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| Matt Buchanan |
Burson promotes chief operating officer EMEA Matt Buchanan to global chief social and Influence officer, a newly created role. Before joining Burson in 2025, Buchanan was global & EMEA president at Ogilvy PR. He has also served as managing director at Havas-owned One Green Bean, where he launched the agency’s UK business. Clients Buchanan has worked with include The Coca-Cola Company, L’Oréal, Google, TJX Europe and Pfizer. In his new role, he will be responsible for building on the agency’s foundation in social and influence in the U.S. and scaling the capability globally. “Matt’s considerable experience in building modern, earned-first communication campaigns and driving results for clients across PR, social and influence make him the right choice to ensure that our clients’ narratives resonate,” said Burson CEO Corey duBrowa. In addition, Olly Gosling, who was most recently VP strategy, media & production at London-based ad agency Influencer, has joined the firm as head of social and influence, EMEA. He also has held key roles at The Walt Disney Company, Maker Studios and MediaCom.
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| Brendan McCarthy |
Seedtag, a “global neuro-contextual advertising company,” brings on former Edelman SVP, corporate and PA Brendan McCarthy as chief marketing & communications officer. McCarthy comes to Seedtag from commerce media company Criteo, where he was CMO. Before that, he was SVP, head of communications & product marketing at Nielsen Global Media. At Seedtag, McCarthy will oversee the company’s global marketing and communications strategy, supporting its international expansion while driving the evolution of privacy-first, neuro-contextual advertising across the open web and CTV. "Brendan brings the rare ability to turn vision into momentum and innovation into impact. As we expand Liz (the company’s proprietary AI platorm) and our neuro-contextual platform globally, his leadership will help brands connect with audiences in more meaningful, measurable ways,” said Seedtag CEO Brian Gleason.
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| Lauren Easton |
The Associated Press uos Lauren Easton to SVP and chief communications officer. Easton has been with the AP since 2015, most recently serving as VP of global communications. She began her career as a broadcast journalist at WLIX-TV in Lansing, MI. In her new post, she is responsible for all of the AP’s strategic communications, including crisis communications, reputation management, executive communications, media relations, internal communications, brand and corporate archives. “Over the past 10 years, Lauren has been a steady, trusted leader through moments of transformation, crisis and growth, always keeping the integrity of the AP brand front and center,” said AP CEO Daisy Veerasingham.
Greg Honan, who worked in the Biden White House as director of message planning and chief of staff for its office of communications, is joining public affairs firm Seven Letter as a managing director.
David Bassity, who was VP for football communications for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, will join the Big Ten Conference on July 20.
BPCM brings on former Prada SVP marketing & communications Christian Langbein as its EVP of growth and strategy, a newly created role... MikeWorldWide names Joseph Sorrentino as its first chief intelligence officer. Sorrentino joins from Weber Shandwick, where he was EVP, analytics & intelligence... Pacers Sports & Entertainment, which operates the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and WNBA’s Indiana Fever, hires Kieran Donahue as EVP and CMO. Donahue has served as chief marketing officer at IHOP and VP, brand, marketing & digital for the Americas at Marriott... Ballast Rock Asset Management, a diversified alternative investment manager, appoints Michael Welch as head of investor relations and capital formation.
Renault Group brings on Paul Michon as corporate communications director, effective Sept. 1. He joins from Kering, the luxury goods marketer.
SKDK makes Loren Riegelhaupt, Michael Czin and Julie Andreeff Jensen agency partners... Coca-Cola Company promotes Gary McElyea to lead its pan-European Public Policy & Government Affairs agenda, and Sophia Chrysopoulou to serve as head of EU public affairs... Rithum, a commerce solutions provider, appoints Kim Miller as CMO and head of global strategy. 
