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| Mark Kupferman |
CEC Entertainment, LLC, appoints Mark Kupferman as chief insights and marketing officer for the company's flagship brand, Chuck E. Cheese, and its virtual kitchen brands, including Pasqually's Pizza & Wings. Kupferman was most recently chief commercial officer at Ruth's Chris Steak House. Before that, he was SVP of consumer & guest experience at Six Flags Entertainment and led the research and insights teams at Universal Orlando and Paramount Parks. In his new post, Kupferman will lead all marketing functions, menu innovation and communications for Chuck E. Cheese, as well as its digital marketing and consumer journey initiatives. He will also oversee the entire Company's insights and research responsibilities. "His proven expertise and success across the restaurant and family entertainment business is a perfect complement with the most aggressive brand transformation in the Company's history," said CEC Enertaniment president and CEO David McKillips.
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| Sabrina Cheung |
Manulife Asia appoints Sabrina Cheung as chief communications officer. Cheung joins Manulife Asia from AXA, Asia and Africa where she served as chief brand and communications officer. She has also held global and regional leadership communications roles at Cigna International Markets, adidas Group, the Coca-Cola Company and McCann WorldGroup. Based in Hong Kong, Cheung will lead strategic communications, incorporating media relations, thought leadership, social media, colleague communications, content and events, supporting Manulife Asia across all the markets in which it operates. “Sabrina’s background across multiple disciplines, her passion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and her experience across financial services and consumer product goods will help us think differently about the impact we can have with our communications for our Asia business,” said Manulife global chief communications officer Anne Hammer.
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| Karen Tran Wood |
IW Group, which specializes in multicultural youth marketing, promotes Karen Tran Wood to group director of entertainment marketing and publicity, a newly created role. Wood has been with the agency since 2020, most recently serving as director of publicity. In that position, she oversaw multicultural theatrical and television marketing and publicity campaigns for such clients as Warner Bros., Disney, Netflix, Hulu and Fox, as well as leading the TikTok and influence marketing team. Before joining IW Group, Wood was at MPRM Communications. In her new post, she will oversee the growth of the agency’s entertainment marketing practice, focusing on diversifying its digital and creator/influencer offerings and spearheading the development of a new brand partnerships team. “Under Karen’s leadership, IW has helped our clients meet today’s modern audiences where they truly are—at the intersection of technology and culture,” said IW Group chief content officer and SVP Telly Wong.
Steve Rice, who served as director of political mobilization for Boeing, joins DC-based bipartisan public affairs and strategic communications firm The Herald Group as SVP, overseeing its grasstops and 50-state field operations. 
Qorvis has named Victor Shiblie senior advisor to boost its international network and global business opportunities.
Pierre DuBois has taken the VP-public affairs post at AIB Data Centers, developer of the digital infrastructure for AI hosting and high-performance computing workloads.
Allison Worldwide names Victoria Brophy EVP, head of corporate and technology in Europe. Brophy comes to the firm from Golin Ketchum London, where as EVP she built and led the London Corporate Affairs practice... 
Signal Group, a DC-based public affairs firm, hires Josie Feron as director. Feron was most recently communications director for the Office of Congresswoman Deborah Ross (D-NC)... Moburst, a mobile-first digital agency driven by a proprietary AI program, appoints Etgar Shpivak as VP of marketing... Howard University hires Jasmine Gurley as senior director of public relations in the Office of University Communications.
