News of Firms: Colangelo & Partners Opens in Miami

Colangelo & Partners, which works in the food, wine and spirits sectors, opens an office in Miami, adding to its home base in New York and growing presence in San Francisco. The Miami office opens with a staff of five led by account supervisor Andrew Quinzi. “Because of the city’s growth and the influence of its restaurant scene, Miami is becoming increasingly important to many of our clients,” said agency president Gino Colangelo. “European and South American clients, in particular, increasingly view the Miami market as critical to their US growth strategies.” Colangelo & Partners is also investing in expanded digital services, specifically in influencer marketing, online media planning, search engine optimization, paid search, email marketing and integrated events.

Muck Rack receives a $180 million Series A minority investment from Susquehanna Growth Equity. This is the first institutional capital investment the public relations management platform has received since its founding in 2009. Muck Rack, which experienced 75 percent year-over-year revenue growth in 2021, will continue to be founder-controlled. SGE managing directors Josh Elser and Scott Feldman will join Muck Rack’s board. “The Company has established itself as one of the most innovative software platforms to meet the shifting demands of the communications industry,” said Elser. “We believe there is tremendous opportunity for Muck Rack to be the dominant global PR platform.” AQ Technology Partners acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Muck Rack in the transaction.

Paul Wilmot Communications opens an office in Nashville. The new office will focus on VIP relations, earned media, digital services, celebrity dressing and events. Jenny Cox, who spent nearly a decade at PWC before launching Jennifer Cox Public Relations, has been tapped to oversee PWC Nashville’s VIP arm, with agency CEO Hampton Carney and president Samantha Kain managing operations, business development and talent procurement. “Along with notable businesses now calling Nashville home, the city is a top destination for luxury tourism, industry innovators, and world-class hospitality,” said Wilmot. “Given the strong economic and population growth the city is experiencing, we felt the time was now to expand our services to this market.”

Claudine Moore

Moore Media International Public Relations, which works in the US, UK and African markets, joins Allison+Partners. CMM founder Claudine Moore has become a managing director at Allison+Partners and will focus on growing the agency’s DE&I service offerings, as well as expanding the agency’s capabilities in African markets. In addition to working with a broad range of Africa-based tech startups and such organizations as The Africa Channel, Louis Vuitton and Johnson & Johnson, Moore has led Pan-African and global communications for business leaders, including former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Tony O. Elumelu, chairman of the United Bank for Africa. “By joining the agency, we will be able to provide current and future Africa-focused clients with the same senior-level counsel and hands-on team expertise while leveraging Allison+Partners’ global footprint, network and extensive resources,” said Moore.