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| Lex Suvanto |
Edelman names Lex Suvanto managing partner and CEO of Edelman Financial, a newly created position. Suvanto has been with Edelman since 2013, most recently serving as global managing director. He has advised on transactions, activism defense situations and IPO as well as high-profile crisis situations. Prior to Edelman, Suvanto was managing director and CMO at Abernathy MacGregor. In addition, Edelman named regional leaders for financial communications in the US (Katie Spring and Josh Hochberg), EMEA (Alex Simmons), APAC (Chad Tendler) and Canada (David Ryan). "Lex and this outstanding group of leaders have built a strong platform for delivering world-class counsel and execution, and we will continue to invest significantly to further grow our team," said Edelman CEO Richard Edelman.
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| Bill Smith |
The Bliss Group hires Bill Smith as SVP to lead paid, earned, shared and owned (PESO) communications strategy and corporate storytelling for healthcare, finance, technology, and professional services firms. Smith joins The Bliss Group from Makovsky, where he was a group vice president, leading strategy across the firm's financial and professional services practice. He has also served as a vice president at BCW Global and a senior account executive at Dukas Linden Public Relations. In his new position, Smith will be responsible for helping the agency introduce "search media relations," which the agency says will enable it to identify and reach an optimized set of influencers and organizations. "The days of just gaining coverage are long gone and Bill is helping us usher in a new era," said The Bliss Group CEO Bob Pearson.
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| Justine Fedak |
MERGE hires Justine Fedak as chief marketing officer and a member of the company's executive committee. She most recently ran her own firm, Corporate Hippie; worked as chief brand strategist at Pollara Strategic Insights; and held a variety of senior marketing positions at BMO Financial Group. Fedak also co-founded Instant Impact Group, a diversity and marketing consulting firm, with Star Jones. "Justine truly embodies MERGE's purpose of promoting health, wealth and happiness," said MERGE chief executive officer Patrick Venetucci.
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| Bob Jimenez, Jessamyn Katz, Joseph Tateoka |
The Plank Center adds Bob Jimenez, Jessamyn Katz and Joseph Tateoka to its board of advisors. Jimenez is senior vice president of corporate affairs at Cox Enterprises, serving as the chief communications counsel to members of the company's executive team and leading the management of its brand, reputation and strategic communications. Katz is president of Heyman Associates, where she leads searches to fill executive-level roles in strategic communications, investor relations, marketing and other specialties. Tateoka is vice president of global learning & development at Edelman and an adjunct professor at DePaul University College of Communication. "Nurturing and mentoring the next generation of ethical, skilled communications leaders is essential to our profession," said Plank board chair Bridget Coffing. "We're delighted and honored to have Bob, Jessamyn and Joseph join our Board of Advisors, as they bring the integrity, talent and experience that will help us drive this critical imperative."
maslansky + partners, a specialist consultancy within Omnicom Public Relations, names founding partner Keith Yazmir president of the firm... The National Football League Players Association names Matt Taylor chief communications officer, effective Sept. 8... Repay Holdings Corporation, a provider of bill payment solutions, appoints Charles Nabhan as head of investor relations.
Bospar hires veteran technology, cybersecurity and healthcare sector journalist and content creator Doug Olenick as tech and healthcare content director... The Huntington National Bank appoints Ameesh Vakharia as EVP and chief marketing and digital products officer, a newly created role... SDA International, a Honolulu-based strategic communications firm, promotes Cassie Kim to SVP. 
Burson Brussels chief client officer Ruud Wassen has moved to Consello to open its outpost in the headquarters city of NATO and the European Union.
Reputation Advisors International adds Newick Consulting founder Peter Thomas as its newest member. Based in Abu Dhabi, Thomas has more than 35 years of experience advising major global clients on reputation issues... TruePoint appoints April Steinbach, who has held senior creative posts at BBDO and McCann Worldgroup, as creative director....Athene, a subsidiary of Apollo Global Management that focuses on retirement solutions, names Brett Gibson EVP and head of investor relations. Gibson comes to Athene from JP Morgan Securities.
Stellantis names Stephanie Hartgrove chief communications officer. Hartgrove joins Stellantis from Johnson & Johnson, where she was global vice president of MedTech communications and public affairs... FINN Partners appoints Kim Sizemore as head of integrated media. Sizemore joins FINN from Wieden+Kennedy... Lucid Group, which makes software-defined vehicles and technologies, names Angela Zepeda as Vice President, Global Marketing. Zepeda was most recently global head of marketing at Elon Musk's xAI. 
