was a contributing editor to “The Price Advantage” (John Wiley) and “Reimagining Japan” (Shogakukan and Simon & Schuster).

Before joining McKinsey, Allan was an editor, reporter, and correspondent at the International Herald Tribune, The New York Times, the Miami Herald, and the Tallahassee Democrat. He received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and an MSJ and BA from Northwestern University.

What he’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
Bruce Springsteen, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Muddy Waters, Hard Again
Traffic, The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys
Kiss, Love Gun

Mary leads the Leff Communications accounting function, providing invaluable support and comprehensive financial analyses critical to strategic decision making. Mary holds an MBA in finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a BS in business administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She takes particular pleasure when accounts tie to the penny.

What she's putting on the Leff turntable:
James Taylor, Greatest Hits
Neil Young, After the Gold Rush
Almost Famous soundtrack

Before joining the Leff team, Rachel worked in marketing and as a freelance editor and writer. Her freelance work included writing manuscript reviews and market research reports, and editing and writing web content. Rachel’s exposure to a range of industries helps her write on a variety of topics.

Her Leff turntable picks:
Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers
Eric Clapton, Money and Cigarettes
James Taylor, Gorilla

Scott founded Leff in 2010 after working for Chicago 2016, the city’s Olympic bid committee. Prior to that, he served a seven-year stint with the McKinsey Quarterly, the world’s leading journal of management and economics. 

What he's playing on the Leff turntable: 
Sly and the Family Stone, Fresh
The Who, Quadrophenia
Prince, 1999

Mimi started her career in corporate finance and operations management. She worked in aerospace, biotech, and industrial operations before moving in to business communications. She has special interests in culturally specific communications and enjoys working with people who have strong opinions.

What She's playing on the Leff turntable: 
Michael Jackson, Thriller
Thin Lizzy, Chinatown
Prince, 1999

Annie worked in marketing and taught college-level writing, humanities, and speech before joining the Leff team. While pursuing her bachelor’s in Literature and master’s in Writing and Publishing, she took every opportunity she had to travel, including completing the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile walking pilgrimage in northern Spain.

What she's playing on the Leff turntable:
Blondie, Parallel Lines
Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
Heart, Dreamboat Annie

After earning both an MFA and BFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago, David moved to New York and worked for a literary agency specializing in memoir and nonfiction. Hopelessly missing the grim Chicago winters, he soon moved back to the City by the Lake. Prior to joining Leff he held editorial roles at McKinsey & Company and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and he currently spends his nights teaching college-level courses on composition and rhetoric.

His Leff turntable picks:
Mission of Burma, Vs.
Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
Kraftwerk, The Man-Machine
David Bowie, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

Heather has more than 20 years of experience in business communications, including working in marketing for Rand McNally (back before Google Maps existed) and serving on the editorial staff of the McKinsey Quarterly for 12 years. She continues to serve clients in developing thought leadership on various topics, such as finance, business technology, accounting regulation, and healthcare.

Her turntable favorites:
Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection
The Brand New Heavies, Brother and Sister
Vampire Weekend, Contra

Alia came to Leff after years in the agency world in Chicago and magazine publishing in New York. Before working in marketing and communications, Alia spent two years living and working in Ukraine, where she focused on educational development and nationwide HIV/AIDS outreach and funding.

What she’s putting on the Leff turntable:
Michael Bolton, Soul Provider
David Bowie, Let’s Dance
Janis Joplin, I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!

Before joining Leff, Galina provided editorial, communication, and storytelling expertise to a range of organizations—a small press, trade magazine, travel startup, and professional services firm—as well as novelists and university researchers, giving her experience with diverse voices and audiences. When not reading Merriam-Webster.com for the articles, she is an avid road tripper.

What she's putting on the Leff turntable:
Monty Python, Life of Brian
Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell
Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I am

With a background in literary journalism and copy editing, Brittany has been with Leff since the "early days" of 2013. She specializes in working with global teams on articles and long-form reports for a variety of industries, including healthcare, infrastructure, insurance, and urban development. She earned an MA at DePaul University and a BS at Northwestern University.

What she's putting on the Leff turntable:
Anything by Aretha Franklin
Lady Gaga, Joanne
Panic! at the Disco, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

The principal visualization artist of Leff Communications, Delilah works collaboratively with the team to conceptualize and create all manner of graphic content. She came to Leff after ten years at McKinsey & Company, where she served as senior designer and associate design director.

What she's putting on the Leff turntable:
Dokken, Under Lock and Key
Blondie, Parallel Lines
Scorpions, In Trance
​Saxon, Wheels of Steel
Michael Bolton, Soul Provider