SAN FRANCISCO — BCW has hired BlackBerry’s Karen Clyne to lead the firm’s North America tech practice.

In the executive VP role, Clyne is responsible for leading and building the tech practice across the region. She will oversee all aspects of the group’s strategy, vision and offerings.

Clyne is based in San Francisco. She replaces Michael Ann Thomas, who is no longer with the company.

Clyne joins from BlackBerry, where she served as head of corporate communications. In that role, she established a corporate comms group structure and global program and supported BlackBerry’s rebrand from a smartphone to a cybersecurity company.

Before that, Clyne spent three years with MikeWorldWide as general manager for the western region and technology practice leader.

“Today every company is a technology company — not only the traditional manufacturers, but clients across automotive, hospitality, retail — really all sectors,” said global chief growth officer and North America president Brooke Hovey, to whom Clyne reports. “Karen has tremendous expertise across the technology industry and has consistently developed high-performance teams, initiatives and programs that exceed both client and agency expectations. It is a bonus that she is based in and has spent her entire career in California, the epicenter of so many technology innovations and tech policy issues that affect business across nearly every industry. I’m excited for the expertise she is bringing to BCW and look forward to the great work she and the team will deliver.”