Gary Sheffer, chief communications officer for GE, is retiring after a 16-year career at the Fairfield, Conn.-based conglomerate.
Senior director of external communications, Deirdre Latour, will take over Sheffer's CCO role on April 1. She joined the company from its outside agency, Edelman, in 2004.
Sheffer played a key role in GE's Ecomagination and GE Works campaigns, as well as its PR strategy through the financial crisis and the transition from high-profile CEO Jack Welch to Jeff Immelt. He led its communications and PA operations for the past 12 years.
GE Business Innovations CEO and former GE CMO Beth Comstock said Sheffer developed one of the best communications teams in the world.
Sheffer is chairman of the board of the Arthur W. Page Society.
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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