Minneapolis agency Colle McVoy has found a new president in Obele Brown-West.
The executive fills the position left vacant by Jessica Henrichs, who was promoted from president to chief executive officer (CEO) after a long period CEO Christine Fruechte has resigned in October 2024.
Brown-West has a broad and varied background in integrated communications, media and technology. She was most recently president of the AI data intelligence platform Tracer. There, she completed the company’s $18.1 million Series A funding round and increased customer profits while reducing operating expenses.
His expertise spans retail, FMCG, travel, automotive, entertainment, food and beverage, education, healthcare and pet care categories for brands such as Chips Ahoy!, Mars, MilkPEP, Sanofi, Dove Chocolate, United Airlines, Unilever, and more.
Brown-West told ADWEEK: “I’ve never stuck to one path in my career. As a lifelong student, I wanted to dabble in as many disciplines as possible.
“Being rare, Obele is a born connector,” Henrichs said of Brown-West, an industry vet for more than 20 years. “Her vision of opportunities and end-to-end marketing mastery are unmatched: the partnerships she negotiated, the revenue and operating model evolutions she architected, and the way she championed the authenticity of the brand are case studies for getting out of chaos. »
A cultural fit
Brown-West was attracted to Colle McVoy, who was named ADWEEK’s Mid-Size Agency of the Year in 2023because of its corporate culture and team orientation. The director said the interview process was different from others she had experienced before in that she was not “sold” on the role, but rather in a “fluent conversation”.
The caliber of creativity and consistency of Colle McVoy’s client work showcases the power of the midsize model, Brown-West said. She was also attracted to the 90-year-old Stagwell-owned agency’s enduring client relationships, which include long-standing contracts with 3M and Target as well as more recent account wins like La-Z-Boy and Lost Food.
“All the muscles are there, a culture and approach to creativity that is truly palpable. I am here to join in the humble ambition of building on the agency’s roots in the Midwest to contribute to the next generation of growth,” said Brown-West.
