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

He is the founder of IL², an advisory practice working with founders, CMOs, and private equity operators on brand architecture, AI-native marketing operations, and the systems that make growth repeatable. IL² is the successor to Integrative Logic (IL), the analytics-led firm John founded in 2002, rebuilt for a market where intelligence moves faster than the org chart. He also served as a principal at ROJEK Consulting, where he helps deliver GrowthWave, an advisory platform for agency positioning and growth.

Before founding IL², John was CEO and President of Luckie & Company, where he led the transformation of a 70-year-old firm into an AI-native marketing solutions company. He grew the client portfolio 55%, drove 20% top-line growth, increased revenue per employee 83%, doubled digital market share inside twelve months, and built a healthcare division that grew 35% year over year and earned a place on MM&M's Top 100 Healthcare Agencies.

Earlier, he founded Integrative Logic, one of the Southeast's first analytics-led marketing firms. He scaled it from four people to more than 100+, grew revenue to $15M, earned three consecutive Inc. 5000 rankings, and led the company through acquisition and post-merger integration.

John is the architect of the 4Is™ framework: Intelligence, Individualization, Integration, and Inspiration. It is the operating model behind his work with GSK, ViiV Healthcare, Marriott, Chick-fil-A, Rivian, Galderma, BCBS, and RaceTrac, and the foundation of a chapter he authored in "The New 4 P's of Pharmaceutical Marketing." His teams' work has been recognized by MM&M, Cannes Lions, Clio, One Show, Webby, Addy, and the Radio Mercury Awards.

He serves on the boards of Daniel's Music Foundation and the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce, sits on the University of Alabama's College of Communication Board of Visitors, and chairs the Talking Dog Board of Advisors at the University of Georgia's Grady College. He speaks regularly on marketing in the AI era, including keynotes at Travel South Global, the Florida Governor's Conference, ePharma, and the AstraZeneca Global Conference.