Positioning the organization for continued growth and client success, Freeman, the world’s leading brand experience company, has named Bob Priest-Heck as its new CEO. Priest-Heck will be the company’s fourth CEO and the first in the company’s 90-year history to come from outside of the Freeman family.
With Priest-Heck at the helm, Freeman believes it is well-positioned to deliver increased audience engagement and business results for its global customer base — through strategic planning and creative design reinforced by complete logistics support for some of the world’s largest events. His focus on new technologies has helped bolster Freeman’s offerings to meet the ever-evolving needs of companies looking to create the most meaningful and innovative brand experiences.
“We are focused on building our clients’ brands and helping them succeed in a dynamic environment by creating meaningful brand experiences that help build relationships and drive clear and measurable outcomes,” says Joe Popolo, CEO of The Freeman Company, the newly created parent company that encompasses Freeman, Encore Event Technologies and Alford Media. “Bob is no stranger to this, having previously served as the president of Freeman. He has a history of driving success for our company and our clients, and his commitment to innovation and vision for our future will help keep us at the forefront of the brand experience conversation for years to come. In addition to his CEO role at Freeman, Bob will serve as president and chief operating officer of The Freeman Company.”
Priest-Heck joined Freeman in 2011 with the acquisition of Wheelhouse Solutions. He has spent the past 25 years leading global technology brands and experiential marketing agencies—including Immersa Marketing and MediaLive International Inc.—and continues to parlay his experience into his strategies and initiatives at Freeman. For example, he is credited with leading the charge to transform Freeman into a design-driven company, bringing on industry luminary Bruce Mau as chief design officer and ultimately creating the Freeman Design Leadership Council. He was also instrumental in the development and launch of Freeman’s creative and strategic agency services arm, as well as in creating Freeman Digital Ventures.
“Bob encourages the kind of strategic risk-taking that continues to help Freeman achieve its long-term goals, and he constantly inspires those around him to learn and innovate at every turn. He is fully committed to our Freeman employees and to fostering an environment that aligns with our core company values of integrity, empathy, innovation, enthusiasm and performance excellence,” Popolo continues. “Looking forward, our clients and employees will quickly realize that they’re in great hands with Bob and the Freeman leadership team. Having previously worked with Freeman while at MediaLive, SoftBank and Ziff-Davis, Bob is able to offer unique customer-focused insights and perspectives, enabling us to best serve our clients.”
Management says Priest-Heck has been essential to Freeman’s growth and success over the course of the past seven years, and his leadership and dedication will prove essential as Freeman continues to design and deliver unparalleled and memorable live experiences for its customers.
Freeman is the world’s leading brand experience company. They help their clients design, plan, and deliver immersive experiences for their most important audiences. Through comprehensive solutions including strategy, creative, logistics, digital solutions, and event technology, Freeman helps increase engagement and drive business results. They state: “What makes us different is our collaborative culture, intuitive knowledge, global perspective, and personalized approach, gained from our 90 years as an industry leader.” Freeman is a family-owned company with 90+ locations worldwide and over 7,000 employees, 2,000 of whom are located outside the U.S. For more info, visit www.freeman.com.
