Anne Bahr Thompson founded Onesixtyfourth, a strategic and creative consultancy, in 2004 when she was living in London. Before it was de rigeur, she was focused on helping business leaders integrate purpose and social responsibility into their brands, corporate culture, and operations. In the wake of the global pandemic after spending some time at an INGO, the nature of Anne’s client engagements began to shift, and she recognized she could offer conscious leaders and brands more human, one-on-one guidance as an independent advisor and strategist. Today she operates as Anne Bahr Thompson (annebahrthompson.com).
A former executive director of strategy and planning and head of consulting at Interbrand, the world’s leading brand consultancy, Anne began her career at Grey Advertising. Before joining Interbrand, she spent several years in corporate and wholesale banking—in research, strategic planning, and product management first at Chemical Bank (now JPMorganChase) and later at Bankers Trust (now Deutsche Bank). To every client, regardless of sector or size, Anne brings a depth of knowledge and understanding that only comes from interacting with a lengthy list of the world’s most valuable organizations, including Aegon, Adidas, American Cancer Society, Citibank, Deloitte, Emerson, Hard Rock Cafe, IBM, ING, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Kingfisher, L’Oreal, Microsoft, Pearson, Pepsi, Save the Children, Scandanavian Airlines, Skanska, Stolichnaya, Thomasville, ThomsonReuters and UNICEF, among many others.
Anne’s career path toward the pursuit of a dream with a pivotal moment
The direction for Anne’s career was set when she was in university. But not in the typical manner. Anne was a biochemistry major in a molecular bio program who had made the Dean’s List (meaning Anne was academically ranked in the top percentage of students at the university). While many of the students in the program were collaborative, a number were highly competitive, with visions of getting into one of the top medical schools. With ambitions clouding judgment, one or two students began to behave unethically, sabotaging lab notes and more.
“As I was reflecting on why I was in the program and whether or not I really wanted to go into scientific research long-term, I came upon a book – Man Watching by Desmond Morris – in a friend’s room. And became fascinated by Morris’ study of human behavior. I discovered this book was for a course in the Communications program and decided to change my major,” Anne shares.
In addition to switching to Communication, Anne also expanded on her English courses and pursued comparative literature. The combination of these, her background in the scientific method, and eventually her MBA all influenced the longer-term direction of her career.
Overcoming obstacles leads to success.
Anne was fortunate to have started Onesixtyfourth in 2004 with clients. A year on, she realized that they also had to develop a new business, which is hard when you’re focused on client work. Today, her hurdles center on breaking through the clutter – every agency and consultancy, regardless of size, is now in the same space she’s worked in for years.
“No one person has had the greatest influence on my personal growth or professional development. In many ways, the two have been intertwined. My parents and maternal grandmother, who lived with us when I was growing up, set the foundations for how I view myself, my values, the things that matter most to me, and my ethos toward work,” says Anne.
“And I’ve been blessed by the people who have entered my life at the right moments; various friends; my husband and my son; my first and fourth-grade teachers; one of my professors in undergraduate; a manager at Grey Advertising; the head of research and product development in Middle Market at Chemical Bank; people on my team at BSMG (now WeberShandwick); some colleagues and people that reported to me at Interbrand; women I volunteer alongside; and numerous people I’ve met – and continue to meet – every day through my work and networking,” she continues.
A Multi-Faceted Thought-in-Action Leadership
An early pioneer of the purpose space, a Super Brands Branding Leader, a Trust Across America Top Thought Leader, and a GCPIT Global Woman in Leadership, Anne is the author of DO GOOD, which details her pioneering Me-to-We continuum of Brand Citizenship®.
Today, she is focused on shifting the consciousness of business, advising leaders on how to use purpose as a transformational tool, and supporting them in effectively integrating sustainability, citizenship, and ESG into brand development, communications, corporate culture, and operations. Concurrent with working with clients, speaking, and volunteering, she’s an Ambassador for Meaningful Business, a global community of leaders combining profit and purpose to help achieve the UN Global Goals, an advisor to Overflow PBC, an open talent platform for Independent Strategy Consultants, and collaborating with Berlin-base e-Mission to deliver interactive and engaging ESG SaaS training.
Transforming the consciousness of businesses
“I don’t identify myself as a woman entrepreneur. I resonate with being a change agent and a woman – sitting at the intersectionality of these two things. My focus is transforming the consciousness of business – and part of this is equity for women alongside other ‘minorities.’ I find it ironic that 50+% of the female population is a minority in the business world,” Anne maintains.
Ensuring Client Satisfaction
“What I offer my clients continues to evolve with the marketplace’s changing needs. Blending systems thinking and social consciousness, I support my clients as they integrate sustainability and active citizenship into purpose, brand development, culture, communications, and ESG. More specifically, my services include: Clarifying Purpose and Mapping a Purpose Journey; Developing Brand Strategy; Engaging People and Transforming Culture; Aligning Communications, Behaviors, and Impact with Purpose; Developing a Social Mission; Advancing ESG Strategy and Narrative,” assures Anne. “I do this through workshops, traditional consulting, and bespoke coaching arrangements,” she continues.
Participating in life and business at a high level
For Anne, the term work-life balance is a flawed term, positioning work as something outside her life. Anne’s professional life is a part of her daily life–a critical aspect that brings her a sense of achievement and fulfillment. “A way to define and actualize who I am alongside my personal life. My professional and personal lives form a dance that, when in balance, flows seamlessly. Someone once advised me not to see balance as having to happen in every moment, over a single day or even a year – but over time, and this was the best guidance I could have ever received,” asserts Anne.
Achieve Bigger Dreams, Achieve Bigger Aims
Anne believes each of us is on our own journey, and as such, there is no single characteristic everyone should possess. “The one thing I would say that everyone – whether female or male, an entrepreneur, working in a corporation, non-profit or as a civil servant – should always have is a dream. And if you lose hold of it, find a new one,” Anne affirms.
“See your pathway as a series of dreams, each of which brings you to your next step. None of us is the same person we were when we were 6, 15, or even 20 years old. For some people, dreams from childhood hold strong. Yet, for many others, goals evolve. As we experience the world and grow, we often are prepared to have an even bigger impact. Enjoy this journey!” expresses Anne.
