Dennis Hanley

Commercial growth that compounds.

Go-to-market strategy and business development for agencies.

Dennis Hanley, Sr. Director of Strategic Growth at Instrument

I'm the partner people choose when the business is at a turning point and the stakes are real. I help organizations see where they're headed and forge the path to get there.

I started in film. More than the craft, it taught me that making anything real requires a dozen jobs most people don't see. Hold the vision, rally the people, secure the backing, and carry it across the finish line. That instinct carried into agencies, a startup, and eventually into running entire companies. The vehicle kept changing. The work stayed the same.

Twenty years of that. W+K Lodge, KBS, Instrument, Planetary. I've been a maker, a founder, an operator, and a growth leader. Each chapter sharpened the same thing. Take their business seriously, earn the conversation, and stay long enough to see it through. I'm at Instrument now, leading strategic growth across a portfolio of the world's most ambitious brands. I see where it's going and I get us there.

Growth leadership. Operator perspective. Client partner.

Curiosity first

I take my partners' business as seriously as they do. Before I propose anything, I understand their world. The pressures, the politics, the priorities they haven't put in writing. By the time we sit down together, it feels like we've already started.

Relationships that compound

One project turns into five because I stay through delivery, expand what's working, and spot the next opportunity before it becomes a brief.

Vision to outcome

I catch on fast, fill in the gaps, and move it forward. Not just strategy. Not just sales. From first conversation to lasting partnership. The full journey from understanding to action to growth.

Google / Nike / Salesforce / Meta / Amazon / BMW / Nintendo / Samsung / Din Tai Fung / Dow Jones

$60M+

Revenue generated

90%

Client retention

Successful exits

Revenue doubled, twice

Webbys, Pencils, and a string of industry firsts that drove real revenue and market position for clients. Featured in FastCompany, AdAge, Wired, and PSFK.

Background

Instrument

Sr. Director, Strategic Growth

Back at Instrument, leading strategic growth across a portfolio of the world's most ambitious brands.

Planetary

Managing Director

Ran the commercial function end to end including client partnerships, new business, team building, and delivery. Built the systems and teams to double revenue in the first two years with 90% client retention. Developed multiyear Fortune 500 and mid-market relationships that drove meaningful business outcomes. Work recognized with a Webby Award and coverage in AdAge.

Caravel

Co-Founder and COO

Co-founded an agentic commerce platform built on the belief that direct conversation between brands and customers builds trust and drives commerce. Built and led a 10-person team through rapid growth. Selected for Techstars 2020 cohort, co-led fundraising ($1M+ in capital). Acquired by Commsor.

W+K Lodge

Executive Producer

Part of the leadership team launching W+K Lodge, Wieden+Kennedy's Innovation-as-a-Service offering. Drove multimillion-dollar revenue expansion in first 12 months, contributing to 75% of new business pipeline through enterprise partnerships with Nike, KFC, and Samsung. Work covered in FastCompany. Projects included the Nike Makers' Experience, a first-of-its-kind retail activation merging AR with on-the-spot manufacturing, and Cozmo: Lost in Reddit, the first-ever interactive livestream activation on the platform.