Axios Communicators

A blue typewriter with a sheet of paper hanging out

April 07, 2023

📇 Today's special Monthly Moves newsletter is 1,827 words, a 7-minute read.

1 big thing: Giovanna Falbo to lead corporate communications at American Express

Photo illustration of Giovanna Falbo with the American Express logo.

Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: American Express

Giovanna Falbo has joined American Express as senior vice president of corporate communications.

Why it matters: Falbo will help promote, enhance and protect the American Express brand — something she's done previously at MasterClass and Twitter.

What she's saying: "My role will bring together teams responsible for financial communications, brand communications, social media, issues management and reputational risk, corporate sustainability as well as digital innovation."

  • "The more closely we can collaborate across all those areas, the stronger story we’ll be able to tell for our colleagues, members and shareholders," Falbo told Axios.

What she's watching: How artificial intelligence will impact the way people create and consume content and the evolving social media landscape.

2. đź’Ľ Corporate moves

  • KeJuan Wilkins will serve as chief communications officer at Nike.
  • Novavax promoted Silvia Taylor to chief corporate affairs & advocacy officer.
  • Natalie Choate shifted from chief communications officer to chief operating officer at The Texas Tribune.
  • Amy Wakeham has been promoted to chief communications and investor relations officer at ResMed.
  • Nickelodeon alum Jenny Wall joined VideoAmp as its first chief marketing officer.
  • Motive named Robson Grieve as chief marketing officer.
  • United Talent Agency hired Claudia Russo as senior vice president of corporate communications.
  • Walmart alum Catherine Sanders is senior vice president, executive communications at Civic Entertainment Group.
  • Intel alum Lisa Malloy is senior vice president, communications for BAE Systems.
  • Anastasia Dellaccio is senior vice president, external affairs for the Export-Import Bank.
  • Kenya Parham is the global vice president, community & partnerships at Spill.
  • Rosemary Mercedes is the senior vice president, communications and global distribution for BBC Studios.
  • Dex Hunter-Torricke joined DeepMind as head of communications and marketing.
  • Hopelab named Juan Martinez as head of strategic communications.
  • Google alum Molly Seltzer joins Genentech as head of leadership & executive communications.
  • Laura Vallis is head of communications for JLL.
  • Aziz Nayani joined Lazard as head of communications for the asset management business in North America.
  • Airwallex appointed Stacey Zolt Hara as head of corporate affairs.
  • Mollie Starr joins Stark as vice president, communications and marketing.
  • Hera Abbasi has been appointed vice president, public policy at Mastercard.
  • Laura Pacas will lead ad communications for Snap.
  • Apple and Microsoft alum Ryan James is vice president, communications at KinderCare Learning Companies.
  • Tiffany Moustakas is a news editor for LinkedIn.
  • Blake Farmer is head of content for Wellvana Health.
  • Kara Gelber has been promoted to deputy head of communications at Morning Consult.
  • Carrie Healey has been promoted to senior director, media relations and external communications at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  • Greg Lemon is director, communications for Koch Industries.
  • The Cigna Group hired Timo Burbidge as director, communications and speechwriting.
  • Prosek Partners alum Amalia Lytle joined Techstars as director, media relations.
  • Justin O'Kelly is director, executive communications at Freshworks.
  • Twitter alum Hugo Bebbington joins Politico Europe team as first communications hire.
  • Marguerite Ward is the director of content and communications at JUST Capital.
  • Ryan Thornton was promoted to manager, external affairs at Uber.
  • Gabriella Lourie was promoted to director of executive communications at fintech company DailyPay.
  • 1Password hired Romina Ederle as director, communications and social media.
  • Twitter alum Jennifer Santamaria joins Boardroom/ 35 Ventures as a communications consultant.
  • Jaleesa Lashay Diaz joined Netflix's multicultural publicity team.
  • Cindy Andrade is now senior manager, global brand communications at Hilton.
  • Morgan White is corporate communications manager at Vital Farms.
  • Trent Hodson has been promoted to manager, merchant communications at DoorDash.

3. 📣 Firm moves

4. 🇺🇸 Government moves

Biden administration:

  • Jonathan Lovitz is director of public affairs at the U.S. Economic Development Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
  • Chris Hayden is a senior spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury Department.
  • Rachel Thomas will now serve as senior adviser for White House policy communications.
  • Kelly Scully is now an assistant White House press secretary.
  • Emma Riley joins first lady Jill Biden's communications team.

U.S. Senate:

  • Fox News alum Sophia Slacik is a speechwriter for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell; Aaron White is comms director for Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.); Madeline Meeker is comms director for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.); and Charyssa Parent is comms director for Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.).

