REEL WOMEN

REEL WOMEN Celebrates: Jen Passaniti, Producer

By Jen Passaniti
March 19, 2025

Editor’s Note: Supporting women should not be limited to a month. So, at Reel Chicago, we have decided to amplify and promote dynamic women’s voices all year long. Today, let us introduce you to Highdive Head of Production, Jen Passaniti.

Jen Passaniti teamed up with Highdive to lead the production department in 2018, guiding clients to the best, most efficient results all while building a premiere production department from scratch. In 2020, Jen founded Highdive’s first in-house studio, 1986 Studios, which services many of Highdive’s productions offering streamlined efficiencies to its clients. Jen was recently named President of 1986 Studios, and remains the Head of Production for Highdive.

Jen has produced 13 Superbowl commercials in her career, including Highdive’s much-heralded “Groundhog Day” for Jeep in 2020, Rocket Mortgage 3 years in a row (2020-2022), and State Farm “Neighbaa” (2024) in which most of them topped the USA Today Admeter at #1 and most recently Lay’s Little Farmer which placed #2 on the 2025 Admeter. She has also produced 2 Emmy-nominated commercials while Highdive.

In 2021, Jen was a finalist for AdAge “Agency Producer of the Year”, made Ad Age’s Leading Women Class of 2021, and earned a spot in the outlet’s The List. She most recently won the 2023 AdAge A-List Head of Production of the Year. Jen prides herself on being a woman in leadership alongside her “other job” as a mom to 3 kids.

Let’s meet Jen!

What’s your Chicago story?

I was raised in the Chicago suburbs by my New York parents who thought the Midwest might be a nice change of pace. Despite their insistence on always choosing a NY slice over deep dish (our #1 family rule), I’m 100% Chicago—Go Bears, Bulls, and Hawks!

I’m proud of my hometown, Glen Ellyn, where I spent my days making home movies with my friends and playing sports at Glenbard West High School. After a brief detour to Denison University in Ohio for college, I came running back to Chicago to kickstart my career in advertising. Fifteen years later, I found myself back in the suburbs, raising my three kids with the same love for the city that’s always been home.

How did you break into your industry?

I was fortunate to land an internship at Leo Burnett between my junior and senior years of college. It was my first real exposure to how an agency operates, and I was able to learn about the role of producers while making valuable connections, including my mentor, Chris Rossiter, who was an EP at the time.

Just before I graduated, Chris became the head of production and offered me a full-time position. While I was eager to be a producer, he recommended I take a business manager role to better understand the business side of production. It was a great opportunity to get my foot in the door and learn from one of the most respected production departments in the industry.

Early in my career, I was lucky to be guided and supported by incredible women mentors, including Kelley Beaman, our Director of Business Affairs who I interned under at Leo Burnett and have since taken with me to every agency I’ve ever worked at…she is my rock!

How has Chicago influenced your creative journey?

Chicago teaches you to work hard, think fast, and never take yourself too seriously. It’s a city built on hustle, where creativity thrives in unexpected places. That spirit of resilience and collaboration has shaped the way I approach my work every day.

It’s also why we named our in-house studio 1986 Studios—a tribute to the year the Bears won the Super Bowl (yes we know it was technically the ’85 Bears) and a reminder that when you build something great with the right team, you create a legacy.

Chicago is known for its grind and resilience. How has that shaped your career?

Working in production, you have to be resourceful, stay calm under pressure, and find creative solutions on the fly. Chicago’s “no-nonsense but always kind” mentality has taught me to approach challenges with grit but also with empathy. And let’s be honest—this is a sports town.

Chicago thrives on competition, and that mindset fuels me every day. I love the challenge of pushing creative work to be the best it can be and bringing together a winning team to make it happen. At Highdive, we play to win, but we do it with heart—just like Chicago.

What’s a creative risk you took that paid off? (Or one that didn’t but was still worth it?)

Joining Highdive as Head of Production! Looking back, it should have felt like a risk—but it didn’t. I believed in Megan, Chad, and Mark with every fiber of my being. They say to surround yourself with people who challenge and inspire you, and I knew that if I was in their orbit, I’d be in good hands. Taking that leap has been one of the best decisions of my career.

Chicago has given us Michelle Obama, Oprah, Joan Cusack Shonda Rhimes, Linda Kaplan Thaler, Barbara Proctor, Lena Waithe, and so many powerhouse women. What’s it going to take to create even more opportunities for Chicago women?

Chicago is full of talented, ambitious women, but we need to keep breaking down barriers—whether that’s making space at the table, amplifying each other’s voices, or ensuring leadership roles reflect the talent pool.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to have mentors who saw my potential and pushed me forward, and I try to do the same for the next generation of women in this industry. Real change happens when we not only open doors for ourselves but hold them open for others.

What’s your take on the rise of AI?

AI is undeniably changing the landscape of every industry, including advertising and production. The best work still comes from bold ideas and smart execution, but AI will help us get there faster, more efficiently, and push the boundaries of what’s possible.

At Highdive, we embrace innovation, and AI is another way we can unlock new opportunities, streamline workflows, and focus our energy on making the best creative work possible.

How do you balance ambition with self-care?

In a high-pressure industry like advertising, it’s easy to get caught up in the grind, but I’ve realized that taking care of myself makes me a better leader, collaborator, and creative thinker. For me, self-care isn’t just about baths and meditation—it’s about setting boundaries, prioritizing what truly matters, and permitting myself to step away when needed.

That might mean getting a workout in, having dinner with my family without distractions, or simply recognizing when I need a reset. It’s about playing the long game, staying inspired, and making sure I have the energy to keep going and think bigger.

You’re writing a memoir. What’s the title?

“Go With Your Gut (And Then Overachieve the Hell Out of It)” My gut has never steered me wrong, especially when I’ve combined it with an enormous work ethic.