Soon-to-be-launched ICF Next has named Bryan Specht, formerly the president of its Olson and Olson Engage units, as the combined agency’s Chief Growth & Innovation Officer. Specht steered Olson Engage to significant growth and major industry honors, including, in 2018 alone, Outstanding Midsize Agency honors from PR Week and Specialist Agency of the Year honors from the Holmes Report.
In his new role, Specht will focus primarily on business development, sales, and innovative-service offerings, and secondarily on marketing, communications and brand promotion for ICF Next, which combines all of ICF’s previously disparate agency holdings, including ICF Olson, Olson Engage, Olson 1to1, PulsePoint Group, Brussels-based ICF Mostra and UK-based We Are Vista and The Future Customer, into an integrated, 1,700-employee, 15-office global agency.
Specht’s prior duties leading the legacy Olson and Olson Engage teams will be assumed by Tricia Ewald, who was previously EVP/Head of Account Management for Olson Engage. Ewald has been with the agency since 2006 and has been recognized as a “Champion of PR” by PR Week and a 40 Under 40 by Crain’s Chicago Business. The appointments are effective January 1.
