Michael Wehman
Michael Wehman

Weber Shandwick has promoted New York consumer marketing practice lead Michael Wehman to general manager of Weber Shandwick New York, and Stacey Bernstein, executive vice president and recently global director of Digital Health, to general manager of Weber Shandwick Boston. Wehman will fully transition over to his new responsibilities by January 2020. Bernstein has served as the Boston office’s interim general manager for the past several months and will assume the position on a permanent basis immediately. Wehman has been with Weber Shandwick for 19 years, working to drive the agency’s global client experience program and deepen its relationships with key clients. Bernstein has served as the Boston office’s interim general manager for the past several months. Both leaders will report to Joy Farber Kolo, who was recently promoted to president of Weber Shandwick North America.

Sonya Nesbit
Sonya Nesbit

FTI Consulting has appointed Sonja Nesbit and Erica Elliott Richardson as managing directors in its strategic communications segment, expanding the firm’s public affairs and government relations offering in the Americas. Nesbit most recently served as senior government relations director at Washington, D.C.-based law firm Arent Fox. She was previously deputy assistant secretary of legislation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Obama. Richardson comes to FTI from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, where she was director of External Affairs, a role to which she was appointed by the executive office of the president. She was also communications director for then-Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy. Both Nesbit and Richardson will be based in FTI’s Washington, D.C. office.

Patricia Avlla
Patricia Ávila

JeffreyGroup has brought on Patrícia Ávila as managing director Brazil, effective Dec. 1. Ávila joins JeffreyGroup from BCW Global where she has served as Brazil CEO. She was CEO of Burson-Marsteller Brazil before it merged with Cohn & Wolfe to become BCW in 2018. She previously held executive positions at Andreoli MSL, was head of marketing & communications for McKinsey & Company and corporate communications manager at Albert Einstein Medical Center, a current JeffreyGroup client. Ávila assumes management of JeffreyGroup’s largest operation, with more than 150 employees across offices in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasília.

Jerry Olzewski
Jerry Olszewski

Hager Sharp has appointed Jerry Olszewski to the company’s Board of Directors. Olszewski joins Hager Sharp’s board after retiring in 2018 from Ketchum where he served as senior partner and chief client officer, among other roles. Most recently, he was managing director of the firm’s Washington office. Before that, he launched the firm’s international operations and spent a decade leading its expansion across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. “Jerry is a distinguished leader in our industry and brings considerable expertise in social marketing, brand marketing, corporate reputation, and crisis communications that will add tremendous value to our clients and our agency,” said Hager Sharp president and CEO Jennifer Wayman.