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| Aidan Ryan |
Edelman brings on Aidan Ryan as VP with the firm’s U.S. crisis and reputation risk advisory team, effective Feb. 12. Ryan comes to Edelman from Goldberg Segalla, where he led the crisis and litigation communications practice, advising clients in a range of private industries, government and the nonprofit sector. Based out of Edelman’s D.C. office, Ryan will work remotely from Upstate New York.
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| Lesleigh Irish-Undewrwood |
MetroPlusHsealth appoints Lesleigh Irish-Underwood as its first chief brand and external relations officer. Irish-Underwood joins the company from United Way of New York City, where she was senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Before that, she held marketing and advertising leadership roles at Kensington Publishing, the Knopf Publishing Group of Random House and Pearson. At MetroPlusHealth, Irish-Underwood will be responsible for brand strategy, including product marketing, strategic communications, media relations, community and government relations, member experience, special events, and data-driven marketing innovation. “Lesleigh has that rare combination of strategic thinking, creativity, and management expertise needed to lead the next stage of our brand evolution,” said MetroPlusHealth President & CEO Talya Schwartz, MD.
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| Tom McAlister |
BECK Media & Marketing promotes Tom McAlister to president and makes him the company’s first-ever partner. McAlister was previously managing director at the firm and has led campaigns for clients including ZipRecruiter, National Geographic and Facebook Watch. He established and continues to lead BECK Purpose, the company’s pro bono corporate social responsibility initiative. McAlister has also served as head of content marketing at Hulu and director of publicity initiatives at Warner Bros. Television. In his new role, McAlister oversees all of BECK’s account teams and operations across its locations in Austin, Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco, and the company’s headquarters in Santa Monica. “Tom is a world-class creative marketing and communications strategist, and I’m so grateful that our clients will continue to have access to his counsel,” said BECK Media founder and CEO Todd Beck.
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| Abigail Quesinberry |
French/West/Vaughan has promoted Abigail Quesinberry to vice president, social media & influencer marketing; Nicole Lavric to paid media director; and Danny Nowell to content strategy director. Quesinberry has been with FWV since 2015, previously serving as director of social media and influencer marketing. Lavric joined the agency as paid social manager in 2019. Nowell came to FWV from Team Epiphany in 2019. “We are extremely fortunate to have such a talented team of professionals across our paid and social media departments, especially as trends and offerings rapidly change and transform in these areas,” said FWV chairman and CEO Rick French.
Nick Clegg, who was global affairs president at Meta in a seven-year run, has joined London's Hiro Capital investment firm as a general partner.
Burson brings on Bruce Haynes, who served as global co-chairman of the crisis communications and issues management unit at FGS Global, as U.S. head of public affairs.
The Herald Group, a DC-based public affairs firm, brings on DDC Public Affairs SVP, creative director Brad Whitford as chief creative officer... Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute hires former Mastercard VP of marketing Dana Bodine as its first CMO... Reinsurance Group of America, a life and health reinsurer, appoints Ryan Krueger as SVP, investor relations, effective Jan. 5, 2026.
Edelman has named Anna Vogt, who is EMEA chief strategy officer at VML, as its
Pierpont Communications promotes Christine Rashman to VP and general manager of its Austin office and Sylvester Palacios to VP, based in San Antonio... Cision names Amy Jones CMO. Jones comes to Cision from the CMO post at Boeing Digital's Jeppesen ForeFlight division... Bazooka Brands, maker of Bazooka Bubble Gum and other candy products, appoints David Dreyer as CMO... Inspire, a Columbus, OH-based shop that works in the food and agriculture, restaurant and hospitality, pet care, trade association, and nonprofit sectors, brings on Emily Sword as VP and Meg Becker as senior director.
