• by Fern Siegel , January 23, 2025

Obele Brown-West has been named president of Minneapolis agency Colle McVoy. She reports to Jessica Henrichs, who was named CEO on Jan. 1.

Colle McVoy’s boutique creative arm, Exponent, will report into Brown-West. So will account management and media & data science functions.

Previously, Brown-West was president at Tracer and before that, chief solutions officer at Tinuiti. At Tinuti, she managed more than $3 billion in media spend. At Weber Shandwick, she oversaw integrated communication innovation in predictive analytics, integrated media and consumer insights as its North America digital client experience lead.

Her expertise encompasses retail, commerce, CPG, travel, automotive, entertainment, agribusiness, education, healthcare and pet-care categories. Brands she’s worked with include Chips Ahoy!, Mars Inc. Aldi, MilkPEP, Headspace, Blue Cross Blue Shield, NFL and United Airlines.

“Colle McVoy has made me a believer in how creative agencies can lead the way for brands again. With its midsize model, I think there’s expansive opportunity to shake up what integrated agency capabilities look like and how they can responsibly serve brands. I want this agency to be the blueprint,” said Brown-West told Agency Daily.

Colle McVoy's roster includes 3M, CHS, Crystal Farms, Frank’s RedHot, Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism, Northern Tool + Equipment and Perdue Farms.

“The fact she's chosen Colle McVoy for this leg of her career is a testament to what we're building and the momentum we have,” noted Henrichs. “Her foresight for opportunity and command of end-to-end marketing is unrivaled.”

Brown-West’s appointment coincides with the promotions of Gina Gray to chief growth officer and John Doyle to chief strategy officer.