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| John Aylward |
JCPenney brings on John Aylward as chief marketing officer, effective June 6. Aylward has been CMO at the global nonprofit CARE for the past five years. Before that, he was chief marketing officer at HSN, and has also held executive marketing posts at DSW, Starbucks and Gap. In his new post, Aylward will work to advance JCPenney’s omnichannel strategy with the goal of delivering a seamless experience across stores and digital. He will also lead the marketing strategy, creative, visual merchandising and store design, and customer engagement teams. “John will help fulfill our potential at this pivotal moment when JCPenney stands alone as a one-stop retailer,” said JCPenney CEO Marc Rosen. “Additionally, John’s passion for purpose-driven work will be an important asset as we continue to provide offerings that promote inclusivity and celebrate the diversity of our customers.”
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| Marija Zivanovic-Smith |
IEX Group hires Marija Zivanovic-Smith as its first chief marketing and communications officer at the financial tech company. Zivanovic-Smith comes to IEX from NCR, where she was most recently chief marketing officer. She has also served as a White House appointee to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council. At IEX, Zivanovic-Smith will be part of the company’s executive leadership team, working to strengthen its strategic marketing, brand and communications function. “Marija is a seasoned executive who has succeeded at every point in her career due to her drive, creative vision, and ability to execute. Her track record speaks for itself,” said IEX co-founder and CEO Brad Katsuyama.
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| Mauricio Gutierrez |
JeffreyGroup promotes Mauricio Gutierrez to chief strategy officer. Gutierrez joined JeffreyGroup Mexico as group director in May 2013 and was appointed managing director of the Mexico operation in February 2016. Before coming to the agency, he was director, reputation & corporate affairs at LLYC. In his new position, Gutiérrez will be responsible for identifying market needs, developing product offerings and management models, leading strategic partnerships, and deepening customer relationships. “Mauricio will contribute his strategic vision and clear understanding of the keys to scaling our management models for the firm’s continual evolution,” said JeffreyGroup CEO Brian Burlingame. JeffreyGroup has also promoted Elisenda Casellas to chief operating officer in Mexico.
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| Cindy Gustafson |
Bark, a platform focused on dog owners, names Cindy Gustafson chief marketing officer. Gustafson comes to the company from WW International (formerly Weight Watchers), where also served as CMO. She was previously chief strategy officer at Mindshare. Gustafson will lead Bark’s marketing organization and is responsible for developing and executing strategies to enhance the brand and drive growth. “Cindy is a recognized thought leader and accomplished practitioner in marketing, advertising, and media, with significant experience growing subscription-based businesses and building lasting connections with consumers,” said Bark co-founder, executive chairman and CEO Matt Meeker.
Jim O’Leary, Weber Shandwick global president and North America CEO, has joined Penta Group, the DC corporate advisory, as CEO.
ROKK Solutions has named Amy Fox chief corporate communications officer to oversee its new corporate affairs unit.
Orchestra adds Andrew Bates and Kristen Orthman to its advisory practice. Both of them worked in the Biden administration... DeepIntent, a healthcare demand-side platform, appoints Ian Colley as CMO... Fanatics Commerce, a direct-to-consumer platform within sports apparel and fan gear company Fanatics, names Jamie Gersch CMO... Cboe Global Markets, a global markets operator and pioneer in equity derivatives, hires Julie Bauer as SVP, head of government relations.
August brings on Andrew Jarrell as a managing director in its New York office. Jarrell comes to the agency from Group Gordon, where he most recently served as chief strategy officer... PSD, which produces activewear and underwear worn by and made for professional athletes, hires Dan Harbison as SVP of marketing and Monica Lin as VP of brand marketing... UKG, an AI platform that combines HR, pay and workforce management, names Vitor De Souza chief communications officer. 
Dezenhall Resources brings on Jessica DeLoach as VP. DeLoach was previously deputy director of public and media relations at the Southern Poverty Law Center... Crowe Media hires Alissa Kasawdish as senior integrated PR manager. Kasawdish was previously an account supervisor at J/PR... Benefitbay, a SaaS platform that lets users make their own benefit decisions, names Lindsey Unterberger as VP of marketing.