U.S. House of Representatives:

  • Britton Burdick is comms director for the House Agriculture Committee; Nick Barley is deputy communications director for the House Education and the Workforce Committee; Maggie Clemmons is comms director for Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas); Paige Lindgren is comms director for Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.); Maya Valentine is comms director for Rep. Sydney Kamlager (D-Calif.); Sarah Selip is comms director for Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas); Athina Lawson is deputy comms director for the House Appropriations Committee; Jonathan Levin is press secretary and digital director for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.); Olivia Coleman is press secretary for the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic; Sam Jeske is press secretary and digital manager for Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.); Madison Andrus is press secretary for Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.); and Matt Fisher is press secretary for Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.).

Of note:

  • Sam Dubke is deputy comms director and speechwriter for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ark.).

5. 🕊 Nonprofit and trade moves

  • The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation named Kathryn Brown as chief communications and marketing officer.
  • Shane Dunn is Chief Advancement Officer at Rosie’s Place in Boston.
  • Amy Brink is joining the American Beverage Association as senior vice president, external affairs.
  • The Global Development Incubator promoted Stuart Symington to director, brand, marketing and communications and Meredith Husar to manager.
  • Sarah Durdaller is joining the Edison Electric Institute as director of media relations.

6. đź—ž Media moves

ABC News: Carly Roman is an editor.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Leroy Chapman Jr. has been named editor-in-chief.

The Atlantic: Hanna Rosin is the host of the weekly podcast, "Radio Atlantic."

Axios: Ashley May is entertainment and real estate editor; Arika Herron joins Axios Local-Indianapolis; Chloe Gonzales is Texas editor; Kate Murphy joins Axios Local-San Diego; Shawna Chen now covers Axios Local-San Francisco; Carlie Kollath Wells joins Axios Local-New Orleans; and Juliegrace Brufke covers Capitol Hill.

BBC: Carl Nasman is a senior journalist.

Bloomberg: Joanna Ossinger is Asia markets editor; Rachel Metz will cover AI; Biz Carson is covering the intersection of money and Silicon Valley; Kayla Sharpe is joining the BGOV newsletters team; Kate Ackley will cover Congress; and Jonathan Tamari is a congressional reporter.

CNN: Krystal Hur is a markets reporter; Haley Talbot is a Capitol Hill reporter; Lauren Mensch and Chris Russell are executive producers of "CNN This Morning Bryan Mena is a business reporter.

FT: William Louch will cover private capital.

Forbes: Astrid Taran is a senior travel editor.

The Huffington Post: Taiyler Mitchell joins the breaking news team.

Jewish Insider: Josh Kraushaar is editor-in-chief and will remain as a contributor to Axios.

The Los Angeles Times: Jessica Perez is a community editor on the Latino Initiatives team.

The Messenger: Dan Wakeford will be editor-in-chief, Marty Kady will serve as politics editor, Mary Margaret will lead entertainment coverage and Dawn Kopecki is a deputy business editor.

NBC News: Matt Dixon is a senior national politics reporter, Carol Lee is managing Washington editor and Scott Bland is a senior politics editor.

The New York Times: Mia Leimkuhler will oversee cooking newsletters; Thomas Gibbons-Neff is Ukraine correspondent; Emiliano Mega joined the Mexico City bureau; Paul Sonne will cover Russia; Paul Volpe joins the politics desk; Christine Chung joins NYT Travel to cover airlines; Nicholas Nehamas is a campaign reporter covering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; and Madeleine Ngo is an economic policy reporter.

NPR: Michel Martin as the fourth host of "Morning Edition."

Parade Magazine: Matthew Huff is associate entertainment editor.

POLITICO: Kelly Hooper is a health care reporter; Brittany Gibson will cover House races; Jessica Meyers is deputy standards and ethics editor; Erica Orden is a legal reporter; David Siders is politics editor; Sally Goldenberg is a politics reporter covering the 2024 primary; Jen Haberkorn will cover The White House; and Joe Gould will author the Morning Defense newsletter.

Puck News: Lauren Sherman is a fashion correspondent.

Punchbowl News: Brendan Pedersen will write a newsletter on finance.

Reuters: Jaiveer Shekhawat covers finance.

Scripps News: Serena Marshall is a White House correspondent.

Variety: Alison Herman is a TV critic.

The Verge: Adi Robertson is a senior editor.

The Wall Street Journal: Isabella Simonetti covers TV and streaming.

The Washington Post: Missy Ryan is a Pentagon correspondent; Marianne LeVine is a national political reporter and Jesús Rodríguez and Kara Voght are political reporters on the style desk; Christina Passariello is deputy business editor for technology and personal finance; Lauren Stevens is technology industry editor; and Alexis Sobel Fitts is technology enterprise editor.

That's a wrap on this special edition of Axios Communicators, which should land in your inbox on the first Friday of every month.

Share your job news and tell your friends to subscribe.