Simon Whitehead
Simon Whitehead

Hill+Knowlton Strategies has promoted Simon Whitehead to UK Chief Executive Officer. Whitehead succeeds Richard Millar, who will now be global president, serving alongside Lars Erik Grønntun. Whitehead has been with H+K since 2011, serving as managing director of its UK Energy + Industrials team. During his tenure, the team became the largest of H+K UK’s eight industry sectors with a 35-person dedicated staff and clients including Shell, Hitachi, ICMM, OGCI and E.ON. Before coming to H+K, he was partner, financial PR and corporate communications at College Hill and director of emerging markets in London for APCO Worldwide.

Alexandra Lazorchak
Alexandra Lazorchak

APCO Worldwide has named senior directors Alexandra Lazorchak, Kelly Stepno and Matthew Gallagher to lead the firm’s North America Health, Crisis and Energy practices respectively. Lazorchak, rejoined APCO in June, after holding senior positions at Weber Shandwick and Biosector 2. She will work closely with James Tyrrell, UK health practice chair, to co-lead APCO’s global health practice. Stepno joined APCO in 2016 from Booz Allen Hamilton, where she advised both government and commercial clients across sectors and developed strategies to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate risks. Stepno will work closely with Eliot Hoff, APCO’s global Crisis and Litigation Communication practice lead. Gallagher, a seven-year APCO veteran, has extensive experience developing and implementing public affairs, media and community relations strategies on behalf of a wide variety of clients in the energy space. Prior to joining APCO in 2011, he led the energy and environment practice for Cerrell Associates in Los Angeles.

Katie Kinne
Katie Kinne

Slowey/McManus Communications has promoted Katie Kinne to vice president and has brought on Hannah Walford as a senior account executive. Kinne has been with the firm for more than a decade, specializing in strategic communications and social media for clients in the healthcare, non-profit, education, environment, public affairs and retail sectors. Before coming to SMC, she was a public relations specialist for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and an account executive at Matter Communications. Walford most recently managed communications for the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy for Massachusetts State Senator Michael Barrett.