David Mullen, who has helped The Variable marketing firm in Winston-Salem gain national attention for its growth and campaigns, is leaving the agency. He isn’t sharing his next project yet, according to a Linkedin post filed last last week.
The Variable, which employs about 50, has been named one of AdAge magazine’s Small Agency of the Year award winner four times, while Fast Company has honored it in its Best Workplaces for Innovators program. Mullen has worked at the agency for 13 years. 
The agency restructured its management team this summer, with Mullen stepping down as CEO.
Jodi Heelan was named agency president after previously working as CFO. She joined the company in 2013 and has worked on projects including P&G, Nestle, Frigidaire and Electrolux.
According to a release, Heelan also championed a change in how the agency priced its services, leading to a doubling of profit margins and increasing client engagements by more than 300%.
The agency also promoted Courtney Lewis to chief marketing officer and partner and added Caroline Moncure as chief client officer. The executive team includes co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Joe Parrish.
“David has been a fantastic leader and friend and will be missed,” says Scott Moody, the company’s director of communications strategy.
In his LinkedIn post, Mullen wrote, “I’m sad to close this chapter with these people who have meant so much to me every day for almost 12 years AND I’m excited to start writing the next chapter. In typical LinkedIn fashion, what’s next will be shared at a much later date after I take some lovely time away to hang out with my wife and kids for a bit.”