Lannie Byrd Bio

Lannie Byrd is a seasoned marketing and digital transformation leader with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations grow through innovation, customer experience strategy, and operational excellence. He has led agencies from 20 to over 160 employees, managed complex mergers and spin-offs, and driven the adoption of AI, martech, advanced analytics, and modern content capabilities to keep clients ahead in fast-changing markets.

Before his agency leadership roles, Lannie served as Senior Director of Marketing and Online Services at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. There, he spearheaded the creation of MyUAMShealth.com, a unified patient platform that integrated clinical and marketing information, launched a custom patient portal, and later guided the transition to Epic’s MyChart system. He implemented enterprise-wide web governance with a single content management system and developed award-winning digital campaigns that grew patient engagement by more than 50% annually and earned 11 national online healthcare marketing awards.

Lannie’s career began in media, where he held positions as an online manager, content producer, and reporter. At The Commercial Appeal, he grew the newspaper’s online audience by more than 20% year over year, launched new digital products, and led the organization’s first forays into social media. Earlier, at KYXK Radio, he worked as a reporter and on-air personality, developing the storytelling skills that remain a hallmark of his work today.