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| Alex Romano |
Narrative Strategies brings on former Edelman VP, crisis & risk Alex Romano as senior director. At Edelman, Romano helped navigate clients through executive and leadership challenges, product recalls, cyber security breaches, natural disasters, and political controversies. “His decade of crisis and risk management experience will augment Narrative’s depth of talent and further enable us to answer the call for clients facing challenges of any size,” said Narrative Strategies CEO and founding partner Ken Spain. Narrative has also hired Paige Blanchard, who previously served as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Lachlan Macdonald, who worked for London-based political consulting and corporate affairs firm CT Group, as strategic communications managers.
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| Greg Lyons |
Subway appoints PepsiCo CMO Greg Lyons as global CMO, effective May 19. At PepsiCo, Lyons led the Pepsi brand to 18 consecutive quarters of growth. In his new position, he will oversee Subway’s global marketing, culinary, digital platforms, data and insights, and other business transformation teams. He will also work directly with Publicis’ Leo New York, Subway’s new US creative agency of record, to develop a transformative, guest-centric marketing strategy. "With more than 25 years of experience in the industry, Greg is widely respected for his ability to renew iconic brands through integrated, consumer-led marketing,” said Subway Interim CEO Carrie Walsh.
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| Val Middleton |
M+C Saatchi Sport + Entertainment names Val Middleton EVP for sport, leading sports marketing and athlete partnerships. Middleton was most recently EVP of athlete partnerships and digital marketing at SC30, the company responsible for NBA All-Star Stephen Curry's off-court business portfolio. She was previously head of marketing for Under Armour’s Curry-brand, its line of Curry-related products. Middleton has also been chief brand officer at hair-care brand Virtue Labs. The agency has also hired Danielle Mileno, who previously led consumer PR for Sonesta Hotels and was senior director, global communications and portfolio marketing at Marriott International as managing director and head of consumer PR. Alex Osorio, who helped launch S+E’s Creator Marketing Division, has been promoted to managing director of influencer engagement and culture. “Val, Alex and Danielle are going to help elevate M+C Saatchi Sport + Entertainment to be the go-to agency for brands looking to secure the right kinds of partnerships across a range of sectors,” said the agency’s global CEO Robin Clarke.
Sarah Knakmuhs, who formerly led H/Advisors Abernathy’s DC office, is joining the Financial Services Forum as chief communications and strategy officer.
Brian Hughes, chief of staff at NASA, has joined Mercury Public Affairs as a partner in its Tallahassee office.
Narrative Strategies brings on Stacia Tipton as managing director... Prosek Partners promotes Deirdre Bolton, Josh Clarkson and Jon Schwartz to partner... YAP Global, an international digital assets PR firm, promotes Otto Jacobsson, who has served as CFO of the firm since 2020, to CEO. 
Cindy Leggett-Flynn, who most recently led communications at Credit Suisse, is coming on board at Swiss multinational private bank and wealth management firm Julius Baer Group as group head of communications.
The Pollack Group brings on John Cheng as creative director and Daniel Chou as director of digital strategy... Baretz+Brunelle, an advisory firm that works with legal industry businesses, brings on Daniel Gilfarb, as a senior managing director in its talent practice.... Prophet names Mat Zucker, who has served as interim CMO for the past two years, to the full-time CMO position.
