In her first few months as CEO of the Glen Echo Group, Katie Barr shares her vision for the future of the firm, her thoughts on the state of the industry and her advice for women in the field.

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You’ve grown with Glen Echo Group from day one and have now stepped into the role of CEO. How has your leadership perspective evolved at each stage of the firm’s growth, and what excites you most about stepping into the CEO role? What lessons have you brought with you?
From day one, the goal was never just to build a company. We believed you could do genuinely excellent, high-stakes work and create a place where people actually wanted to show up, where they were passionate about their clients, their teammates and the problems they were digging into every day. Proving that was possible drove a lot of my early energy.

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As we grew, the focus shifted from doing the work and building the culture at the same time to protecting what made us distinctive while raising the bar on strategy and impact.
Stepping into the CEO role feels exciting because we're not starting over; we're building from a real foundation. Fifteen years of track record, an exceptional team and the scale that comes with being part of Orchestra. I don't take that lightly.

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What I keep coming back to is that culture and excellence aren't in tension. If you're intentional about both, you don't have to choose.

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After a few months at the helm, what is your vision for Glen Echo Group’s next chapter, particularly at a moment when tech policy is front and center in Washington?
Tech policy has never been more central to what's happening in Washington, and Glen Echo has spent 15 years building real expertise in exactly this space. AI, data privacy, competition, connectivity, cybersecurity — these aren't abstract debates anymore. They're moving fast, they're high-stakes and the clients navigating them need partners who genuinely understand both the policy and the politics.
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My vision for this next chapter is about deepening what we already do well. We've always been a firm that goes beyond message delivery. We build coalitions, we bring unexpected partners together and we help clients shape the conversation rather than just react to it. That's the work that matters in a moment like this, when the decisions being made in Washington will have long-term consequences for the digital economy and frankly for everyone who uses it.
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And that goes beyond tech policy and extends to any policy issue, no matter how wonky or thorny.
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I want Glen Echo to be known for more than just understanding the issues. We understand why it matters to people and we know how to communicate that in a way that actually moves the needle. That combination of policy depth, creative instinct and coalition-building is what's made us effective, and it's what I want us to double down on.
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There's also something exciting about doing this work inside Orchestra's platform. The problems our clients face don't start and end in one arena. Being able to bring more horsepower to bear, more integrated and more coordinated, means we can show up for them in a bigger way. That's what this moment calls for, and I think we're well-positioned to deliver it.

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What is Orchestra doing to meet this moment and how does the Glen Echo Group fit in?
The challenges companies and organizations face today don't fit neatly into one lane. They're tangled in ways that can't be solved by a single tactic or one discipline working in isolation. You need people who can think across public affairs, media, digital strategy and storytelling all at once, and actually make those pieces work together.
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What sets Orchestra apart is where it starts: with trust and genuine subject-matter expertise. From there, it pulls together teams across sectors to work through complex problems in a coordinated way — not handed off from one silo to the next, but genuinely integrated. The environment we're all operating in doesn't separate policy from reputation from business strategy from public sentiment. Neither should the people helping you navigate it.
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Glen Echo sits at the center of that. We've spent years in the trenches of public affairs, running coalitions, building campaigns and guiding clients through the kind of high-pressure moments where the wrong move is costly and the right move isn't obvious. Inside Orchestra's broader platform, clients get the specialized insight we've always offered, plus the integrated execution that complex problems increasingly demand.
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Glen Echo Group operates at the intersection of emerging technology and public affairs. Do you think there are areas where the rise of (and reliance on) AI might actually make human intervention more valuable, rather than less?
AI touches workforce policy, national security, healthcare, education and civil rights. You can't work on any of those issues without bumping into it. That's an opportunity for a firm like ours, because we've spent a long time learning how to translate complex technical issues into stories and arguments that actually resonate. That skill only gets more relevant as the issues get more complicated.
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Yes, I do think human judgment becomes more valuable in certain places, not less. Coalition-building is fundamentally a human endeavor. So is crisis navigation. So is knowing when to push and when to pull back. No algorithm is going to pick up on the political undercurrents that change everything.
What AI changes is the baseline. Work that used to take hours might take minutes. That frees our team to spend more time on the things that require their judgment and experience, which raises the ceiling for the people who know how to use it well.
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During Women’s History Month, we reflect on the women who have shaped industries and opened doors. Who has influenced your leadership journey, and how have those experiences shaped the way you lead today?‍

It may sound like a cop out, but the person who has most influenced my leadership journey is Maura Corbett.
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I had a front-row seat to watch her build Glen Echo from the ground up — not just building a client roster, but building a reputation, a culture and a standard of excellence. She showed me that you can be strategic and fearless in high-pressure environments while also being deeply loyal to your team.
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She was also deeply loyal to herself. She trusted her instincts and made hard calls with conviction. Watching that up close taught me that strong leadership isn’t about volume or bravado. It’s about clarity, confidence and being willing to stand behind your judgment. She leads with both strength and generosity and proves that decisiveness and empathy can coexist. That example gave me the confidence to lead in a way that feels authentic and purposeful.
What I learned from her is that leadership is not about ego. It’s about conviction, accountability and creating space for others to step into their own leadership. That trust model is something I carry forward every day.
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Beyond your role as CEO, you mentor at 1871, a Chicago innovation hub for entrepreneurs and start-ups, and serve on the auxiliary board of Girls in the Game, a nonprofit providing young women and girls with access to sports and leadership programs in partnership with schools, parks and community centers in Chicago. How does investing in the next generation, and especially young women, influence how you think about leadership and impact?
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Mentorship has shaped my career in ways I'm still unpacking. I've been lucky to have people in my corner — advisors, coworkers and friends who opened doors and told me the truth. That kind of support changes what you think is possible for yourself.
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So giving it back feels less like a choice and more like a responsibility. When I work with entrepreneurs at 1871 or through Girls in the Game, I'm not there as an expert handing down advice. I'm there as someone who knows firsthand what the right community can do for your trajectory.
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What I want them to walk away with is simple: the belief that their voice belongs in the room.
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The goal is always the same: help people grow into their own authority, then get out of the way.
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What advice would you give to women looking to build leadership careers at the intersection of technology, politics and communications?
My first piece of advice is to get deep on the substance. The people who have the most influence in this space are the ones who genuinely understand the issues, not just the politics around them but the actual policy mechanics and stakeholder dynamics. That expertise is what earns you a seat at the table and keeps you there.
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Find mentors who will be honest with you, not just encouraging. People who will tell you where you actually stand and advocate for you when you're not in the room.
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And don't wait until you feel ready. In my experience, women are far more likely to talk themselves out of opportunities they're actually prepared for. Take the meeting. Raise your hand. You are more ready than you think.
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It’s an exciting road ahead for Glen Echo with Katie leading the charge and a talented team to back her up. Have a challenge that doesn’t fit neatly into one lane? Reach out to us to see how we can work together.