Chase Lane
In 2025, Chase Lane and his wife Kelsi made the decision to become partners in LT.agency, a Phoenix-based marketing agency founded by his grandfather Ed Lane more than 60 years ago. Taking the reins as a third-generation CEO, Chase builds on the legacy carried forward by his father Beau Lane and his longtime business partner Chris Johnson, who have guided the company’s growth for many years.
“There’s a weight that comes with stepping into something that’s built over generations. You have to respect that foundation, but you also have to be honest about what the next chapter of the story requires,” says Chase Lane, LT.agency CEO.
The opportunity wasn’t to rebuild but to move the business forward, honoring what was working while bringing his own perspective. Overcorrect and he risked losing what made the company successful. Under-evolve and he risked it falling behind. It wasn’t about making his own mark but about shaping what came next for the agency. That mindset was developed long before he joined LT.
During his time in the U.S. Air Force, Chase worked in search and rescue helicopter procurement and developed an operational lens, understanding how complex systems function, how decisions are made and where friction occurs. His unit made decisions with real consequences and his commander took personal responsibility for the outcomes. He learned that in complex environments where decisions carry risk, teams don’t expect perfection; they expect leadership accountability to a set of core values and principles.
Later, after earning an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, Chase served as an assistant professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He taught the technology innovation capstone course, where cadets were encouraged to take risks, think ahead and take ownership of their successes and failures. He focused not just on what decisions to make but how to think through them. That carried him through roles in management consulting, operations and corporate strategy, where he advised organizations on mission-critical strategy and decision-making.
That perspective evolved into something more personal when Chase and Kelsi became partners in LT.agency. It marked a shift from contributing to a business to helping author its story.
Chase re-focused the company on its core values of Integrity, Unity, Craftsmanship, Speed With Purpose, Boldness, and Humble Confidence, creating weekly agency-wide values discussions and implementing values-based decision making into the agency’s operating model. He rebuilt LT’s strategic planning process to align the team on clear priorities grounded in shared context and organizational objectives. He encouraged the executive team to take risks, but only those grounded in LT’s values and aligned with its strategic priorities.
Within the first year, that approach delivered results: eighteen new clients, stronger long-standing partnerships and double-digit revenue and margin growth. Those outcomes weren’t the strategy but the result of a business — and a workforce — capable of doing more and doing it better.
As those results took shape, the focus shifted from what the agency had accomplished to how that approach could scale across the organization.
Chase guided teams to invest in capabilities that would strengthen how they think and operate. Sensing the pressure on clients to deal with larger and larger data sets, LT launched a data science practice, enabling new levels of campaign and customer insights. To unlock the potential of artificial intelligence, LT launched the “LT AI Hub” to bring the agency together in a centralized location to access tools, build automations and collaborate more fully. These efforts weren’t about adding new tools but about equipping departments to make better decisions and lead more strategic conversations.
That same mindset extended beyond the agency walls. Recognizing an opportunity to strengthen the broader marketing community, Chase launched the Arizona Marketing Summit in November 2025, bringing local leaders together to share challenges, exchange ideas and build a more connected industry.
In just over a year as CEO, Chase’s approach has centered on creating clarity, building trust and giving team members the structure and autonomy to execute. Foundational improvements and innovative growth were not treated as competing priorities but as shared responsibilities across the organization.
Above all else, Chase strives to lead with integrity. As he learned throughout his career, the best leaders own their decisions, are open and honest with their teams and don’t shy away from risk. This mentality serves as a constant through change, reinforcing accountability and ensuring that, as the business grows, the way it operates remains consistent.
Like any good editor, Chase ensures consistency in the direction but understands the story is, ultimately, shaped by the people who author it. At LT, the next chapter is not being written by one voice but by a team aligned in where they’re going and trusted in how they’ll get there.
LT.agency by the Numbers
- Founded in 1962, Arizona’s longest-standing marketing agency
- 93% year-over-year client retention rate
- 300+ client projects and retainers across casino and gaming, franchise and retail, entertainment and attractions, health and wellness, higher-education and more
- 100 team members delivering fully integrated marketing across strategy, media, creative, content, PR, UX, web, data and more
Did You Know: Veterans are more likely to hold leadership roles than non-veterans, with roughly 12% working in executive or senior-level positions. Their experience leading in high-pressure environments often translates directly to business leadership.
