Barri Rafferty joined Sodali & Co as CEO, Americas in 2023 where she leads the firm’s North and South American businesses. Barri has strong executive leadership experience holding roles as Global CEO of Ketchum, and EVP and Head of Communications and Brand Management for Wells Fargo, where she started to rebuild trust and favorability for the beleaguered iconic brand. She also served as CEO of non-profit C200, a membership organization dedicated to advancing women in business. She has a track record consulting C-suite executives to drive value for some of the most admired global businesses and brands including P&G, Frito-Lay, HPE, Nestle, Michelin, J&J, Slim-Fast, Home Depot, and Pfizer through brand evolutions, product launches, crises, ESG and regulatory issues. Her omni-channel marketing and customer segmentation expertise has resulted in award-winning programs that deliver efficient and robust bottom-line results.
She has applied her strategic business acumen to transform stagnating agency businesses on four continents: championing a digital-first business in China, merging several agency brands in the U.S., doubling London’s specialty offerings, and building a cost-effective creative talent pool in Latin America. Barri has worked with varied sizes of corporations, agencies and non-profits tackling a broad spectrum of crises and reputation issues from sexual harassment to shareholder activists to DE&I issues and ethical business infractions. Her strategic approach has helped brands and leaders restore trust and brand favorability across a diverse array of stakeholders and employees.
A passionate advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion, she has been called upon to counsel C-suite executives navigating tough issues and developed cultures of belonging by creating and embedding purpose-driven missions, visions, and values. She has experience building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and working in regulated industries to effectively navigate risk and compliance.
She is also a sought-after speaker and thought leader, having spoken at the World Economic Forum, Web Summit and TEDx, among others.
