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| Chris Curtin |
USAA, which provides insurance, banking and retirement solutions for members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served and their families, names Chris Curtin as CMO. Curtin comes to USAA from Sam’s Club, where he also served as CMO. He previously led digital, social and rewards strategy at Bank of America and held senior brand and marketing posts at Visa, Hewlett Packard and The Walt Disney Company. At USAA, Curtin will work to expand USAA’s ability to deliver value-driven marketing and trust‑based communications. “Chris will help us tell our story with clarity and purpose, ensuring our marketing reflects the real value of USAA membership,” said USAA president and CEO Juan C. Andrade.
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| Jason Banducci |
Hemlo Mining, a Canadian gold producer, appoints Jason Banducci as VP, corporate development & investor relations. Banducci was most recently held the same post at precious metal company Integra Resources. He has also held senior posts at Millennial Precious Metals and Stifel Financial. Banducci began his career in investment banking, advising mining companies on a broad range of strategic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, streaming and royalty agreements, and debt and equity financings. In his new role, he will oversee corporate development, strategic initiatives, capital markets strategy, investor relations and corporate communications. “His track record of leading transformational transactions and scaling companies in the precious metals sector aligns directly with our ambition to grow Hemlo into a leading Canadian mid-tier gold producer," said Hemlo president and CEO Jason Kosec.
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| (L-R) Lauren Bernat, Lisette Loughner, Josh Merkin, Shawn Warmstein |
rbb Communications promotes four senior executives to SVP. Lauren Bernat, previously VP, account services, leads rbb’s creative services and content division, guiding teams across branding, messaging, content, influencer programs and integrated campaigns. Lisette Loughner, who leads human resources at the agency, manages benefits administration, performance management, and organizational development. As co-leader of rbb’s corporate communication practice, Josh Merkin has created and overseen integrated public relations programs for Florida regional and national companies. He leads the firm’s internal professional development program. Shawn Warmstein, also a co-leader of rbb’s corporate communication practice, has worked with such brands as Hilton, Virgin Voyages, Brown & Brown, and G4S, as well heading up the agency’s sports practice. “Advancing leaders from our own team reflects our commitment to developing talent and positions us strongly for continued growth,” said rbb CEP and managing partner Christine Barney. “This milestone reinforces our people-first culture and long-term vision.”
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.
