Michael Fassnacht

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Michael

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Fassnacht

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Chief Growth Officer & President, Chicagoland - CLAYCO

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A seasoned business executive, marketing and strategic thought leader with more than 30 years of experience, Michael joined Clayco, one of America’s largest fully integrated design and engineering centric builder and real estate development firm across the commercial, industrial and residential sector as its first ever Chief Growth Officer and President of Chicagoland in early 2024. Prior to this role between, Michael led as President and CEO World Business Chicago, the City’s economic development organization, with more than 100 C-Suite executives from all over Chicagoland on its business centric board between 2020 and early 2024. The organization’s core focus is on growing its industry sectors by supporting the expansion of existing Chicagoland based companies and by attracting new corporate relocations to the region, all with a focus on equitable economic prosperity across all 77 neighborhoods and the region. Additionally, Michael worked alongside the Mayor’s Office as the Chief Marketing Officer to ensure that all marketing, branding, and business development activities for the city were aligned with Mayor Lightfoot’s and then Mayor Johnson’s economic growth plan focused on inclusive growth across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. Michael Fassnacht is a prominent figure in Chicago's civic community, known for leading crucial pro bono initiatives. His contributions include rebranding the Chicago Public Library and its foundation, developing the city's bid for Amazon HQ2, supporting the City's Census 2020 efforts, and spearheading "Boards of Change," an award-winning voter registration campaign. He recently co-chaired Mayor Johnson's transition subcommittee on Economic Vitality & Equity. Michael’s extensive board service includes the Chicago Public Library Foundation, The Civic Consulting Alliance, CURRENT, The Poetry Foundation, Intersect Illinois, the Executives' Club of Chicago, and World Business Chicago. He also advises P33 and The Chicago Prize by the Pritzker/Traubert Foundation. He is a 2022 Daniel Burnham Fellow. Prior to his most recent role, Michael served for more than 10 years as CEO & President at one of the city’s oldest and most successful advertising agencies, Foote Cone & Belding (FCB). He led his agency to unprecedented international creative recognition and strong above-industry topline growth over his tenure. Over his long career, he has been recognized as a global expert in building and marketing brands. He started his corporate success trajectory at Lufthansa Airlines in Frankfurt, where he led the airline’s frequent flyer program, Miles & More, before departing to Silicon Valley where he was a successful start-up entrepreneur. Michael was born in Germany and made his way stateside in college where he met his wife, Dr. Rhonda Duffaut. They currently reside in Chicago and have two children, Maya and Ryan.