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| David Nassar |
The Hawthorn Group has named former Brookings Institution vice president for communications David Nassar executive vice president and chief strategy officer. At Brookings, Nassar worked to grow the organization’s social and email following as well as drive increased traffic to its website. He also led partnerships between Brookings and such publications as the New York Times and Esquire magazine. Before coming to Brookings, Nassar was founder and CEO of Hotspot Digital. He has also served as a senior vice president at Blue State Digital, the firm behind pPresident Obama's digital organization strategy in the 2008 and 2012 campaigns. At Hawthorn, he he will oversee business development and lead strategy on various client projects.
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| Dani Newman |
Definition 6 has hired Dani Newman as vice president/account director, PR services. Before joining Definition 6, Newman was president and founder of satellite media tour/production companies THUNK Media and DSN Communications. She will be based in the firm’s Manhattan office, but will serve clients in its Atlanta office and nationwide. “Dani Newman has more than 30 years in the SMT space, and we know that her touch will greatly enhance and expand that offering for our clients,” said agency SVP, Group Director for PR Services Rich Quigley. Definition 6’s client roster includes the Coca-Cola Company, HBO, Facebook, Siemens, Barnes & Noble College and Nickelodeon.
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| Tom Smith |
Allison+Partners has promoted Tom Smith to president, corporate, North America, a newly created position. Smith previously served as managing director at the firm. In 2018, he was named a partner and was appointed to Allison+Partners’ North American Management Board, which oversees the growth and operations of the firm’s clients in the region. Before coming to Allison+Partners, Smith was an executive vice president in Ogilvy PR’s New York corporate practice. He has also served as a vice president in the corporate communications group at Fleishman Hillard, and held earlier roles at GCI Group and Makovsky + Company.
FGS Global adds former Pfizer EVP and chief corporate affairs officer Sally Susman to its global executive board as an independent member, effective April 1... Codeword brings on Kim Baffi, who was previously Salesforce VP and creative director, as executive creative director... Amperity, an AI-powered customer data cloud, appoints Bridget Perry as CMO.
Alcoa has named Emily Olson, who has more than 20 years of experience working in capital-intensive industries in the Americas, Europe and Asia, EVP & chief external affairs officer, effective April 6.
Longacre Square Partners has named Humza Vanderman partner and head of its London outpost as the financial communications firm expands into Europe.
MOIA America, a Volkswagen Group of America subsidiary that develops and tests autonomous, all-electric ride-pooling vehicles, names Marcus Gamo head of U.S. communications... Continental Strategy brings on Francisco Petrirena as VP in its Miami office. Petrirena was previously chief of staff to former Miami city manager Art Noriega... MSQ Sport + Entertainment brings on Lauren Weil as EVP, Max Hirsch as VP of sponsorship, and Brooke Losee as VP.
Burson promotes EMEA COO Matt Buchanan to global chief social and Influence officer, a newly created role... Seedtag, a “global neuro-contextual advertising company,” brings on former Edelman SVP, corporate and public affairs Brendan McCarthy as chief marketing & communications officer... The Associated Press ups Lauren Easton to SVP and chief communications officer.
