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| Ian Benjafield |
Ambassador Cruise Line hires Ian Benjafield as head of communications. Benjafield most recently handled corporate communications at Travelodge. He has also served as head of public relations at Thomas Cook and head of European press and promotions at Disneyland Paris. Benjafield will work alongside Rooster PR, which was appointed as Ambassador’s PR agency in August, and will run media relations, press trips, thought leadership and creative campaigns. “The appointment of Ian, with his varied experience and deep understanding of the travel PR landscape, comes at a pivotal time for the company,” said Ambassador CMO Gordon Nardini.
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| Lotte Jones |
The News Movement, which provides news and information on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Snap, appoints Lotte Jones as CMO. Jones was most recently a partner at London-based Freuds, where she led the launch of its creative-first sub-agency The Distillery. Before that, she served as creative director at Teneo. In her new position, Jones will lead global marketing and brand communications. “Lotte brings impressive brand-transformation expertise along with undeniable creative credentials. She will play a vital role in helping us to connect with our audience in meaningful and relevant ways,” said The News Movement founder and CEO William Lewis, who previously served as CEO at Dow Jones and publisher at the Wall Street Journal.
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| Jim Desler |
Acumatica, a cloud enterprise resource planning company, names Jim Desler VP of communications, a newly created position. Desler previously headed up the communications function for Microsoft's business solutions division, in addition to serving as its spokesperson for legal, regulatory and policy issues. Before joining Microsoft, he held several positions for the U.S. government, including stints in the Commerce Department, the International Trade Administration, the State Department, and the Department of Defense. At Acumatica, Desler will oversee PR, analyst relations, internal communications, sustainability efforts, corporate events, and social media and graphic design strategies. "His experience in the public and private sectors, in political and corporate campaigns, make him ideally suited for this important role,” said Acumatica CMO Todd Wells.
Andrew Sinclair, who spent nine years at ExxonMobil, has joined Dallas-based Empower lithium producer as chief public and government relations officer.
Linhart Public Relations, a Denver-based firm, names Ashley Campbell VP and partner... Akima, a provider of mission-focused solutions to the federal government, appoints Michael Teegardin as VP of marketing & communications... QuidelOrtho Corporation, a global provider of diagnostic solutions, appoints Sanjeev Sharma as VP, investor relations... McNeely Brockman Public Relations hires Lindsey West as an account executive. 
Allison DeLeo, who rose to senior VP and West Coast lead during a nearly 17-year run at Racepoint Global has joined Method Communications as senior VP.
APCO names Kelly Williamson, who has been president, North America since 2018, chief client officer and global president of capital markets, a newly created role... Avenue Z, which has offices in NYC and Miami, brings on Stephanie Goenaga as associate director, public relations... Marino names Vincent Dente EVP of creative and AI innovation, a new post.
Joele Frank managing director Tim Ragones and Jasper Street Partners' MD Peter da Silva Vint join stakeholder intelligence advisory firm Sodali & Co.
