We Are Escape Artists

For all that they have given us, modernity and technology come with a cost. Stress, anxiety and fatigue fuel the need for escape.

Escape is defined on our own terms — HIKING, FISHING a favorite trout stream, COCKTAILS with a spouse, GOLF with friends,
buying a luxury timepiece, a GETAWAY to a mountain home.

It is an environment or state of mind that is PERSONAL, yet its effect is UNIVERSAL – a path to our BETTER SELF.

Escape energizes us, feeds the body, nourishes the mind, elevates the spirit. And our need for its restorative powers has never been greater.

What We Believe

We believe for a brand to connect to an audience seeking escape, it must be able to convey its authentic voice and identity through stories and experiences that take people to moments that matter. We call it TRANSPORTAL CONTENT – the bridge between current states of mind to higher senses of feeling and being.

It is our founding philosophy of marketing and is fundamental to all agencies in the Buffalo Groupe Collective.

Our Leadership

John Watson has served as Executive Chairman for The Buffalo Groupe since the firm was first established in 2019. In addition to leading the Herd’s marketing efforts with the NFLA, PGA of America and PGA Magazine, John heads up The First Call, the golf industry’s daily morning snapshot, and serves on the Buffalo Groupe Board of Directors.

Previously, John worked as President of Hallmark Omni/Retail, President & CEO of Edwin Watts Golf, and CEO of Sunglass Hut International. The Georgetown and Amos Tuck School alum lives in Alta, Utah, with wife Darcie, where he enjoys skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, and playing golf.

John Watson

Executive Chairman, Buffalo Groupe

Kyle Ragsdale is the Chief Executive officer of Buffalo Groupe, responsible for the development and execution of the vision and strategy of the company. With nearly 30 years of sports marketing experience, he recognized the power of golf as a marketing platform and led the spinout of Buffalo from Billy Casper Golf into a stand-alone company with a blue-chip list of clients and investors, including NBC Sports and top tier pro athletes.

The California native, who grew up in a small town in Southwest Missouri, currently lives near Washington D.C. with his wife, two children, a demanding French Bulldog and a horse named Paul.

Kyle Ragsdale

Chief Executive Officer, Buffalo Groupe

Emily Clark is the Chief Operating Officer at Buffalo Groupe. Emily leads and inspires the Herd, both creatively and strategically, while heading up client strategy and overseeing operations, and leads teams responsible for marketing and branding Sun Mountain, OrthoLite and Troon, among others.

The UVA alum lives in Northern Virginia with husband Shawn, three boys, and one dog, where she enjoys yoga, spending time with family, and the water.

Emily Clark

Chief Operating Officer, Buffalo Groupe

Lauren Nodzak serves as Managing Director for Buffalo Agency, the leading marketing agency in golf. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations and the vision for continued growth and success of the DC-based firm.

The Centenary University alum lives in New Jersey with her husband, Joe, where she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family at the Jersey Shore.

Lauren Nodzak

Managing Director, Buffalo Agency
Head of Strategic Communications, Buffalo Groupe

Jack Burris serves as Managing Director of 54 Brands and President of Moments Live, overseeing daily operations and leading growth and development for both.

The UNC Chapel Hill alum lives in Charlotte with his wife, Beth, and two children. When he’s not helping steer the Herd, he enjoys spending time with his family, going to concerts, playing golf and mountain biking.

Jack Burris

Managing Director, 54 Brands
President, Moments Live

Sara Killeen is the Managing Director and founder of Longitudes Group, Buffalo’s Portland, Oregon-based sports marketing research firm. In addition to managing all day-to-day aspects of the West Coast Herd, Sara leads research teams to develop robust, actionable data for a wide range of clients across different industries.

She lives in Portland, OR with her wife, Kathleen, and their dog, Clyde, where she enjoys playing golf, traveling, and going on outdoor adventures.

Sara Killeen

Managing Director, Longitudes Group

John Kautz serves as Managing Director, Head of Integration at BGRM. When he’s not overseeing business development, brand and account strategy, and operational management for the Charleston-based agency, John leads the marketing efforts for Terminix, The Charleston Place, Jackson County, NC, Sawgrass Technologies, and Qubica AMF’s Hyperbowling, among others.

John lives in Charleston with his wife, Terry, son, Jackson, and a handful of rescue cats, where he enjoys carpentry, gardening and travel.

John Kautz

Managing Director, BGRM

Glenn Gray is Executive Vice President at Buffalo Groupe, responsible for driving high-profile industry partnerships and guiding marketing strategy for organizations such as the F45 Training, Omni Hotels & Resorts, LPGA, Golf Pride, PXG, Riviera Country Club, USGA and Youth on Course, to name a few.

He lives in Richmond with his wife, Alexandra, and their two chocolate labs, Cooper and Caddy, where he enjoys playing golf, soccer and traveling.

Glenn Gray

Executive Vice President

Genna Shelnut serves as both the Managing Director at BGRM and as Executive Creative Director for Buffalo Groupe. Genna oversees all creative work from conception to execution, guides brand messaging strategy, and has helped the Herd establish and grow the Buffalo Groupe culture in the ever-changing hybrid work environment.

Genna lives in Charleston, SC with her husband, Todd, and rescue pup, Rutabaga, where she enjoys music, art, fitness and traveling.

Genna Shelnutt

Executive Creative Director, Managing Director BGRM

Keith Storey serves as president of Sports Marketing Surveys USA.He oversees all daily operations at SMS USA as well as their subsidiary, ActionWatch, and leads teams in charge of both qualitative and quantitative research for clients like The Physical Activity Council, The Tennis Industry Association, and Vans, to name a few.

Keith lives in Vero Beach, FL with his wife, Denny, and two black labs, Lilly and Cali, where he enjoys watching cricket, playing golf and tennis, and playing guitar.

Keith Storey

President of Sports Marketing Surveys, USA

Caitlin Wesenberg is Senior Vice President, Head of Digital Services, responsible for leading strategy and implementation of all SEM, SEO content, email marketing, paid media, social media, influencer marketing, and more.

A Green Bay-native, Caitlin now lives in Boulder, CO, with her husband, Mason, two children and one dog, where she enjoys trail running through the mountains and spending time with friends and family.

Caitlin Wesenberg

Senior Vice President – Digital

Andrew Gray, CPA, serves as Senior Vice President in charge of Finance and Accounting. In this role, Andrew oversees treasury, leads financial planning and analysis, and provides accounting and financial reporting across all Buffalo Groupe projects.

When he’s not crunching the numbers for the Herd, Andrew enjoys spending time with his family and friends, traveling, and all things sports.

Andrew Gray

Senior Vice President – Finance

The Collective