Mission Control Communications (mc²), a global climate tech communications agency, announced it has promoted Connie Zhang to senior vice president after two years as vice president leading the agency’s North America expansion. Kate McIlroy, whose career includes experience at UNICEF USA and FINN Partners, joins the leadership team to build out the agency’s growing public affairs practice. The two serve at the helm of North American programs and operations, providing strategy, branding and integrated communication programs to Mission Control’s base of award-winning climate tech clients.
After tenures at high-tech agencies like The Hatch Agency, managing accounts like Oracle, Connie joined Mission Control in 2020. During the past three years, she helped guide the firm through Covid, implementing progressive workforce programs for Mission Control’s now 100% remote team. Connie’s departure from tech to climate tech anticipated the trend we see today – talented people pivoting to work with mission-based companies.
“While the pandemic forced us to hold a magnifying glass to all aspects of our lives, it also created an opportunity for us to reimagine the ethos of our company,” said Connie. “We used that to redefine our working lives, introducing programs that inspire better work-life balance. Mission Control’s new initiatives now include paid work sabbaticals and Summer Fridays as well as a few that are unique to the agency, including ‘Do Good Days’ and ‘Takeover Thursdays,’ both which allow teams to continue to learn, grow and explore outside of everyday mindsets. The renewed focus on our team’s well-being has been a catalyst for attracting new talent to mc2’s East and West Coast teams, while converting some of the best and brightest brains to climate tech.”
Kate has been working in public relations and public affairs for over a decade and brings experience in energy, environment and government relations to Mission Control. Before joining the team, Kate worked to champion mission-driven causes at UNICEF USA and spent five years in Washington D.C. with stints at the House Homeland Security Committee, Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs and Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC). Most recently, Kate managed accounts within the Government and ESG practice groups at FINN Partners. She has a masters in International Relations and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
“Throughout my career, I’ve consistently sought opportunities to address inequity and crisis by working with and for mission-driven causes,” said Kate. “I’m excited to join the dedicated team at Mission Control and play a part in the global, consorted movement of individuals who are building solutions for the climate crisis.”
Founded in the years of Cleantech 1.0, Mission Control has positioned itself as one of the leading independent agencies focused on clean, climate and deep-technologies. Today its practice areas represent the forward edge of what’s happening in what it calls “planet-forward” initiatives, sectors that are critical to the world’s economic, social and environmental goals. With sector specialties in Carbontech, Deeptech Discoveries, Advanced Mobility, Climate Capital and more. mc² offers its global client base a scope of services that includes: strategic communications, brand identity programs, thought leadership platforms and public affairs.
“Today in our tenth year of supporting climate tech initiatives, we’ve expanded into new emerging markets that are rooted in that same planet-forward spirit and bring those same level of global societal benefits,” said Caroline Venza, CEO and founder of Mission Control Communications. “These pillars of our planet, which include equality, fair trade, environmental justice, carbontech and more, are forming the basis of new growth for our agency. With Connie and Kate at the helm, we’re poised to help climate tech pioneers – in Silicon Valleys all around the globe – bring their innovations to an in-need world.”
About mc²
Mission Control Communications (mc²) is a strategic communications consultancy serving global innovators at the intersection of science and technology. Visit us at www.missionC2.com and on our digital feeds: @MissionC2 (Twitter) @MC_US (Instagram) and MissionCTRL Communications (Facebook).
