On the Move: Kaplow Ups Randi Liodice to President; UF College of Journalism & Communications Taps Laurent Burman for Consulting Role at The Agency; Story Partners Snags Brandon Stallings
Thu., Jun. 27, 2019
By Steve Barnes
Kaplow Communications has promoted Randi Liodice to the role of president. Liodice will continue as chief strategy officer... UF's College of Journalism & Communications names Laurent Burman consulting executive director of The Agency... Story Partners snags Brandon Stallings, who was senior communications manager at Atlantic Media.
Ken Lerer, a founder of strategic communications powerhouse Robinson Lake Lerer & Montgomery, has stepped down as chairman of struggling BuzzFeed... Texas Monthly sold to oil pipeline scion Randa Duncan Williams, who is the ninth richest Texan... Conde Nast finally sells W magazine. Style editor Sara Moonves, the daughter of former CBS chief executive, becomes editor-in-chief under owner Future Media Group.
The Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism has issued an RFP to handle its integrated marketing communications budget geared to positioning the Badger State as the “premier destination of choice for the traveler.”
Sara Ghazaii, who exited the PR Council for a VP-corporate communications & marketing slot at MWWPR, departs after an eight-month stint.
Many corporate executives don’t fully understand what PR is, and they certainly don’t know how much value it brings to an organization. 
The US Chamber of Commerce has hired Tim Doyle, a veteran of Subject Matter, Discovery Communications and Glover Park Group, as VP-communications.
BackBay Communications handles The Economist Events' kick-off Climate Risk Summit slated July 2 in London... Pollack PR Marketing Group adds Frontline Wildfire Defense System... SRW feasts with Calbee North America snacks... Version 2.0 Communications picks up Ciprun Global... Lou Hammond Group puts Nexton, Travel Marquette and Brookgreen Gardens on client roster.
Worldcom Public Relations Group adds Airfoil (Detroit), IN.FOM (Singapore), MAARC (Paris) and Tell-Em (Nairobi)... KWT Global has launched Brand on Purpose podcast to tell stories of companies that work for greater good. MDC Partners owns KWT... Marriott International donates $100K to Immigration Equality to support its work on behalf of LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants... FLM Harvest, marketing communications shop, awards pro bono work to Project EverGreen, which works to revitalize urban parks, and Grow North Minnesota, which supports innovation in ag/food sectors.
Weber Shandwick is replacing Ketchum on the Michelin North America account on July 1 following a competitive review that included the incumbent Omnicom shop.
Stephanie Grisham, who has been on Team Trump since 2015, most recently as Melania Trump's communications director, will be taking over the role of press secretary at the White House from Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google now stand squarely in the antitrust crosshairs amid increased talk of a federal crackdown. What kind of public relations response should these companies adopt?
Ann Sarnoff, president of BBC Studios America (formerly BBC Worldwide Americas), will be the first woman CEO of Warner Bros. when she joins the 96-year-old studio later this summer.
Weber Shandwick CEO Andy Polansky accepted the John W. Hill Award, PRSA/New York's top honor, during the Big Apple Awards ceremony held last night at the Mandarin Oriental in New York. 
Only 9.09 percent of the entries submitted for 2019 Cannes Lions were “gender equal,” according to Les Lionnes (French for “Lionesses”), a female-only organization focused on “equality in an industry dominated by men for decades.”
Lean Factor has won the competitive pitch for 5Tonic, which is committed to a global open environment to promote research and projects related to the development of 5G technologies.
Though a Special Purpose Acquisition Company may be referred to as a type of Initial Public Offering, financial communicators promoting a SPAC deal require a different PR playbook than an IPO team.
FTI Government Affairs is representing the Boy Scouts of America, which House Democrats say has been lobbying about stricter sexual abuse laws.
Jason Miller, managing director at Teneo, is out after he posted an obscenity-laden Tweets directed at House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler. 