• by Larissa Faw , March 19, 2014

Kristen Cavallo has been promoted to President of Mullen’s flagship Boston office.

Since 2011, Cavallo has served as Chief Strategy Officer at the Interpublic Group-owned agency. Her promotion is largely due to her extensive contributions to the company’s growth and transformation over the past three years, said Mullen CEO Alex Leikikh.

“Kristen is the Bo Jackson of our industry,” said Alex Leikikh, CEO, Mullen. “Truly, she is an all-star in so many phases of our game: strategy, deep client partnership, business acumen, new business development, consultant relationships, emotional shoulder, the list goes on."

Cavallo is credited with helping the agency win several new clients including Acura, American Greetings and U.S. Cellular, among others. Plus, Cavallo's expertise in brand planning and performance analytics have helped the agency grow 60%  during her tenure.

Cavallo initially started her ad career at the agency in 1994 and worked on the BMW and Timberland accounts. She left for the The Martin Agency where she worked for 13 years, lastly as SVP, Planning and Development, before returning to Mullen.

“I started my ad career at Mullen 20 years ago.,” said Cavallo. It was here I learned how to sprint and think at the same time. It was here I learned that when we do our jobs well, people see the world a bit differently,” she added. “So for me, to be President of Mullen is like hitting the job jackpot.”

Cavallo assumes her new position immediately. She will remain in Richmond, VA with her family, and will travel to Boston and to Mullen client locations weekly to engage with agency and client teams.

Over her career, Cavallo has led strategic brand planning for both domestic and global brands, including Volkswagen, Saab, Charles Schwab, Kohler, Coca-Cola and the Miller Brewing Company. She is a two-time winner of the Jay Chiat Award recognizing strategic excellence for her work on Volkswagen and Coca-Cola.