Burson-Marsteller has hired two political experts to fill two separate managing director positions in the WPP giant’s Washington, D.C. office. Jeremy Gaines has been appointed managing director on B-M’s U.S. strategy team, and Benjamin Chang has been named managing director of the agency’s U.S. public affairs and crisis practice.

Jeremy GainesJeremy Gaines
Gaines joins Burson-Marsteller from McLean, VA-based broadcast and digital company Tegna Inc. — formerly known as Gannett — where he was vice president of corporate communications. Prior to that he was with MSNBC, where he was stationed for nearly 15 years, first serving as strategic development director before becoming vice president of corporate communications. Earlier in his career, Gaines served as press assistant and deputy director of press advance in the White House during the Clinton administration.

Ben ChangBen Chang

Chang arrives at B-M from the Los Angeles Times, where he was a vice president and events editor. Previously he was senior vice president for communications at public affairs shop the Albright Stonebridge Group and a principal at PA giant The Podesta Group.

Before entering the private sector, Chang was a senior advisor for strategic planning and crisis communications at U.S. Department of State and a deputy spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Like Gaines, Chang also formerly served in the White House, and from 2009 to 2011 was deputy spokesman and director of press and communications for the White House’s National Security Council, serving under both the Bush and Obama Administrations.

B-M Worldwide chair and CEO Don Baer referred to Gaines and Chang as “two of the most accomplished and respected communications professionals in America with deep experience at some of the nation’s top media organizations and in public service.”