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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.
Ballard Partners names former Burson managing director Mike Waterman as MD. Waterman comes to Ballard from ROKK Solutions... The Herald Group brings on Trace Scruggs and Evan Lukaske as VPs... Travelier, which operates platforms for booking intercity transportation services via buses, trains and ferries in 124 countries, appoints Mario Gavira as CMO. 
Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications brings on Jessica Gail, who served as director of communications for Rep. Eric Swalwell, as senior media lead... Prime Therapeutics appoints Katie Payne as chief external affairs officer, a newly created role. She was previously a senior director at APCO... Thunderly promotes Jason Weaver to director of paid media. 
Ruder Finn hires Brent Mullins as SVP, talent and partnerships. Mullins joins the agency from 160over90, where he was VP, entertainment marketing... Allison Worldwide names Katie Huang Shin global president, technology, effective Nov. 14... Vasion, which provides serverless printing and AI-enabled automation, appoints Cindy White as CMO. 
Mod Op brings on John Powers and Alan Kipust as part of its Executive in Residence program, which already includes former Dun & Bradstreet chief data officer Monica Richter... Takeda Pharmaceuticals hires James-Denton Wyllie as head of R&D and external innovation communications... Veeam Software, which specializes in data resilience solutions, appoints Allison Cerra as CMO.
The Dallas Mavericks bring on Gina Miller as chief communications officer, a newly created role. She was previously with Major League Soccer team FC Dallas... Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit organization that advances arts advocacy, names Jamey Lundblad as CMO... Ambac Financial Group, an insurance holding company, names Karen Beyer managing director, head of investor relations.
