Reflection AI, an open-source AI model startup, has tapped Notion alum Becky Sosnov to lead corporate affairs, Axios exclusively reports.

Why it matters: Sosnov is the startup's first full-time communications and corporate affairs hire.

State of play: The Brooklyn startup launched out of stealth this spring and recently raised $2 billion in its Series B.

• Reflection, backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Nvidia, Sequoia Capital and Disruptive VC, has an $8 billion valuation.

Details: Sosnov will report to CEO Misha Laskin and will oversee communications, marketing and policy.

• Before joining Reflection, she led communications at Notion, DoorDash and Taskrabbit.
• Sosnov started her career in the agency world, working at LaunchSquad and DKC.

What they're saying: "The opportunity to build and shape not just the narrative but how we show up from a geopolitical perspective, as the first open intelligence lab built here in the U.S., was one I couldn't pass up," Sosnov says.

• "A mentor of mine once told me the equation for the right role is simple: 1) founder conviction, 2) longevity of business, 3) belief in mission. All three boxes were checked here. But it's always come down to the founder(s) for me, I believe it starts and ends there for communications professionals," she added.

What to watch: Sosnov says she's building out the team, with a particular focus on hiring policy comms and marketing.

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Stagwell has named Zac Moffatt global chair of its newly combined communications and advocacy division, Axios is first to report.

Why it matters: The announcement comes as the holding company looks to stabilize and streamline a segment that has seen softening revenue.

Driving the news: Moffatt will oversee Stagwell's roster of communications and public affairs firms, which includes Allison, HarrisX, Hunter, Consulum, SKDK, Sloane, Targeted Victory and SixAM.

• The combined unit represents nearly $400 million in expected 2025 net revenue and more than 1,500 employees, per the company.

What they're saying: Moffatt points to the need for unified leadership and infrastructure to meet client demands.

• "The industry is seeing a lot of change and now must move at the pace of politics, have the tools to go direct to consumer through CEO [communications], and adapt with the fractured media landscape," he says.
• "It's an opportunity for more reach and scale to better service clients by offering honest and integrated advice."

Zoom out: There are fewer, big brands within the holding-company PR landscape as consolidation and the creation of umbrella brands becomes the norm.

• WPP folded Hill + Knowlton into Burson, and Omnicom's public relations umbrella continues to expand following its mega-merger with IPG and will now house FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Porter Novelli, MMC, Weber Shandwick and Golin.

What's next: Moffatt noted that he would assess duplication efforts across the vertical, which might require "balance" or "some reshuffling to integrate expertise."

• Moffatt — who previously served as CEO of Targeted Victory — will report to Stagwell CEO Mark Penn, and Targeted Victory will be led by founders Abe Adams and Ryan Meerstein.

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• Anthropic promoted Sasha de Marigny to chief communications officer and added Lewis Maconachy as head of comms in EMEA, Max Young as head of policy comms, Lauren Johnston to support brand, Charlie Urbancic as a strategy & messaging lead and Jared Schwartz to support internal communications.
• Ōura promoted Kate Brinks Lathen to chief corporate affairs officer.
• Eventbrite has expanded Lauren Danis' remit to include marketing, making her chief communications and brand officer.
• Franz Paasche joins Verizon as executive vice president, corporate affairs.
• Katie Payne joins Prime Therapeutics as chief public affairs officer.
• World Central Kitchen alum Liz Caselli-Mechael joins Watch Duty as chief communications officer.
• General Medicine appointed Jacqui Miller as chief communications officer.
• Jennifer Styles joins Symphony Labs as chief operating officer, overseeing operations, communications, and strategic investments.
• Yael Wissner-Levy joins Tenzai as chief communications officer.
• Citi alum Hallie Dewey joins Blackstone as senior vice president, public affairs.
• New York Mets appointed Lauren Hurvitz as senior vice president, head of communications.
• Citi promoted Colin Wright to senior vice president, CEO communications, and NBCU alum Patrick Bunting joins as senior vice president, corporate communications.
• AccentCare appoints Marcela Salazar as senior vice president, head of communications and marketing.
• Deel and Meta alum Elisabeth Diana has joined predictions market Kalshi as head of communications.
• Suzy Berkowitz Weksel joins People Inc. as head of communications for the entertainment, style & beauty group.
• Gerard K. Meuchner joins Keenova as head of communications.
• Semafor named Rachel Keidan head of communications.
• Grow Therapy appointed Marshall Ball as senior vice president, marketing.
• Smartly appointed Brianna Gays as chief marketing officer.
• Proofpoint named Joyce Kim as chief marketing officer
• PayPal alum Paul Staats joins Lemonade as senior director, communications & PR.
• Natalie Green joins Universal Destinations & Experiences as senior director, corporate communications.
• Jennifer Rizzo joined Vantor as director of communications.
• Cardinal Health named Kelly Stover as director of communications for biopharma solutions and strategic sourcing, Kristin Larsen is director of communications, Josh Tice is director of communications, and Casey Sudzina is a PR manager.
• Prosek alum Sam Gentile is joining the communications team at Anchorage Digital.
• Sarah Abboud joins Mill as product and B2B communications lead.
• Kemi Giwa joins Chime as senior manger, policy communications.
• Walgreens alum Kamara Turner join McDonald's as communications supervisor.
• Mona Lisa Faz joins SLB as global media relations manager.
• Nancy Lien joins Allstate as brand PR manager.

