Asset Manager

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tms

tms runs a 1,400-person hybrid agency-sourcing firm serving McDonald's and T-Mobile.

tms

tms unites technology, marketing and sourcing to drive transformational change for the world’s leading brands. Learn more here.

General information

Firm type

Asset Manager

Year founded

1998

AUM

Undisclosed

Location

Region

North America

Country

United States

City

Chicago

Corporate office

Chicago, IL, United States

Additional offices

London, United Kingdom · Munich, Germany · Hong Kong

Principals

Mark Landolt

President

Brian Barthelt

Chief Innovation Officer

Alice Chi Martin

President, Global Merchandise Services

Mike Cieplak

Chief Financial Officer

Jeff Jarka

MD, Global McDonald's Marketing

Sector focus

Enterprise SoftwareMedia & EntertainmentReal EstateLuxury

Frequently asked questions

How does tms integrate marketing creative with physical sourcing?

tms houses creative agencies, strategic consultants, and sourcing specialists under a single P&L. For a McDonald's Happy Meal promotion, the same firm designs the toy, negotiates the licensing agreement with the IP holder, manufactures the product, and manages packaging and distribution — eliminating the handoff between separate agency and supply chain vendors.

Who owns tms and what is its relationship to HAVI?

tms is an operating subsidiary of HAVI Corporation, the entity formed in 1981 from the original Perlman Rocque Distribution business serving McDonald's. In 2020, HAVI merged its Sourcing services business with The Marketing Store Worldwide to create tms. HAVI also operates a separate Supply Chain business unit alongside tms.

What is tms's relationship with McDonald's?

McDonald's is tms's foundational and largest client. The firm's predecessor, M-B Sales, was the original provider of Happy Meal toy design and sourcing. Today, tms maintains a dedicated Managing Director for Global McDonald's Marketing — Jeff Jarka, based in Chicago — and handles packaging, promotions, and loyalty initiatives for the brand globally.

Does tms operate only as a marketing agency, or does it manufacture physical products?

tms is both. It designs the creative strategy for brand campaigns and also physically sources and manufactures the tangible goods those campaigns require — from Happy Meal toys to adidas retail fixtures. The firm's 2020 restructuring made this dual capability its formal operating model.

How many employees does tms have, and where are its main offices?

tms employs roughly 1,400 people across 26 countries, with its headquarters in Chicago and major offices in London, Munich, and Hong Kong. The global footprint supports campaigns that reach over 110 million consumers daily, per the firm's own operational metrics.

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