Charlyne McWilliams
Charlyne McWilliams

Kite Hill PR hires Charlyne McWilliams as SVP. McWilliams comes to Kite Hill from the William Mills Agency, where she served as senior director. Before that, she held several roles as a business journalist, including working as editor for the Inside Mortgage Finance Publications and as a business reporter at The Roanoke Times. At Kite Hill PR, McWilliams plays an active account management role, spearheading professional development for Kite Hill PR employees and leveraging her network in the firm’s business development efforts. “Charlyne’s sharp eye, passion and creative nature, paired with the 20-plus years of experience in communications and public relations she brings to our agency, makes her a true asset to our team,” said Kite Hill PR chief Tiffany Guarnaccia.

Sunitha Chalam
Sunitha Chalam

Brunswick Group names Sunitha Chalam head of its Singapore office, effective January 1. Chalam succeeds Will Carnwath, who becomes co-lead of the firm’s healthcare and life sciences sector team. Chalam joined Brunswick in 2015 and has worked in both the Singapore and Hong Kong offices, advising clients on issues in such areas as geopolitical, public affairs, crisis, litigation and cybersecurity. Before joining Brunswick, she was director, public affairs at Hill+Knowlton Strategies. She also served in Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 11 years, where she handled bilateral relations with Indonesia and France. "Her wide-ranging client experience, deep knowledge of the Asia-Pacific market and strong connectivity to colleagues across the firm position her extremely well to lead the Singapore office in its next phase of growth,” said Brunswick Group CEO Neal Wolin.

Courtney Olbrich
Courtney Olbrich

Brandon promotes Courtney Olbrich to media director. Olbrich has been with the agency since 2015, most recently serving as director of digital strategy. As media director, she will lead the strategic media planning and execution of campaigns for all clients and manage the media department’s day-to-day operations. “Courtney has been vital to our media team’s success through her tenure at Brandon. Her experience in developing integrated media solutions has optimized strategies for clients to have a high return on their investments,” said Brandon CEO Scott Brandon, CEO of Brandon.

Cory Stewart
Cory Stewart

Cookerly Public Relations ups Cory Stewart to CEO. Most recently, the firm’s COO, Stewart, has been with Cookerly since 2005. He previously worked in the banking industry as a regional marketing officer for BBVA in Birmingham, AL. At Cookerly, he provides counsel and campaign execution for clients in sectors including energy, technology, finance, healthcare and manufacturing. “His business acumen is impressive and he’s equally skilled as a PR practitioner. Add to those qualities he’s focused on team building and helping staff members at all levels be the best they can be,” said agency founder Carol Cookerly.