Axios Communicators

April 04, 2025
📇 Today's moves newsletter is 1,640 words, 6 minutes
1 big thing: Elisa Schreiber departs Greylock for Felicis
Elisa Schreiber has departed Greylock Partners to join early-stage venture capital firm Felicis Ventures as its first chief marketing officer, Axios exclusively reports.
Why it matters: VC comms and marketing can be difficult because all firms are offering the same product at their core — and that's capital.
Details: Schreiber spent more than a decade at Greylock Partners and previously led global communications for Hulu.
- In this role, she will support Felicis' portfolio companies with marketing and communications strategy and lead all brand activities for the firm.
- Of note, Felicis also recently hired former OpenAI product lead Peter Deng as a general partner.
What she's saying: Felicis has backed companies like Canva, Shopify, Notion and Twitch but can do more to command the space, says Schreiber.
- "We've quietly built one of the strongest early-stage AI portfolios in venture, backing some of the most ambitious technical teams before their inflection point," she said. "This kind of moment doesn't come around often. I'm excited to help shape what's next for the firm and the founders we support."
Zoom in: Founder-led communications face unique opportunities and challenges due to the current media landscape.
- "A strong online presence is their most strategic soft power tool," Schreiber said. "The best founders understand that building influence isn't about putting out one finely tuned statement at a time. It's about showing up frequently, honestly, and with impeccable vibes."
- "The founder who shows up online with a distinct personality and perspective creates a gravitational pull around their company and their mission," she added. "And when done right, their presence becomes a force multiplier, priming traditional press, attracting talent, deepening customer trust, and establishing cultural relevance before they ever send out a pitch deck."
What she's watching: How early-stage AI startups are differentiating themselves through marketing and comms efforts.
- "Whitepapers and polished, corporate videos are being replaced by what I call 'terminally online' marketing: digitally native media that speaks the emotional language of the internet. A great example is the Resolve AI launch video which went viral on X," Schreiber said.
2. Bonus: Monumental Sports & Entertainment taps AJ Jones to lead communications
Starbucks' former chief corporate affairs officer AJ Jones II will join Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) as executive vice president and chief strategic and corporate communications officer, Axios has learned.
- Why it matters: His hiring comes amid the revitalization of Capital One Arena, which is expected to be completed by the Washington Wizards and Capitals' 2027-28 season.
Catch-up quick: Jones most recently served as chief corporate affairs officer at Starbucks.
- Earlier in his career he held corporate affairs leadership roles at Vanda Pharmaceuticals and Gilead Sciences, led the global public affairs practice as Burson and served as chief policy and communications officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Details: Jones will sit on MSE's leadership team and report directly to MSE chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis.
- He will oversee the team responsible for ownership, financial, investor, and community-based communications.
What's next: Jones says his team will be focused on promoting the transformation of Capital One Arena.
- "It will be a crown jewel in downtown D.C. and the world, as such my role will be integral to keeping our fans, employees, athletes, the sports and media-entertainment industry as well as broader stakeholders engaged about the project and its impact," he said.
3. 💼 Corporate moves
- Stryker has elevates Kim Montagnino to chief communications officer.
- Siemens AG has promoted Christiane Ribeiro to chief communications officer.
- Warner Bros. Discovery alum Nathaniel Brown joins TikTok as global head of corporate communications.
- Jackie Jantos has taken on an expanded role as president and chief marketing officer of Hinge.
- CNH appointed VW alum Cameron Batten as chief communications officer.
- Navan hired Erika White as senior vice president, marketing and communications and Eric Smith as head of communications.
- Yahoo named Paramount alum Josh Line as chief marketing officer.
- Acorns appointed Kasia Leyden as chief marketing officer.
- Spotify alum Brittney Le Roy joined Andreessen Horowitz as a communications and marketing partner.
- Kim Hart will lead AT&T's consumer communications and Charlie Meisch will lead policy communications.
- Stephanie Doennecke joins BranchLab as vice president, marketing and communications.
- Instacart and Uber alum Natalia Montalvo joins Scale AI as head of policy communications.
- Smartly named Sara Griggs as vice president, global communications & programming.
- Rivian alum Liz Markman joins Instacart as senior director of product, tech, and consumer communications.
- Monika Hathaway joins iVerify as head of communications.
- Anduril names Rachael Dean Wilson as director, communications.
- Bill Russo joins Airbnb as director, global policy communications.
- Josh Gold joins Macy's as director, external communications.
