 Barbara Laidlaw |
Barbara Laidlaw, a former executive at Burson-Marsteller, Edelman and FleishmanHillard, has joined Allison+Partners, where she’s been named managing director of global reputation, risk + advisory.
Laidlaw joins the MDC Partners unit from Burson-Marsteller, where she was managing director and provided strategic communications and change management advice. Prior to that, she was president and owner of communications consultancy BEL Communications, which focused on crisis and risk management, corporate communications, media training and executive training.
She was previously an executive vice president and crisis head at Edelman and a partner and senior VP in Fleishman Hillard’s corporate financial and corporate affairs practices.
At Allison+Partners, Laidlaw will be responsible for overseeing the growth of the San Francisco-based agency’s global issues management, crisis and risk mitigation capabilities. She’ll be stationed in New York and will report to partner and Europe + Corporate global president, Matthew Della Croce.
Brittney Basden, who led public affairs and advocacy partnerships at the Washington Post has joined Bully Pulpit International as a managing director.
The DUX Group, a Washington, D.C.-based strategic communications firm that works with leaders in highly regulated industries, names Lauren Boland as VP... Workday, an enterprise AI platform for HR, finance and IT, names Sarah Kennedy Ellis CMO, effective Oct. 5. Kennedy Ellis joins the company from Google... Octave Specialty Group, a global specialty insurance firm, brings on Philip Stefano as managing director, head of investor relations. 
Michele Ziosi will rejoin Stellantis on Oct. 1 as chief PA officer responsible for Enlarged Europe and for the global coordination of the carmaker’s PA activities.
Inizio, which works with clients in the health and life sciences sectors, appoints Oisín Ó Gógáin as chief people officer... The Boston Beer Company names Allison Stransky CMO, effective Oct. 12. Stransky was previuosly VP and CMO at Samsung Electronics America... Newark Regional Business Partnership and its 501(c)(3) affiliate, the Renaissance Newark Foundation, bring on Kim Lewis-Collins as VP, marketing and business development, a newly created role. 
Carmichael Lynch president and manager Julie Batliner is joining Padilla as president, succeeding Matt Kuchariski. Kucharski will transition to a fractional role with the agency as an executive counselor through the end of the year.
