CHICAGO — Former ICF Next leader Bryan Specht, who most recently launched data-focused comms firm Salient Global, has passed away.

“It is with immense sadness that we share that Bryan Specht, our CEO, founder, and chair has unexpectedly passed away. Above all, he was a devoted and loving father, husband, friend, and colleague,” Salient Global posted on its LinkedIn Page.
 
“His vision for Salient was to create a company that empowered passionate, skilled people in service of clients, each other, and communities to achieve something greater than the sum of its parts: growth for good. That remains our mission and we will continue to build upon the momentum he set in motion.

“Bryan embodied true leadership. People followed and believed in Bryan because he believed in them. His legacy will be carried on by the endless number of people who have had the privilege of knowing him and working by his side.

“Our hearts are with his family during this difficult time. We will share details about how you can support them and honor Bryan in the coming days,” the post said.

Specht, a longtime member of the Chicago PR community, has spent the last two years leading Salient Global, the data-focused comms firm he launched in October 2021 with a leadership team made up primarily of people who also came from ICF Next.

Specht launched Salient roughly five months after departing Real Chemistry, where he spent a year as group president. He parted ways with ICF Next at the end of 2019 after spending more than a decade leading Olson Engage before taking on groupwide leadership of growth and innovation at the newly consolidated ICF Next.