Former White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt returns to BPI as President

Bully Pulpit International (BPI) is excited to announce that former White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt has returned to the agency in a new role as President. As BPI continues to enter new markets around the world, add services, and expand our leadership team, the agency is establishing a position dedicated to elevating the brand internationally while deepening the integration of our growing global team — which is the role LaBolt will step into.

Coming off of his latest position running communications at the White House and across the executive branch of the federal government, LaBolt led communications for the largest organization in the United States, breaking down the walls between communications, digital, and media relations, and transitioning the administration closer to a content-first ecosystem. Over the past two years, he’s engaged with public and private sector counterparts around the world to deal with the waterfront of global public affairs challenges — from economic recovery to national security to natural disasters. This experience puts LaBolt in a unique position to represent BPI’s brand globally, from San Francisco to Brussels to Sydney.

Before working as White House Communications Director and Senior Advisor to President Biden, LaBolt was a partner at BPI and a nationally recognized communications and public affairs strategist. He brings deep experience advising high growth startups such as Instacart, Airbnb, Sonos and Uber, CEOs, Fortune 200 companies such as McDonald’s, Meta, Verizon and Lilly and major foundations, family offices, and advocacy organizations. LaBolt also served as a communications strategist for many noteworthy campaigns and leaders, including as a longtime spokesperson for President Obama from the Senate to the White House, Press Secretary for Sherrod Brown, Communications Director for Rahm Emanuel, and a strategist for the confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor. Presidents and CEOs alike rely on LaBolt for strategic advice.

“During his six years at BPI, no one did more than Ben Labolt to help us become first-chair advisors at the highest-stakes moments. There is no better vantage point than the Oval Office for understanding how the communications environment is transforming or the integrated skill sets required to drive change,” Bleeker remarked.

In his role as President, LaBolt will represent the agency and unify our evolving offer while serving as a strategic partner to the agency’s most impactful clients. He will support many of the highest-stakes international communications and policy priorities, share BPI’s point of view at events and meetings around the world, and leverage his public and private sector relationships to grow the business holistically. LaBolt’s return comes at the perfect moment to help integrate our new offerings, international team, and technology.

“BPI is made up of some of the smartest, most talented and innovative people who always stay in front of how information consumption is changing, and I can’t wait to help lead this team into the next chapter,” said LaBolt. “We will continue to evolve and expand to meet the changing needs of our clients at a time of significant global challenge by providing the tools and insights to define your own destiny rather than be swept up by the disruption.”

As part of LaBolt’s return, Bleeker will transition from his role as president to the agency’s CEO. He will continue to focus on long-term growth of BPI’s team and capabilities, scaling across clients and regions, while continuing to serve as a first-chair advisor to clients.

“From startups to the world’s largest board rooms, regardless of industry or issue, Labolt is a highly sought-after expert. We’re thrilled to have him back, based in our San Francisco office. There’s no one better to help lead us into the next chapter,” said Co-Founder Ben Coffey Clark, who will continue to run business development for the agency.

This news comes off the heels of BPI’s recent acquisition of culture-first impact agency Propper Daley and being named PRWeek’s inaugural Outstanding Public Affairs Agency as well as part of PRovoke Media’s Top 50 Agencies in the UK and Europe.