Diana Marszalek 20 Jul 2022 // 5:16PM GMT
NEW YORK — BCW has elevated Direct Impact chief operating officer Amy Cloessner to president of the agency’s community-focused public affairs and advocacy firm.
Cloessner will be responsible for building DI’s offerings, growing its client base and overseeing talent management. She will work closely with BCW’s incoming Washington president Jeff Joseph, as well as BCW’s Prime Policy Group on developing offerings for clients that would benefit from grassroots-style campaigns.
Cloessner succeeds Drew O’Brien, who departed the firm after a year in the position.
During her 20-year tenure with DI, Cloessner has served as the client lead/grassroots senior strategist for a range from clients, from Fortune 100 companies to nonprofits. She also currently leads US communications for one of BCW’s largest global accounts.
“Amy is the perfect choice to lead DI, as she is an incredible, homegrown success story having started her career at Burson-Marsteller in 2002 and advancing steadily through the ranks,” said BCW North America President Mary Corcoran, to whom Cloessner reports. “In her most recent role as Chief Operating Officer of DI, Amy has led the firm’s daily operations, including developing business strategies across all lines of business, overseeing staffing decisions, building and managing relationships with a diverse network of partners, and driving DI’s culture, vision and growth. This is a natural next step for her and I’m excited for what DI will achieve under her leadership.”