Cody LeBlanc

When an African government was inundated by online opposition, Cody LeBlanc cut short his holiday to provide the overwhelmed government with some crucial digital assistance. Working with the president’s communications team, LeBlanc lead a strategic digital effort to assist with the government’s reaction to a calamity that was paramount to the nation’s economic and political stability.

It was a comprehensive and demanding effort. The client didn’t have a wide-ranging digital strategy, so he carried out systemic shifts in their methods by challenging routines and advocating for unconventional approaches.

LeBlanc spent 10 days in the African nation, where he oversaw collective workshops, interactive trainings and forward-looking research sessions—all while communicating solely in his second language. He then went back to Washington, where he assisted the president’s team as they executed a strategic communications plan firmly established in the core concepts of social media: transparency, dialogue and grassroots engagement.

“Cody’s work has the potential to completely transform their political culture,” says the co-lead of APCO’s North America digital strategy practice. “Doing digital and social the way that Cody advocated will lead to more authentic and responsive leadership and a more participative, open society.”

His leadership has already resulted in a remarkable grassroots movement to use social media as a political tool for governmental transparency, social participation and civic debate.