WASHINGTON — Bully Pulpit Interactive has tapped BCW’s Kim Axelrod to serve as the public affairs agency’s new chief operating officer.

Axelrod will oversee BPI’s offices in Chicago, Washington, New York and San Francisco, and a staff of 190-plus people. She will work with BPI's senior leaders on scaling the business, bolstering capabilities and growing talent.

BPI's last COO, Ann Marie Habershaw, passed away in 2018.

Axelrod joins BPI after a decade with BCW, where she most recently led Washington operations as that market’s COO.

Axelrod was also the North America client lead for BCW’s Bank of America account which she helped grow and lead throughout her tenure. Axelrod focused on integration across BCW and its grassroots and lobbying specialty divisions, as well as BCW Group research and creative arms.

Earlier in her career, she held in-house communications positions at LivingSocial and Visa.

“I am extremely proud of the team that we’ve built over the last 12 years and the growth that BPI has achieved. Kim is the unique combination of a first-chair strategist and experienced agency pro who can help us build on our momentum. Her vision in the COO seat will help us drive the next stage of scale as we redefine the intersection of communications and marketing,” said BPI president and founder Andrew Bleeker. “Winning the war on talent is critical to BPI’s continued success and I’m looking forward to Kim’s leadership continuing to foster an environment where top talent wants to stay.”