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| (L-R) Matthew Harrington, Mainardo de Nardis, Brian Buchwald |
Edelman names Matthew Harrington, Mainardo de Nardis and Brian Buchwald to new positions on its senior leadership team. Harrington, a 41-year veteran of the firm, will now serve as executive vice chairman. He most recently served as global president and chief operating officer, advising such clients as Samsung, Microsoft, eBay, and Starbucks. In his new role, Harrington will concentrate on strengthening relationships with Edelman’s largest global clients, serving as senior counselor to C-suites and boards. de Nardis, who has been a member of Edelman’s board of directors for the past five years, takes over as global president and chief operating officer. His previous posts include executive vice chairman of Omnicom Media Group and CEO of OMD Worldwide at Omnicom. He will now focus on driving Edelman’s client growth and financial performance, guiding global strategy, and ensuring consistency and excellence across Edelman’s worldwide network. Buchwald, who was most recently global chair, AI & product, is appointed president, global transformation and performance. He will be tasked with driving the firm’s modernization of its service delivery model and operationalize its innovation agenda. “Each of these leaders brings unique strengths that will help us move forward in a rapidly changing communications landscape,” said Edelman CEO Richard Edelman. “Their focus will be on delivering greater impact for our clients, strengthening our internal operations, and driving the firm’s ongoing transformation and innovation.”
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| Katie Barr |
Glen Echo Group, an Orchestra company, ups current president Katie Barr to CEO, effective Nov. 1. Barr succeeds Maura Colleton Corbett, who as founder and senior advisor will continue to provide strategic counsel to the Glen Echo Group and its clients, with a particular focus on coalition work. In addition to her new role as CEO, Barr will continue to serve as a partner at Orchestra, representing public affairs and issue advocacy capabilities across the firm. She previously served as the Glen Echo Group’s EVP and COO and was the firm’s first employee in 2010. “There is nobody I trust and admire more to lead this company,” said Corbett. “In addition to her integrity, intelligence and heart, Katie is the right leader at the right time for this next chapter of our growth.”
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| Arianna Orpello Lewko |
GEICO brings on Arianna Orpello Lewko as CMO. Lewko comes to the company from Goldman Sachs, where she served as managing director, global chief brand officer. Before that, she held was SVP, brand, channel, community and field marketing strategy at TD and held senior marketing posts at Capital One and ING DIRECT. She has overseen brand and digital strategies across the financial services sector. “Her extensive leadership experience in the financial services sector will be instrumental to our continued success, and her proven expertise will help elevate our world-class marketing capabilities to a new level,” said GEICO CEO Todd Combs.
Seven Letter hires Allie Raffa, who was most recently White House correspondent for NBC News, as a senior director... Points of Light, an organization founded by President George H.W. Bush that is dedicated to volunteer service, names Jeff Zanelli as CMO... Frontieras North America, an energy and environmental technology company appoints Nora Shepard as VP of communications.
Alcoa has named Emily Olson, who has more than 20 years of experience working in capital-intensive industries in the Americas, Europe and Asia, EVP & chief external affairs officer, effective April 6.
Longacre Square Partners has named Humza Vanderman partner and head of its London outpost as the financial communications firm expands into Europe.
FGS Global adds former Pfizer EVP and chief corporate affairs officer Sally Susman to its global executive board as an independent member, effective April 1... Codeword brings on Kim Baffi, who was previously Salesforce VP and creative director, as executive creative director... Amperity, an AI-powered customer data cloud, appoints Bridget Perry as CMO.
MOIA America, a Volkswagen Group of America subsidiary that develops and tests autonomous, all-electric ride-pooling vehicles, names Marcus Gamo head of U.S. communications... Continental Strategy brings on Francisco Petrirena as VP in its Miami office. Petrirena was previously chief of staff to former Miami city manager Art Noriega... MSQ Sport + Entertainment brings on Lauren Weil as EVP, Max Hirsch as VP of sponsorship, and Brooke Losee as VP.
