Sony Pictures Entertainment, six months after the exit of its top PR exec and the hacking scandal that battered its image, has named a new chief communications officer.
Bob Lawson, executive VP for Rubenstein Associates, which advised Sony through the crisis, will take the EVP and CCO role with the company on June 1, under CEO Michael Lynton and president Nicole Sligman.
Charles Sipkins, a Sard Verbinnen and FleishmanHillard alum, stepped down in November from the top Sony communications slot. He now runs Sipkins Communications out of Los Angeles. A month after Sipkins' ouster, Sony was hit by the devastating cyber attack linked to North Korea and the release of the satirical film, "The Interview."
Lawson has represented Sony, Paramount Pictures, the NFL, and Michael Bloomberg, among other clients, at Rubenstein. He is a former deputy press secretary during Bloomberg's mayoral term in New York.
At Sony, he heads media relations, executive comms., crisis and issues management and thought leadership. Lynton said Lawson worked with Sony on the film "Captain Phillips" before handling the cyber attack.
Jean Guerin is senior VP of media relations at SPE in Culver City, Calif.
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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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