Business POV

Capps has long been the steady production house that helps Leo Burnett execute much of its print advertising and promotional work. In short, it's lived somewhat in its biggest client's shadow. But now it's pursuing new markets and approach some of Chicago's Fortune 500 clients about handling their print-production needs. It's also designing new packaging concepts for a myriad of brand-name consumer goods companies.

In order to spread its wings, the company repackaged its retouching services with a high-end boutique feel and name (L'Image - with an office here and in hip SoHo,) opened a package design group (i4design) to capture that marketplace and created a consultancy group - with the US Army, Dow and Morgan Stanley as clients - that brings brand managers around the globe together through the Web.

Moncrief is President and Chief Executive Officer of Capps, part of the Publicis Groupe’s Specialized Agencies and Marketing Services division. He spearheads the company’s vision and strategic growth initiatives, partnering as a print premedia resource with Publicis agencies such as Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis North America, Kaplan Thaler and Publicis Healthcare. He has also led the development of Capps’ service offerings into new, high-growth niches, including i4design, Capps’ corporate identity and package design group, and L’Image, a premiere retouching and imaging boutique.

Before joining Capps in 2001 as chief marketing officer, Brent served as General Manager of Seven Worldwide’s Grand Rapids, Michigan prepress facility. Prior to that, he spent 15 years in a variety of sales, marketing and management roles at Eastman Kodak, where he worked with all areas of the print communications arena, including corporate marketing, photographers, catalog houses, publishers, printers, converters and color separators.

Brent serves in leadership roles with the Graphic Communications Association and the Gravure Association of America and was most recently named to the 2006 IPA board of directors, the Association of Graphic Solutions Providers.

Brent earned his BA, Cum Laude, from James Madison University, and his MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.