Clark Stevens, assistant secretary of public affairs at the US Department of Homeland Security, has decamped for Airbnb in a new post overseeing safety initiatives.
Stevens takes the title of global head of strategic safety initiatives at Airbnb, as the San Francisco company tackles challenges on the legal, regulatory and safety front from the hotel industry and cities where it operates.
Stevens worked on the Obama presidential campaign in Virginia and took a press secretary post at the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2009. He spent two years at Homeland Security around two and a half years stationed at the White House as an assistant press secretary. He earlier worked on the agency front at Fenton Communications.
Airbnb critics often cite security concerns as a key sticking point against the service, which allows house and apartment owners to rent out their properties on a nightly basis. A New York condo owner whose board has banned Airbnb argued in the New York Post Nov. 23 that the company's business model is a form of piracy that allows apartments to be rented to a "burglar or a pedophile … without questions asked."
DKC works with Airbnb on the PR front.
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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