Women Who Will: GERTRUDE's President Heather Knapp
Dec. 2025 - Little Black Book
The president of GERTRUDE, INC. reflects on how her dad, first boss, and business partner have shaped her career. Heather Knapp expresses her gratefulness to "account people who connect with clients like it’s a first language", "really good copywriters", and "good pizza."
LBB> How did you get into the industry?
Heather> My path was led by a desire to merge creativity and business in the ‘real world'. A liberal arts education with a focus in art, art history, sociology, and anthropology instilled my intrigue in how throughout time -- art, culture, and design have shaped the way people think, behave, and live. I definitely didn’t fully understand what I was getting into when I started, but being a critical thinker with strong intuition and ability to never give up -- coupled with a deep respect for creativity -- unlocked the “magic” of shaping brands.
LBB> Who are some of the people along the way who have helped you most?
Heather> Early on, my dad. He’s a veteran account guy (now retired) who’s seen/experienced it all. Over the years he became a great sounding board, and comrade in understanding this crazy business.
After that, my first boss (Ellen Slauson) at my first agency (UPSHOT). She always found a way to get anything done, brought her team along for the journey, and clients/team loved her ‘all-in’ approach. After that, Jay Davidson -- my manager when I worked on Disney Vacation Club. He imparted the art of negotiating a scope and bringing humanity to agency insanity.
Lastly, Otis D. Gibson — founder, chief creative officer of GERTRUDE and my 20-year counterpart. His clarity of purpose, fearlessness, resolute decision-making, ‘say yes’ approach, and absolute integrity set a high bar for excellence that elevates my work as well.
LBB> Who have you looked up to throughout your career?
Heather> Account people who connect with clients like it’s a first language. Creative leaders that understand business. Smart strategists who don’t overthink things or pontificate. And really good copywriters.
LBB> Who do you look up to now?
Heather> Still all of the above. And my first grade son. So much to learn from him.
LBB> If you could give your younger self one piece of advice on navigating the industry, what would it be?
Heather> The work never stops, so take care of yourself while you’re grinding. It’s serious work, but often too sacrificial.
LBB> Tell us about a piece of work that best reflects your ambitions.
Heather> The Singha Beer Global Brand Campaign I led together with Otis D. Gibson for GERTRUDE was immensely rewarding for a few reasons. It was a big client win in GERTRUDE’s fifth year that reflected a culmination of our business preparation and readiness. The client sought out and really wanted GERTRUDE as their agency, creating a foundation for a true partnership.
Singha is based in Thailand and they instilled incredible trust in an agency headquartered on the other side of the world to run their global business. The deal included a handshake and promise to help them win. And then the work itself was pure creativity — smart, bold, brave — exactly the kind of work that GERTRUDE set out to do.
LBB> How has a woman best helped you in your career, and/or you helped other women?
Heather> I don’t think it’s just one woman. There’s an ongoing observation and learning from the collective of women that I’ve interacted with over the years… those who have led me, those I’ve led, my clients, and even young employees. I’m fortunate to be in a field with so many smart, funny, confident, self-aware females. It’s the repetition of this exposure that’s a constant renewal and reminder of how to stay authentic and evolve with your career.
LBB> Where do you hope we are as an industry in a year’s time?
Heather> The industry shift toward independent agencies being tapped by big brands — definitely want to see this accelerate. And it will as more and more independents keep coming up.
LBB> And five years’ time?
Heather> The world will likely have shifted a bit in five years. Hopefully there’s less cynicism and more positivity and truth telling overall. Our industry will play an important role in shifting the dynamic.
LBB> What’s your non-negotiable?
Heather> Good Pizza. I’m a pizza snob.