MEET OUR SYMBOLERS.
Leadership
CLAYTON TOLLEY
President & CEO
As President and CEO for Brandsymbol and CEO of SafeMark, Clayton’s collaborative philosophy fuels the growth for the agency and its teams. Beginning his career in branding in 1993 at Addison Whitney, Clayton’s passion for brand naming and drive for success propelled him to President and CEO. In 2010, Clayton’s vision for innovation and client integration for creating world-class brands was utilized as the bedrock for Brandsymbol and its safety partner, SafeMark.
RICHARD GEORGE
Chief Brand Strategy Officer
Rich has built a career designing and deploying strategic, go-to-market Branding plans for numerous Fortune 100 clients. His rigorous, fact-based analysis and professional perseverance has led to innovative brand solutions for P&G, Folgers, Pringles, and many more. If he isn’t examining and analyzing brand data, he’s fighting for our climate as a climate crisis warrior.
DOUGLAS RAND
Managing Director
As Managing Director, Doug maintains a focus on team building and revenue generation. With nearly three decades of industry experience, Doug has developed highly recognized brands for some of the world’s largest companies. His leadership approach prioritizes the client experience and building trusting relationships. Doug’s experience in the field and dedication to learning is an inspiration to the entire Brandsymbol team. His dedication to knowledge also makes him the best trivia partner.
MIKE WILLIAMS
Senior Vice President
As a Senior Vice President, Mike leads Brandsymbol’s sales team and guides the strategic direction of the agency. A seasoned industry veteran with nearly 25 years of healthcare experience and a former U.S. Marine, Mike’s determination, perseverance, integrity and passion for branding have helped him build many long-term and successful client relationships. Mike is a proud father of two beautiful children, an avid sports fan and a UNC-Chapel Hill alum–who always enjoys beating Duke.
DYAN ROWE DAVIS
President of SafeMark
Dyan blends a background as a pharmacist with a law degree and over 15 years’ experience in name safety testing, to provide regulatory leadership and marketing guidance to our team. Throughout her extensive career, her regulatory review and expert advice have been utilized by branding agencies on hundreds of brand and generic naming projects for the pharmaceutical and medical-device industries. Known for her keen sense of detail, Dyan can be found recharging by birding with camera in hand.
ASHLEY TOLLEY
Creative Director
As Creative Director, Ashley brings a decade of creative experience immersed in brand history and trends, and has strategically and efficiently led creative initiatives for clients, large and small, across all industry verticals. She’s organized a team of Brand Creation Project Managers and Global Creatives that are second to none in this industry. Branding is in her blood. She’s so ingrained in our proprietary methodology, that she even used it when naming her pets (Freya and Loki – named after Norse gods, of course).
ERIK WALDER
Controller
As the Controller of Brandsymbol and SafeMark, Erik is integral to the overall financial health and profitability of both agencies. Erik has been instrumental in developing new financial and operational processes and controls, while ensuring such changes continue to provide the highest levels of client satisfaction. As a licensed CPA, Erik has over 22 years of experience in both public audit and corporate accounting.
CHIP BARTHELMES
Design Director
Chip leads all client design, visual brand development and oversees the creation and execution of our internal brand. Chip continuously provides superior design for Brandsymbol clients through his drive, expertise and passion for building unique and meaningful visuals. His passions for music and culture run parallel with his knack for design and his work is truly second to none. In his free time, Chip can be found collecting, listening to and even producing his own music down on the beaches of the Florida Gulf.
GLOBAL BRAND SPECIALISTS

AMI
India

AMY
San Fracisco, California

BETH
Austin, Texas

CAMILE
United Kingdom

CINDI
Columbus, OH

CLAUDIA
Brazil

EMMA
United Kingdom

GIULIANO
Italy

IGNASI
Spain

JAVIER
Colombia

KEVIN
United Kingdom

LYDIA
Japan

MAJA
Croatia

PATRICIA
Portugal

PILAR
Argentina

ROBIN
Asheville, NC

SOPHIA
France

SPENCER
Australia

SVEN
Germany

NATASHA
Ghana
THERE’S MORE TO EXPLORE
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