 Andrew Cross |
Walker Sands has promoted Andrew Cross from VP to senior VP of PR. Cross has been with Walker Sands since 2011. For the last year, he has overseen all strategy and growth for the agency’s PR group based in Chicago. He also serves as an ambassador for Walker Sands to independent PR agency network PROI Worldwide. Before coming to the agency, Cross worked with brands including American Express, Dish Network and Livestrong.com on developing strategic communications initiatives.
 Alison Chartan |
Signal Group has hired Alison Chartan as VP. Chartan joins Signal from Weber Shandwick, where she most recently served as vice president. Before that she was with Chandler Chicco Agency. Chartan has worked across the health care spectrum, with expertise in such areas as women’s health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, food allergy/anaphylaxis and food insecurity. At Signal, she provides strategic communications support for health care organizations in advocacy engagement, social content development, public affairs, digital and earned media strategy, education and programming.
 Viviana Millan |
Hill+Knowlton Strategies has brought on Viviana Millan and Mireia Sáenz de Buruaga Saelices as managers on its corporate and crisis team. Millan, who will work out of the firm’s Madrid office, comes to H+K from Havas, where she was a senior PR account exec. She previously worked at Ogilvy Public Relations and served as government affairs and market access specialist at pharmaceutical firm Sandoz. Sáenz will be based in H+K’s Barcelona office. She has developed strategic communication plans for such clients as Honda Motor Europe España, Sanofi and the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. The pair will head up the corporate and crisis team in H+K Spain, working across sectors to provide advice and offer strategic counsel.
The Dallas Mavericks bring on Gina Miller as chief communications officer, a newly created role. She was previously with Major League Soccer team FC Dallas... Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit organization that advances arts advocacy, names Jamey Lundblad as CMO... Ambac Financial Group, an insurance holding company, names Karen Beyer managing director, head of investor relations.
Actum has hired Cecelia Prewett, who was president of DC Public Affairs at SKDK during a nearly 13-year run, as senior managing director in its Washington office.
Franz Paasche, who was most recently EVP for public affairs and communications at Columbia University, will join Verizon as EVP, corporate affairs, effective Nov. 10.
Horizon Family Brands, which includes Horizon Organic and Wallaby Organic yogurt, hires Andrew Springate as CMO... Wake Tech, a Raleigh, NC community college that serves over 70,000 adults annually, brings on Lisa Marie Ferrell, who previously led North America communications at Lenovo, as VP of communications and marketing... Golin brings on executive creative director Meg Farquhar in Chicago, and EVPs of strategy Tom Howells (Western Region) and Martin Coomber (New York).
Hotwire Global appoints Burson global chief digital & intelligence officer Grant Toups as global CEO, effective in January.
