Board Member
Bob Priest-Heck’s 35+-year career is grounded in a forward-thinking approach to people development, business strategy, and industry leadership across distinct organizations: family-owned, private-equity funded, and publicly traded businesses. He is adept at coaching leadership teams to achieve enterprise-wide transformation and is an expert in negotiating M&A strategies to fuel revenue growth and enhance shareholder value.
During his 15-year tenure as CEO of Freeman, the company received many accolades. AdAge ranked Freeman as the world’s largest global event marketing company; Chief Marketer included it in its list of World’s 50 Largest Agency Companies; and Freeman also ranked fourth on Forbes Best Employers for Women.
Bob has consistently worked at the forefront of innovation. He managed and created specialized trade events for the earliest internet developers. He played a key role when the first user-friendly web browser, Mosaic, was relaunched as Netscape Navigator. In Japan, he led the launch of NetWorld+Interop—the first major tech event outside the U.S.—establishing an international market for disruptive technology events. He helped host the first JavaOne conference for developers while working with Sun Microsystems, acted as an executive coach to Google leadership, consulted UBM (now Informa) on key acquisitions, and helped Dwell magazine expand its media platform into the new world of brand experiences.
Bob has proven experience aligning diverse stakeholders around a common vision, spearheading a large coalition of business leaders to urge legislative action in support of the event industry during the pandemic. This effort lives on as the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA). He was also instrumental in initiating the Net Zero Carbon Events pledge at the UN Climate Change Conference. As co-author of Inside Live Events: Your Playbook for Mastering the Experience, Bob has shared valuable tips and techniques to create impactful, meaningful live events as well as bolster interest in the events industry.
His contributions have earned him many honors, including BizBash’s Most Influential Event Management and Consulting Professionals, the Smart Meetings 2021 Catalyst Award, and the Meetings Today Top Twenty Trendsetters. He was honored with the IAEE Chairman’s Award and recognized with the SISO Krakoff Award for his many contributions to the events industry. Bob is especially grateful for receiving Freeman’s highest honor, the Buck Freeman Award.
Bob’s Blog: bphconnect.com
