Blain Rethmeier, a former PR advisor to President George W. Bush and top exec of the travel and insurance industry's trade groups, has moved to Edelman as managing director of its West Coast crisis and risk practice.
The firm also recruited Francesca Trainor Alt, global director of reputation risk management at McKinsey & Company, as an executive VP and group head of crisis and risk in New York.
Edelman's crisis and risk chief, Harlan Loeb, said reputation risk has grown "exponentially" in the past six years, putting pressure on CEOs and boards. The firm said its crisis operation, which now staffs 180, has grown 70 percent over the past seven years while revenues ballooned 500 percent.
Rethmeier, who has been running Strategic Action Public Affairs as managing partner for the past three years, was senior VP of PA and government relations for the US Travel Association and senior VP of PA for the American Insurance Assn. He was a special assistant to the President handling communications for the President's National Economic Council and Homeland Security Council. He was also press secretary for the Senate Judiciary Committee through the confirmations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito.
Alt was previously with Hill+Knowlton Strategies in New York and Australia.
4media group completes its acquisition of Family Features Editorial Syndicate... Illumination PR, which represents lifestyle brands, influencers and celebrities, launches DR Media Group... EAG Advertising and Marketing acquires pay-for-performance firm INK inc. Public Relations. 
LLYC launches Signs of Pride, a campaign that revives the original protest banners of the first Pride marches... The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry forms the Public Relations and Digital Marketing Working Group... Circle of One Marketing, a Miami-based, minority-owned marketing agency, is named official agency of record for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami. 
Vogel Group, a DC-headquartered government affairs and consulting firm, forms a strategic partnership with Montreal-based public affairs firm Boléro Stratégies... Matter Communications launches project-based offerings for B2C companies looking to increase brand awareness and visibility... Tucker/Hall, a Tampa-based PR and public affairs firm, opens a new office in Orlando. 
Why investing in public relations is ultimately about building bridges in a connected world.
Edelman is laying off 330 people (5.3 percent of its workforce) to cope with an anticipated eight percent shortfall in 2024 US revenues, and client demand for one-stop shopping for speciality services.
