Colle McVoy president Jessica Henrichs becomes CEO of the Minneapolis-based ad agency on Jan. 1. It’s a role she’s been preparing for since she joined Colle McVoy in 2019.

Henrichs was initially introduced to Colle McVoy’s longtime CEO Christine Fruechte through a recruiter who cold-called her about a position that wasn’t quite right, “but it gave me the chance to get to know Christine.” Fruechte, who will transition to chair of the agency, saw a spark in Henrichs that prompted her to keep in touch. At the time, Henrichs was an EVP at Digitas in Chicago, overseeing many big-name accounts including P&G, General Motors, and Whirlpool.

“I loved my experience there,” Henrichs said of her decade with the global agency. But with a big agency comes bureaucracy. “I had to work across a lot of agencies and holding company relationships. It showed me the inefficiencies and expense of pulling a bunch of agencies together.”

So in 2019 when Fruechte came back to Henrichs to offer her a role as head of client growth, Henrichs bit. She said she liked the idea of working for a mid-size agency, and it didn’t hurt that she had a toddler, a baby on the way, and in-laws in Minneapolis.

We talked to Henrichs, who recently made the AdWeek 50 list, about what’s ahead for Colle McVoy.

What has it been like to prepare for your new role alongside a leader as popular as Christine Fruechte?

Christine built her reputation around being a people-first leader—doing the right thing even when it’s hard. At a time when agencies are becoming more transactional, she’s thinking about where we’re going. I just appreciate the fact that she’s comfortable enough in her own skin to let me do the things I’ve done. Christine was clear—she was looking for someone who could take the reins. That’s why she really allowed me to take a leadership role. It’s rare in this business, and I really appreciated her transparency, intentionality, and just the partnership along the way. I couldn’t have been part of the change without her.

What change are you referring to?

In 2020, we changed our operating model, creating four teams and flexible resources that could move in and out of businesses, built on the agile process. Colle McVoy has this unique collection of capabilities and a mid-size agency model that allows us to move quickly, build a strong platform, and activate in any medium. There’s magic in the middle—it’s something so many brands are looking for.

Becoming a B Corp has been a multi-year journey—taking a 90-year-old company, that’s a huge change. And we continue to change because we’re now a B Corp, meeting the highest societal and environmental standards. Our DEIB commitments fit inside the B Corp status as well. It’s not just a thing we do that sits in HR. It’s where spend our time, dollars; it shapes our culture.

You’ve had a hand in bringing many new clients to Colle McVoy—La-Z-Boy, Frank’s RedHot, and HARIBO, to name a few. Give us an example of a recent campaign you’re particularly proud of?

La-Z-Boy—we did a lot of soul searching on the brand and really leaned into who they are. We created the JOMO campaign—the “Joy of Missing Out.” We converted a La-Z-Boy into an AI powered recliner that integrates with a smartphone to decline invitations and called it the Decliner. We put them on showroom floors and sent them to a few people. They saw a 50% uptick in traffic, and sales. Working across media—pr, design, store experience—that’s a sweet spot for us. Being able to think holistically about a business.

You moved to Minneapolis to work at Colle McVoy, after working in Chicago and Boston. Any observations about the agency world here?

This market is unlike any other. I meet with all the CEOs of other ad agencies monthly. That’s truly something that wouldn’t happen in other markets. Here, we see an opportunity to work together, on behalf of the Twin Cities. If one of us has to do layoffs, the first thing we do is email the others to keep great talent in this market. It might not be the glory days of the ‘90s, but there is so much exciting work happening here—we want to share ideas and support each other.

I think there’s a little bit of an underdog mentality here—like we have something to prove, and that’s exciting. Let’s do something surprising. Generative AI is going to massively disrupt our industry. Minneapolis is uniquely human and relationship based. That feels important in an AI-driven industry. We prioritize relationships, individuality, and creativity. It’s a really unique opportunity for the Twin Cities to shine.

Was becoming CEO of an agency always your goal? Did you see yourself here, earlier in your career?

It never occurred to me! I grew up in Peoria, the daughter of a single mom with three kids, and my brother had a heart condition. We struggled. I didn’t even know this was an industry. I was fortunate to have people who saw something in me that I didn’t necessarily see in myself. I started in entertainment, working for CNN, CBS TV, and that led me to Digitas, where I feel like I earned a PhD in digital. I feel like I’ve been a student—sharpening my own skills, and learning from other women, like Jodi Robinson, CEO at Digitas, and of course, Christine.

What does 2025 look like for Colle McVoy?

Executing on a shared vision. We’ve spent the time planning. Now it’s time to see where this agency can go.