White House associate communications director Rachel Racusen is slated to move to MSNBC as VP of communications next month.
Racusen will take the reins Dec. 8 left by Lauren Skowronski, who was elevated to VP of corporate comms. for parent NBCUniversal earlier this year after playing a key PR role the left-leaning network's 2012 "Lean Forward" re-brand.
The 18-year-old network is in a ratings slump and reorganizing its operations to combine broadcast and digital under network president Phil Griffin.
Racusen, who started out at Dittus Communications, was a House communications aide before joining the Obama administration as director of PA for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2010. She did a brief private sector stint at SKDKnickerbocker before joining the Obama re-elect in Chicago as deputy national communications director in 2012. She moved to the White House in May 2013.
Racusen joins MSNBC on Dec. 8. Politico first reported the move.
Business leaders will face challenges in the upcoming year, some of which will come as a complete surprise, or beyond anyone's imagination.
Teneo has hired Philipp Grontzki, who is a 20-year veteran of corporate communications and financial journalism, as a managing director in its strategy and communications group.
Rowan Benecke, who co-founded Zeno Group and helmed Burson-Marsteller's tech practice, has joined McKinsey & Co as director of communications for North America.
BCW has named Golin's Matt Coldagelli EVP and leader of its corporate affairs practice in Chicago.
Abby Bailey, who headed corporate communications for Fedex in its Middle East, India and Africa region, has joined Teneo as managing director in Dubai.
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