Cigna communications chief and APCO Worldwide alum Maggie FitzPatrick is slated to join Johnson & Johnson in September as its chief communications officer, following the exit of Ray Jordan last year.
FitzPatrick on September 16 will take a VP-public affairs and corporate comms. title along with the CCO role under global corporate affairs VP Michael Sneed at New Brunswick, N.J.-based J&J. Her scope includes directing an integrated communications strategy encompassing external communications and public affairs.
FitzPatrick moved to Cigna in 2010 from APCO, where she spent 13 years rising to executive VP.
Sneed, a 30-year veteran of J&J, took the reins of the pharmaceutical giant's global marketing and communications in January 2012. In a statement, he praised FitzPatrick's "experience and passion of the healthcare marketplace."
Jordan stepped down at J&J last year for a top PR post at Amgen.
Steve Dnistrian, VP of supply chain communications for J&J, has left the company for COO slot overseeing Omnicom's PR units.
Senior-most communications executives in the Fortune 500 earned between $50,000 and $100,000 more this year than they did two years ago, according to a recent survey of chief communications officers.
The pressure is on PR pros to make sure corporate messaging remains clear and cohesive. Business jargon is an obstacle to achieving this goal.
In today's volatile world of constant disruption, the ability to offer reliability and dependability is more valuable than ever.
