Fassnacht will oversee all aspects of the Chicagoland operations, including business development, marketing, and sales, and serve as a mentor and coach to the team working alongside him. Additionally, as the Chief Growth Officer, a newly created role, he will support all organizational units to help further elevate Clayco as a B2B marketer to meet its growth plans for the next decade and beyond.
“Clayco is doubling down on our commitment to growth and excellence in Chicagoland. Michael is well known in the city and region, especially after his outstanding leadership at World Business Chicago and as an extremely civically engaged leader over many years in Chicago,” said Bob Clark, Founder and Executive Chairman of Clayco. “Michael brings an unmatched passion for business growth, an understanding of the economic ecosystem in Chicagoland as well as a strategic and creative mindset that will be highly beneficial for our clients and our Clayco team. His success as a corporate leader, an entrepreneur, and a civic spokesperson for the city and region is a rare combination that we cherish at Clayco.”
Fassnacht is a German native with nearly 20 years of experience in Chicago, first as the CEO of one of the largest global advertising firms, Foote Cone & Belding (FCB), and most recently as the first-ever Chief Marketing Officer for the City of Chicago and the CEO of World Business Chicago, the city’s economic development entity. Fassnacht started his career at Lufthansa Airlines in Frankfurt, Germany, and then launched a marketing tech firm in the early 2000s in Silicon Valley.
He moved to Chicago in 2006 to lead a successful tenure at FCB, increasing its revenue above market growth 10 years in a row and establishing the company as one of the most successful firms globally. His four-year-long leadership at World Business Chicago drove the organization to double in size, enabled more than 400 ProChicago decisions by corporations who relocated and expanded in the region, and positioned World Business Chicago as one of the top economic development organizations in North America.
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“It’s a privilege to join the Clayco team. I am excited to bring my expertise, passion, and drive to the organization. Over the last years, I have gotten to know Clayco very well, and I continue to be impressed with Bob Clark and his team’s vision of building one of America’s most respected companies,” Fassnacht said. “I love building teams, communities, purpose, and strategies, and I love physical buildings, all with the north star of creating stronger and more inclusive communities based on a foundation of economic success and growth.”
Fassnacht serves on numerous civic boards, including the Chicago Public Library Foundation, the Civic Consulting Alliance, the Poetry Foundation, and Current.
With more than 3,500 employees and $5.2 billion in revenue for 2022, Clayco delivers solutions for industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential-related building projects to clients across North America.
