Ted Smyth is now vice chair and chief of staff to Richard Edelman, who presides over the No. 1 independent firm.
Most recently executive VP-corporate affairs at McGraw Hill Financial, Smyth will work closely with global COO Matthew Harrington and the firm's executive committee.
Smyth, who also was chief administrative office at H.J. Heinz, is to serve as Edelman strategist in the food/beverage and financial sectors and oversee global citizenship function.
Edelman said Smyth "provides unique insights and expertise helping us to evolve, promote and protect our clients’ brands.”
At McGraw Hill, Smyth led naming, rebranding and marketing after the sale of the company's education unit.
For Heinz, he worked on communications plans and talent development as it expanded overseas under the leadership of legendary CEO Tony O'Reilly.
Smyth served in Ireland's diplomatic corps for 15 years as head of press and information in the London embassy, senior advisor to two prime ministers and staffer in the US, Portugal and Switzerland.
DJE Holdings, parent of Edelman and Zeno, launches RUTH as an independent shop named after Ruth Edelman, mental health advocate, wife and longtime business partner of Dan Edelman.
New York City PR firms make up the largest slice of O'Dwyer's 147 firm overall ranking with 33 of 40 in the New York/New Jersey area either calling Manhattan their home or having a presence there.
Subject Matter+Kivvit, which joined forces in May, has rebranded as Avoq, an integrated shop with more than 200 professionals in Washington, New York, Asbury Park (NJ), Miami and Chicago.
While PR pros stationed at in-house comms. teams and those working for agencies share many of the same objectives, they also have markedly different top priorities, according to a recent report.
Edelman is cutting 240 employees or about four percent of its workforce to cope with the cooling down of the PR sector, according to a memo from CEO Richard Edelman.
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