On the Move: Hill+Knowlton Adds Singapore, Consumer Group MDs; Metrolink Hires Jennifer Vides Hirsch; Interscope Geffen A&M Adds Cara Donatto; Leidar Snags Marcus Smith

Matthew Briant

Hill+Knowlton Strategies has named Matthew Briant managing director of its Singapore operation and Laura Morgan managing director of the firm's consumer practice. Briant, who will be part of H+K Asia’s senior management team, was most recently head of digital at The Walt Disney Company APAC. He was previously director of mobile at the Dentsu Aegis Network APAC and commercial director of Out There Media. Morgan joins H+K from DeVries Global where she was most recently global EVP, strategic alliances. She will be responsible for leading H+K’s U.S. relationship with Procter & Gamble as well as oversight for other industry sectors including consumer packaged goods, food & drink and retail.

Jennifer Vides Hirsch

Metrolink, a commuter rail system in Southern California, has appointed Jennifer Vides Hirsch, a veteran of Weber Shandwick and Burson-Marsteller, as chief marketing and communications officer. Vides Hirsch comes to Metrolink from the Public Media Group of Southern California, where she was vice president of marketing, communications and brand. She has also held senior level brand marketing and communications positions at Hot Topic, Inc., the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica and the Gymboree Corporation.

Cara Donatto

Photo: Jason Haberman

Interscope Geffen A&M has brought on Cara Donatto as executive vice president, head of media strategy and communications. Donatto comes to Interscope from Atlantic Records, where she served as senior vice president, publicity, spearheading media campaigns for such artists as Bruno Mars, Janelle Monáe and Missy Elliot. She was previously director of media & artist relations at Island Def Jam Records. In her new role, Donatto will supervise communications strategy and execution for Interscope Geffen A&M and its associated labels, overseeing the publicity team and the company's diverse roster of artists.

Marcus Smith

Communications consultancy Leidar has hired Marcus Smith as head of international reputation. Smith, who spent nearly 18 years at Weber Shandwick, occupying various senior roles in its UK/European corporate and public affairs team, comes to Leidar from reputation technology business Polecat, where he served as managing director, UK. He has also headed up the corporate communications team at international TV and broadband company Liberty Global. At Leidar he will focus on developing the firm’s reputation management proposition for international corporate and public affairs clients and leveraging its existing strengths, particularly across its Geneva, Brussels and London offices.