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    Jessica Henrichs To Succeed Christine Fruechte As CEO Of Colle McVoy

    By SHOOTNo Comments171 Views
    Jessica Henrichs (l) and Christine Fruechte (photo: Business Wire)
    MINNEAPOLIS --

    After nearly 17 years as CEO of Colle McVoy, Christine Fruechte will assume a strategic advisory position as  chair of the agency. Jessica Henrichs, who currently serves as the agency’s president, will be elevated to CEO effective Jan. 1, 2025.

    Fruechte was tapped to run the agency in 2007, as president, when the organization was financially strained and heading into a recession. She rallied the workforce servicing primarily B2B clients at that time in a fresh strategic direction. She became CEO in 2008. Fruechte set a new trajectory in motion by evolving the agency’s positioning, expanding integrated offerings, broadening the client portfolio and investing in key hires while doubling down on a people-first culture.

    Flash forward to today—revenue’s nearly tripled and earnings have increased sixfold, reported as of the end of September 2024. The agency has quadrupled BIPOC representation, from 7% to 28% of its workforce within the same timeframe.

    “It’s been so gratifying to lead Colle McVoy through many reinventions. We’ve proven a midsized agency can be a lightning rod of impact for our industry and our clients’ businesses. I’m incredibly proud of our enduring client partnerships and the fantastic teams we’ve built who’ve made it all happen over the years,” said Fruechte.

    Under Fruechte’s full-hearted vision the agency has achieved international acclaim, record-setting growth, B Corp Certification and Best Place to Work honors for 14 consecutive years.

    Jessica Henrichs
    “Jess has been an undeniable force in Colle McVoy’s explosive growth over the past five years, winning over big-name brands and stewarding molecular-level transformation,” said Fruechte. “From our first conversation, I knew Jess would take the agency to places we’ve never been before.”

    Fruechte and Henrichs have been a dynamic duo for diversifying the agency’s capabilities and client roster while leading a multiyear journey to B Corp certification. Henrichs also recast talent to task, rewiring capabilities and team structures to capitalize on the agency’s midsized model—uniting strategy and experience design; creative and PR; and media and data science.

    “Christine is proof that people-first and profitable are possible,” shared Henrichs. “This culture she’s built of camaraderie, trust and joyful restlessness for reinvention—it’s not a foundation, it’s a springboard. My job is to honor what’s been established and catalyze the momentum we have.”

    Fruechte will work with Henrichs in a strategic advisory capacity while continuing to serve as co-vice chair of the 4A’s Board of Directors, Board chair for The Minnesota Star Tribune—and in leadership roles with the Ad Council, SeeHer and The BrandLab.

    “Christine’s bold leadership over the past two decades has transformed Colle McVoy into a creative force for brands such as 3M, Target and UnitedHealthcare. This momentum has accelerated with Jessica’s arrival—multiplying opportunities with Perdue, La-Z-Boy and Frank’s RedHot,” said Mark Penn, chairman and CEO of Stagwell. “I believe in a bright future for the agency’s next chapter and continued success.”

    Henrichs has been the pivotal player behind Colle McVoy’s growth in the last five years, secured through pitches she’s led and previous relationships flocking to be back in her orbit. Colle McVoy has welcomed Frank’s RedHot, La-Z-Boy, Wellness Pet, American Signature Industries, HARIBO, Craftsman, Whirlpool, Perdue and others to its roster.

    Henrich’s appointment follows Ciro Sarmiento, who was named chief creative officer last November, and Megan Flynn, who became chief financial officer in January.

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    Tags:Christine FruechteColle McVoyJessica Henrichs



    Review: Director Ben Taylor’s “Joy”

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    Toward the end of Netflix's "Joy," the muffled cry of a newborn baby prompts a man and woman in a hospital to embrace out of pure bliss. They aren't the parents, but they had as much to do with the birth as the mom and dad.

    This charming and winning movie charts the decade-long true story of how the world's first IVF baby was born in England in 1978 — a 5-pound, 12-ounce girl who paved the way for millions more. It's an upbeat, very English affair, mixing sober discussion of endometriosis with chocolate biscuits.

    The couple embracing that day were pioneering scientist Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy, a young nurse and embryologist. Together with surgeon Patrick Steptoe, the trio succeeded with in vitro fertilization, a method of treating infertility. Edwards would go on to win the Nobel Prize.

    "Joy" has been birthed at a time when science is under threat in America — even IVF — so it's downright inspiring to see plucky, smart scientists working hard to change the world. "What we're doing, it matters," says Steptoe, played with quiet economy by Bill Nighy.

    "Joy" is the personal stories of the three scientists — mostly through the eyes of Purdy, a polite lab-coated warrior. "If I hear a commotion, I'm not very good at staying out of it," she says. Perfectly played by Thomasin McKenzie, Purdy is both vulnerable and strong, learning through the process to be a better human. James Norton plays Edwards with charm, self-doubt and calm spirit.

    Jack Thorne's script nicely explains the massive pressure the trio faced. IVF may have become common and uncontroversial over the last decades, but back in the late '70s it was experimental and shunned. The Anglican church called it a sin, the newspapers labeled it Frankenstein-ish and other... Read More

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