• Burson appoints HS Chung asCEO, Asia-Pacific.
• Esty Pujadas joins Grayling as CEO, North America.
• James Denton-Clark joins Stagwell as chief growth & client officer, Europe; Allison appoints Katie Huang Shin as global president, technology.
• Praytell promoted Katelyn Driscoll to president.
• Avenue Z named Rachael Zahn chief brand officer and Tina Fleming vice president, AI strategy.
• Jason Harper joins Greenbrier Partners as senior advisor.
• Edelman Smithfield alum Noelle Amos joins FGS Global as managing director.
• M+C Saatchi appointed Katie Chlada as managing director.
• Amy Feng has rejoined H/Advisors Abernathy as managing director.
• McNeely Brockman Public Relations promoted Mary Ruth Raphael to partner.
• Method Communications named Ibby Hussain as senior vice president, fintech and Lindsay Hart as vice president.
• Kyle Boulia has joined Forward Global as principal.
• LaunchSquad promoted Amanda Saadeh to vice president and added Katie Coleman as vice president.
• Dezenhall Resources names Natalie Kopco vice president and John Bates senior director.
• Phil Sgro joins Antenna Group as vice president of climate and energy public affairs.
• Candice Huang joins Berns Communications Group as vice president.
• Biden alum Kamau Marshall has launched strategic communications firm Think Toplines.
• Zeno Group appointed Kevin Lawlor to head of public affairs, U.S.
• Rachel Roseneck launched Wellspring Strategies.
• Rachel Pavsnerself departed Pepsico to consult on communications and employee engagement strategies.
• Shannon Holleran joins Linhart Public Relations as senior account executive.
• Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications adds Jessica Gail as senior media lead and Michelle Goins as graphic designer.
• Brooke Kelly joins Gagnier Communications as an associate.

• American Investment Council named Caitlin Carroll senior vice president of public affairs.
• American Beverage Association appoints Christine Berguson to executive vice president, government and public affairs.
• Candace Steele Flippin joins Page Society as vice president, thought leadership and professional development.
• Meghan Milloy joins Institute of International Finance as managing director and head of communications.
• Margaret Turner joins Tech:NYC as press secretary.
• Kelsey Donohue joined Ford Philanthropy as communications and marketing director.
• Alex Domb joins Americans for a Clean Energy Grid as communications manager.

• Bloomberg: Natasha Mascarenhas will cover VC and startups; Jen Judson is a future-of-defense reporter.
• CNBC: Elsa Öhlén is companies reporter.
• Financial Times: Charlotte Middlehurst is an assistant news editor.
• 404Media: Evelyn Kwong is a contributor.
• Fox News: Bill Melugin is now a congressional correspondent.
• The Independent: Lydia Spencer-Elliott is a lifestyle writer.
• MarketWatch: Jaimy Lee is a health editor.
• Politico: Carly Dunleavy is a weekend editor; Jacob Wendler is now a breaking news reporter; John Hewitt Jones is a deputy editor on the tech team; Jonathan Miller is a transportation editor; and Sam Baker is a senior legal editor.
• USA Today: Kate Perez is a trending news reporter.
• VentureBeat: Karyne Levy is managing editor.
• The Wall Street Journal: Axios alum Aja Whitaker-Moore and David Crow are deputy editors in chief; Ann-Marie Alcántara will now cover tech culture; and Elias Schisgall will cover breaking corporate news.
• Wired: Alana Hope Levinson is a features editor; Maxwell Zeff is a senior AI writer.