Albritton succeeds Donald Thompson in role, who will remain board chair
Raleigh, NC – Full service marketing and branding agency Walk West is proud to announce that Karen Albritton has been named as its chief executive officer, effective June 1, 2021.
Albritton currently serves as partner at Thinc Strategy where she specializes as an advisor to executives and boards of emerging and mid-market companies. Prior to joining Thinc Strategy, Karen spent more than 20 years in executive leadership roles with professional services firms including Ketchum, Capstrat and McKinney.
“Agility informed by data is how brands thrive today. Clients want a creative partner that can execute quickly, but with certainty and humanity, and that’s Walk West,” said Albritton. “The Walk West team is all about delivering results, loving on clients and supporting the whole community. I’m humbled to be joining this talented group.”
Karen Albritton
In a decade as president and then chief executive officer of Capstrat, Karen helped grow the agency from a 20-person firm into an award-winning market leader with an entrepreneurial and client-focused culture. Among her accomplishments are a number of innovations: launching analytics, digital and social media services as well as building a national healthcare practice. She has played a vital role in eight acquisitions of privately-held businesses, both as an acquirer and in successful exits.
Her current board service for community organizations includes the American Marketing Association’s in-coming chair, the National Association for Corporate Directors-Research Triangle, and the UNC Health Foundation’s executive committee. She holds a B.A. degree in Journalism and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Albritton will succeed Donald Thompson, who has served in the role since January 2018. Thompson will continue with Walk West as chair of the board of directors and as chief executive officer of The Diversity Movement, a results-oriented, data driven strategic partner for organization-wide diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
“Karen Albritton is exactly the right person for where Walk West is right now and the exciting places that it’s headed. When I met with Karen about this transition, what impressed me the most is her drive to help people thrive,” said Thompson. “Karen is an innovator, strategic thinker and first-class marketer who has allowed every business that she has come across succeed. I am extremely excited to see what Karen and Walk West will do next.”
About Walk West: Driven by curiosity and innovation, Walk West is a full service marketing and branding agency located in Raleigh, NC. Our diverse team of marketing professionals combines creative thinking and expert knowledge to build brands through memorable, effective campaigns. To learn more visit, www.walkwest.com.
Media Contacts:
Jason Tyson
jtyson@walkwest.com
910.988.9923
Sharon Delaney McCloud
sharon@walkwest.com
919.810.5085
