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| Joe Ellis |
BGR Group hires Joe Ellis, who most recently helped lead the planning for President Trump’s recent trips to Qatar and the NATO Summit in the Netherlands, as a VP. Ellis was previously chief of staff to Rep. Max Miller (R-OH). Before that, he was VP and head of US government affairs and external campaigns at BP, in addition to serving as head of state & local affairs and head of strategy & planning for BP’s government and public affairs organization. During the George W. Bush administration, he served as assistant secretary for administration and management at HHS. “His breadth of experience as a chief of staff, senior executive, and top advance man for three presidents makes him stand out in Washington. He will be a tremendous asset to the firm and our clients,” said BGR president Erskine Wells.
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| Matt Simon |
Wills Group, which operates Dash In convenience stores and Splash In car washes, appoints Matt Simon as CMO, a new position at the company. Simon was most recently CMO at online learning company Penn Foster Group. He was previously chief brand experience officer for supermarket chain The GIANT Company and has also held senior marketing posts at Auntie Anne’s and Hershey. At Wills, Simon will support Dash In and Splash In’s multi-state expansion, with a focus on Dash In’s growth in North and South Carolina. He will also work to elevate all aspects of the brand experience, including the guest loyalty and e-commerce platform, Dash In Rewards. “Matt’s passion for brand building, guest experience, and channel optimization will ensure that Dash In and Splash In continue to set new standards in convenience retail,” said Wills Group president and CEO Julian B. Wills.
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| Adrianna Burrows |
Avalara, an AI-powered tax and compliance platform, brings on Adrianna Burrows as EVP, chief marketing officer. Burrows joins the company from Shopify, where she was head of global marketing. She previously held the CMO spot at PayScale, Cornerstone OnDemand and Stack Overflow, in addition to serving as general manager, Windows global marketing at Microsoft. At Avalara, Burrows will lead efforts to elevate Avalara's global brand, expand market awareness, and drive demand for the company's compliance solutions. Avalara has also named Shahan Parshad as SVP, chief information officer, overseeing the company's global IT, business systems and data infrastructure. "Adrianna and Shahan's leadership will be key as Avalara advances our marketing and technology strategy to fuel growth and innovation," said Avalara president Ross Tennenbaum.
Target appoints Mark Weinstein as chief marketing and guest experience officer... Deerfield Group, which works with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, health tech and consumer health companies, appoints Brian Rocks as CFO and Shelby Rauen as head of strategy... Hailstone Strategies, a PR and strategic communications firm for labor unions and workers’ rights organizations, hires LaToya Smith and Andrew Baker as VPs.
Precision Strategies has recruited DGA Group Americas head Adam Cubbage as CEO of the Washington-based firm.
John Flannery, who has more than two decades of
Christine Lewis, who was most recently SVP at Inkhouse, moves to Tier One Partners, where she will be SVP, managing director. 
Dezenhall Resources, a DC-based crisis management and public affairs firm names Jennifer Condon as SVP. Condon joins the firm from America250, the congressionally authorized organization overseeing the United States’ 250th-anniversary commemoration... Thunderly brings on Carlos Cortinas as chief strategy officer, a newly created position... Reputation Advisors International, a global network of senior communications professionals with members in 18 cities across 14 countries, brings on Thiago Vitale, CEO of Brazilian firm TORRE Comunicação e Estratégia, as its newest member. 
