About Us

Our History

JSML Media was founded in 2006 under the shared vision and leadership of its founding partners, Jill Sakin and Michelle Leatherman. At the time, Jill and Michelle were media veterans whose careers had overlapped at various agencies for more than a decade. The two were unified in their work ethic and belief that every media client – regardless of size – deserved next-level service along with smart, customized media strategies that deliver on business objectives.

What began as a Minneapolis media start-up has grown to become a global, planning and buying media agency with a portfolio of Fortune 500 companies and world-renowned corporations.

Meet Our Leadership Team

Jill Sakin

President

A native New Yorker, Jill’s media resume includes client successes at premier agencies including McCann-Erickson, Ted Bates, J. Walter Thompson, and DDB Needham, where she supervised $150 million in media spending.

Jill’s remarkable ability to understand the target audience and their ever-changing media habits reveals patterns that – when paired with her media expertise – parlay JSML Media’s custom strategies into KPI wins for clients.

Michelle Leatherman

Executive Vice President, Partner

For more than 25 years, Michelle has applied strategic planning expertise across all media, with an emphasis on digital and print. Michelle’s expertise in B2B and healthcare media brings a depth of wisdom and insight to Fortune 500 companies with global media needs.

By translating business objectives into smart media strategies, Michelle has been able to generate a consistent, longstanding record of measurable client success and loyalty.

Tim Olsen

Vice President, Media Director

Tim directs JSML’s planning and buying initiatives and has more than 15 years of experience in local, national, and global media.

A relentless, authentic commitment to superior client service is one of Tim’s hallmarks, along with his deep expertise across many diverse industries. Tim’s knowledge and associated medical media insights have helped him earn client recognition for service, strategy, and results-oriented media solutions.

In Memory of Austin McGeheran

July 19, 1998 -July 23, 2021