Tricia Barrett Promoted to Chief Executive Officer at Crowley Webb

Barrett becomes the first woman in Crowley Webb’s history to enter the role, exiting CEO Jim Hettich to serve as chairman

BUFFALO, NY, June 5, 2023 – Crowley Webb, the leading full-service marketing communications agency in Buffalo, NY, has announced today that chief operating officer Tricia Barrett will move into the role of chief executive officer, effective immediately. Since 2003, the position had been held by longtime agency leader and majority shareholder Jim Hettich, who will remain chairman through the end of 2023.

Barrett first joined Crowley Webb in 2003 as an account supervisor, and she quickly became a respected voice and leader at the agency. In 2008, she was promoted to vice president, operations, becoming the youngest person ever named to the agency management team. Then,  Crowley Webb acquired the patient recruitment firm, Praxis, in 2010.

Through Barrett’s guidance and support, Praxis has transformed into an industry powerhouse, partnering with leading global pharmaceutical companies including Takeda, Vertex and Moderna. Simultaneously, Barrett has led the strategic efforts for a number of Crowley Webb’s key clients including Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Western New York, Evergreen Health, AAA Western and Central New York and more.

In 2019, Barrett was named one of the agency’s shareholders, and in 2021, she was named chief operating officer of Crowley Webb.

“If there’s one person who is best suited for the job of Crowley Webb CEO, it’s Tricia Barrett. She has, no doubt, been one of the fiercest and most phenomenal leaders to set foot in this agency, offering an immense amount of knowledge and expertise to drive the growth of each employee and the agency as a whole,” said Jim Hettich, chairman, Crowley Webb. “From her early days at Crowley Webb to her transition to becoming one of the first executives on the Praxis team, Tricia knows this business inside and out. She is more than ready and poised to lead this agency down the path of continued success.”

In addition to being the first female CEO in the agency’s history, Barrett is only the second CEO the agency has had. Already an agency with strong female leadership across the board – nine out of 13 executive leadership team members at Crowley Webb are women, 10 out of the 12 Praxis executives are women, and four of Crowley Webb’s seven departments are led by female executives (analytics, public relations, digital and Praxis) – Barrett exemplifies the company’s commitment to fostering talent and improving representation in leadership roles agency- and industry-wide.

“Crowley Webb has long challenged the advertising industry’s male-dominated trends; in fact, 73% of the workforce at Crowley Webb identifies as female. I couldn’t be more honored and excited to embark on this journey with Crowley Webb as the first female CEO in the company’s history. I look forward to leading the agency down a continued path of success while living out our values and setting new industry standards and expectations,” said Tricia Barrett, CEO, Crowley Webb.

Founded in 1986, Crowley Webb has been the leading marketing communications agency in Buffalo. Crowley Webb has grown to offer full-service capabilities spanning departments including account service, analytics, creative, digital and user experience (UX), media, public relations, and Praxis. To learn more about the agency, visit www.crowleywebb.com.

About Crowley Webb

Crowley Webb is a full-service marketing communications agency founded in 1986 in Buffalo, NY. With more than 140 professionals, it continues to grow as one of America’s hardest-working advertising agencies, offering high-level branding, strategic planning, marketing, media, public relations, analytics, and digital services to local, national, and global clients. Crowley Webb is a member of AMIN, an alliance of independently owned agencies that collectively offer global network coverage like no other. For more information, visit www.crowleywebb.com.