John Gardner is a growth-driven executive, board member, and entrepreneur who transforms marketing organizations into future-ready, AI-powered growth engines.

As architect of the 4Is™ framework—Intelligence, Individualization, Integration, and Inspiration—John has guided healthcare, financial services, travel, and CPG brands to harness data, creativity, and AI for measurable market impact.

Most recently, John served as CEO of Luckie & Company, where he led a complete transformation of the 70-year-old firm into an AI-native marketing solutions leader—growing revenue, expanding internationally, and earning recognition as an MM&M Top 100 Healthcare Agency.

Earlier, John founded Integrative Logic, one of the Southeast’s first analytics-led marketing firms. He scaled it from 4 to 160+ employees, grew revenue to $15M, earned three consecutive Inc. 5000 rankings, and led its acquisition by Luckie.

Throughout his career, John has helped challenger brands punch above their weight—turning regional players into national leaders and guiding established companies through market transitions. His teams’ work has been recognized with top industry honors from MM&M, Cannes Lions, Clio, One Show, Webby, Addy, and Radio Mercury Awards.

As a mentor, board member, and frequent keynote speaker, John is passionate about preparing the next generation of leaders to compete—and win—in the AI era.