GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 17, 2018 — Fairly Painless, a leading West Michigan-based integrated marketing and creative services firm, has appointed Steve Groenink as its president. In this role, Groenink will lead the development of short- and long-term growth strategies, and oversee agency operations.

Groenink brings 35 years of leadership experience to Fairly Painless, including spending the last decade as chief operations officer at Lambert, Edwards & Associates, Michigan’s largest public and investor relations firm. Prior to that, he held various management positions in the
banking and finance industries, including with longtime Fairly Painless client, Greenleaf Trust.

Groenink’s arrival and ownership commitment mark a strategic shift in Fairly Painless’ leadership, as majority owner Chris Cook embarks on a well-earned journey into retirement.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing Steve onboard. His leadership and business skills will be immensely valuable to Fairly Painless and our clients as we continue to build on our 25 years of success,” said Cook. “With Steve at the helm of our leadership team, and taking an ownership position alongside agency co-owner, Cheryl Bell, Fairly Painless is in very capable hands.”

In taking the reins from Cook, Groenink is tasked with furthering Fairly Painless’ strong reputation as a strategically innovative marketing and creative agency focused on generating positive, measurable results for clients across traditional and digital platforms. Fairly Painless has worked with an impressive roster of clients over the past 25 years including Aetna, Armstrong International, Greenleaf Trust, Herman Miller, and Visteon.

“I’m honored to be joining this exceptional team of forward-thinking, creative professionals,” said Groenink. “Chris and Cheryl have built a remarkable business and I look forward to being part of Fairly Painless’ next phase of growth.”