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| Joanne Wong |
FTI Consulting has appointed Joanne Wong as a senior managing director in its strategic communications segment. Wong was previously a senior vice president at FleishmanHillard. She has extensive experience in corporate reputation, public affairs, financial communications, issues and crisis management, market entry and access, media training and cross-border strategies. Based in Hong Kong, she will report to Paul Downie, chairman of Asia Pacific for the strategic communications segment. “Joanne has an impressive track record of advising multinational clients that face complex communications challenges in highly scrutinized industries across a number of different geographies,” Downie said. Wong’s appointment comes alongside several senior directors hires across APAC, including Mae Mei in Shanghai, Natalie Sui in Hong Kong, Romain Caillaud in Tokyo, and Mona Mohan in Mumbai.
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| Kenneth Kracmer |
Pierpont Communications has brought on Kenneth Kracmer and Allison Murray as vice presidents. Kracmer joins Pierpont’s Dallas office from the Point Group, where he was president of public relations and business development. Before that, he was managing partner and a co-owner at HCK2 Partners, running the PR side of the agency. His experience encompasses telecom/technology, digital, marketing, corporate communications and crisis. Murray comes to Pierpont’s Austin office from Edelman, where she served as vice president. She has also worked as a VP at both Kith and FleishmanHillard. Murray specializes in strategic communications, guiding organizations through media relations challenges, message development, public affairs campaigns and crises.
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| Lauren Nussbaum |
Sloane & Company has hired Lauren Nussbaum as senior vice president. Nussbaum joins the agency from Joele Frank, where she was a senior account executive, advising public companies involved in transactions and special situations on corporate governance, shareholder engagement, activism defense and crisis communications. She previously led global and nationwide media relations for law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Audrey Belloff has joined the firm from Burson Cohn & Wolfe as a vice president, and Nick Glasnovich has come on as senior digital strategist.
The Walt Disney Company names Asad Ayaz to lead its newly established enterprise marketing and brand organization... Kaiser Permanente, which provides integrated healthcare services, is bringing on Beth Leonard as SVP and chief public affairs officer, effective Feb. 2. Leonard was most recently chief corporate affairs officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance... AIC Hotel Group, which operates such brands as Nobu Hotels, Hard Rock Hotels, AVA Resort and Spa and the UNICO Collection, hires Delia Osegueda as VP, global partnerships.
Sarah Knakmuhs, who formerly led H/Advisors Abernathy’s DC office, is joining the Financial Services Forum as chief communications and strategy officer.
Brian Hughes, chief of staff at NASA, has joined Mercury Public Affairs as a partner in its Tallahassee office.
Narrative Strategies brings on Stacia Tipton as managing director... Prosek Partners promotes Deirdre Bolton, Josh Clarkson and Jon Schwartz to partner... YAP Global, an international digital assets PR firm, promotes Otto Jacobsson, who has served as CFO of the firm since 2020, to CEO. 
Cindy Leggett-Flynn, who most recently led communications at Credit Suisse, is coming on board at Swiss multinational private bank and wealth management firm Julius Baer Group as group head of communications.
