MOTHER LOS ANGELES APPOINTS STEPHANIE THIEL AS MANAGING DIRECTOR

Independent agency Mother Los Angeles has named Stephanie Thiel as managing director, strengthening its West Coast leadership. Thiel joins from MIRIMAR after three years of growth and award-winning work, bringing brand-side and agency experience across New York, San Francisco and LA to shape Mother’s next chapter of creative independence.

Mother Los Angeles has announced the appointment of Stephanie Thiel as managing director, adding the seasoned agency and brand leader to its diverse leadership team as the independent continues to expand its presence on the West Coast.  

Thiel arrives from fellow LA independent MIRIMAR, where she spent more than three years, first as head of account management and later as managing director. During her tenure, she helped grow the agency and delivered standout work for clients including Beats, Rocket, Lumē and Mando. Her move to Mother marks the latest step in a career that has spanned both agency and brand-side roles across San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles.  

Her journey began at Venables Bell & Partners, where she joined straight out of college as an executive assistant. It was here that she discovered her passion for being closely involved in the creative process, finding her natural place in account management. That path led her to Droga5 in New York, where she spent more than four years working on major campaigns, including The New York Times’ award-winning “The Truth Is Hard to Find.”  

Following her time at Droga5, Thiel moved to Joan Creative before stepping brand-side at Away. This experience reshaped her perspective on agency-client relationships, reinforcing her belief that while agencies and brands may take different routes, they align in the places that matter most. It is this philosophy that resonates with Mother, an agency defined not by uniformity but by diversity of thought and personality.  

Teri Miller, Mother’s US CEO, praised Thiel’s appointment, noting her pedigree across storied agencies and start-ups where creative excellence is non-negotiable, alongside her brand-side experience. “Stephanie’s background gives her the hard skills, but most importantly she understands why Mother gets to make the wrong choices for the right reasons – to create a culture where the best creativity is the inevitable byproduct. She is the perfect person to lead our growing band of Mother LA misfits as we embark on our next 30 years of independence,” Miller said.  

For Thiel, success at Mother will be measured not only by business outcomes but by the impact on the people within the agency, the clients they serve, and the relationships they build together. She speaks of the future with a boundless sense of possibility, yet her ambition is grounded in meaning. Growth, she believes, is only worthwhile when it benefits those who contribute to it.  

This ethos makes Mother feel like a natural next step – a home for big ambitions, where diverse perspectives can thrive and creativity is nurtured in service of something greater. As Mother Los Angeles continues to carve out its place on the West Coast, Thiel’s appointment signals both continuity and renewal, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to independence, culture and meaningful growth.