Michael Nyman’s Acceleration Community of Companies Hires Two Senior Executives

Michael Nyman, founder and CEO of Acceleration Community of Companies, has announced the hiring of Patrick Lafferty as chief operating officer and Kristena Hatcher as vice president in charge of people and culture. 

In his role, Lafferty will lead the network’s operating group, Business Performance Partners, and be responsible for managing the business units. In addition to leading all acquired businesses, Lafferty will also help directly lead ACC’s brand experience creative shop, MKG, with the departure of the agency’s president, Tracy Bussan, who will be moving on to a new opportunity. Lafferty joins from mcgarrybowen, where he led a 700-person U.S. team., and during his tenure there, the company was listed among Ad Age’s “Best Places to Work.” Previously, Lafferty was the president of independent agency Translation and has served as CEO of BBH North America and global managing director at McCann North America.

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Hatcher will oversee all human resources operations for ACC and partner with ACC agencies on talent management. Before joining ACC, Hatcher spent six years at CAA working in talent acquisition for the film, television and foundation departments. She also is credited with establishing and leading the inclusion and diversity function within the human resources department. Hatcher also served as an executive recruiter and human resources generalist for the search firm Morgan Samuels and is a member of the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program’s advisory board.

Of the new hires, Nyman said, “I am thrilled to have such talented executives as Pat and Kristena share in and advance our belief that there is a better way to build community, and, at the same time, provide our clients with the most effective marketing, media and communications services at a time when status quo won’t do.”

Added Lafferty: “We’re at a different time in marketing; our clients have never needed partnership and transformative ideas more than they do now.” Said Hatcher: “It’s clear that the most successful companies embrace the differences of their employees through the consistent and intentional pursuit of removing systemic barriers to inclusion, ensuring the organization’s ability to support and leverage the collective genius of each individual. I look forward to partnering with our growing community of companies as we seek to ensure the sustainability of these efforts.”

ACC, founded in late summer of 2018, is composed of acquired marketing, media and communications agencies and complemented by an advisory service. Between ACC Advisory and its current business portfolio, clients and projects include Pepsi, Google, Lululemon, Bank of America, Facebook, Sephora, Disney-ABC, Dolby and T-Mobile, FashionNova, Jet Edge and iWi, a new algae-based Omega supplement.