BarkleyOKRP, one of the largest independent full-service agencies in the US, today announced new leadership with the appointment of Katy Hornaday as the agency’s new CEO. She was previously Chief Creative Officer and is one of just a few female creatives in the industry to be promoted to CEO. A search for the agency’s next CCO is underway. 

She succeeds Jeff King, who served as CEO of Barkley since 2009 and then led BarkleyOKRP since the two agencies merged a little over a year ago.  

King will continue at the agency in a new role as founding partner. Three other senior leaders are also shifting to founding partner roles, including Nick Paul and Dan Fromm, who have been co-presidents of the agency since the 2024 merger, and Tom O’Keefe, previously CEO at OKRP and more recently creative chairman at the combined agency.  

The agency also named Nate Swift as president, further shaping its next generation of leadership. He has served as CMO since the merger and earlier was Chief Strategy Officer at OKRP. 

The management changes follow the agency’s launch in March of a new media agency, dubbed MissionOne Media and led by Sean Corcoran, the former US CEO of Interpublic’s Mediahub.  

“Katy has been a huge part of our success for more than a decade,” said King. As the firm has been preparing for the future and making executive succession plans, he added, “No one could be more prepared or inspiring to lead our agency and our clients into the future.”  

“Katy’s that rare two-sport star – a proven creative leader who also has a strong command of the business side,” added O’Keefe.  

Hornaday became Chief Creative Officer at Barkley in January 2020. Under her leadership the agency saw significant growth, adding clients like Planet Fitness, Smoothie King, and Frontier Airlines. In 2018, she launched FUEL, the agency’s digital content studio, which now has a staff of 80. She also played a key role in last year’s merger.  

She will now lead more than 700 employees across the agency’s offices in Kansas City, Chicago, Austin, Denver, and New York City.