- RTX alum Savanah Bray joins Ursa Major Technologies as director of marketing and communications.
- Crunchbase alum Matt Schulman has joined Stripe's product communications team.
- Monday.com promoted Julie Case to global communications lead.
- Benjamin Reeves is director, communications for the CEO & publisher at Dow Jones.
- Kaitlyn Rose is employee communications lead at Ramp.
- JT Eger joins Bee Maps as communications lead.
- PayPal promoted Paul Staats to lead manager, technology communications.
- EY named Rachel Millard as director, corporate reputation and public affairs.
- Corning Incorporated alum Meredith Hoing joins Micron as senior policy communications manager.
- Weber Shandwick alum Campbell O'Connor joined Amazon as manager, healthcare communications.
- Katie Keenan joins Rystad Energy as senior media relations manager.
- The Ankler named Simone Flournoy as communications manager.
4. 📣 Firm moves
- Adfero named Koch alum Steve Lombardo as chief executive officer; Darren Scher as managing director, finance; Lauren Tyler as chief impact officer; Paul Mavrikes as chief operating officer; and Dan Leonard as senior counselor.
- Edelman alum Jonathan Hughes joins Burson as CEO, EMEA.
- Penta Group brought on former Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar as global advisor.
- Microsoft alum John Kahan joins Stagwell as chief AI officer.
- FGS Global named Jacalyn Lee, Michael Flaherty and Amanda Stone as managing directors; Michael Considine is a senior advisor, global public affairs.
- Bloomberg alum Heather Perlberg joined Orchestra as executive vice president of financial communications.
- SourceCode Communications brought on Tim Scarfe as senior vice president, West Coast lead.
- Weber Shandwick promoted Josh Wu to executive vice president, analytics & intelligence and named Katya Myagkova as vice president, public affairs.
- Sarah Gruen has rejoined West Wing Writers as a senior director.
- Trump campaign alum Chris Byrne has joined Breakwater Strategy as managing director.
- ROKK Solutions named Kevin Vernimb as marketing director and Rebecca Matwijkow as vice president of paid media.
- Avenue Z appointed Whitney Hart as chief strategy officer.
- Meghan Tisinger has been appointed as head of Leidar USA.
- Real Chemistry named Mike Nelson as president, international client development and Camilla Griffiths as president of 21GRAMS, Europe.
- Paypal alum Tyler Spalding joins Golin as executive vice president, corporate affairs.
- SKDK hired Beth Kanter as executive vice president.
- Mr Beast alum Matthew Dorle joins GSE Worldwide as executive vice president, digital division.
- Aircover Communications names Ken Lotich as principal; Carlos Snellenberg-Fraser as senior counselor; Jennifer Bermudez as senior counselor; and Shane Smith as director.
- SBS Comms names Elizabeth Gordon as vice president; Becky Ruhl as senior account manager; Johnn Burns as account executive, OnBoard; Kylie Harrington as account executive; Ariella Davner as account director; Ali Fortin as senior account manager, OnBoard; Ella Rehman as account executive.
- Mark Bednar joined Monument Advocacy as principal of government relations and public affairs.
- SHIFT Communications named Sara Hood as vice president, consumer; and Jeff Koo as vice president, technology.
- Six Eastern named Sara Platnick and Kathleen Eagan as directors; Sarah Lehman as PR specialist; and Brianna McGarry as PR manager.
- FGS Global alum Elly Spinweber Burke launched 8th Street Strategies.
- Karla Cobreiro has launched Cobreiro Comms.
- Karv Global named Amir Handjani as partner; Eric Andrus as executive vice president and director of litigation support and financial communications; Kevin Nolan as senior vice president and director of public affairs; Jonathan Leibowitz as director of issues management and research; Tehya Frank as director of operations and health policy; and Alana Abramson as director of media relations.
- Jo Jensen is joining Touchdown Strategies as senior vice president of digital and entertainment strategy.
- Meghan Hughes McGann has joined 150Bond as an account director.
- Vrge Strategies added Janelle Davis as senior strategic communications manager and Kiely Westhoff as account executive.
- ASC Advisors hired Max Rayden as senior director.
- Invariant named Brianne Nurick as vice president, head of energy and industrials advisory practice; and Angela Morris as principal, media & content.
- Highwire promoted Michael Byrnes to chief growth officer.
- Hannah Taylor is now an account supervisor at The Lippin Group.
- Amy DeMaria joins Rational 360 as managing director & co-head of the healthcare practice.
- Ashley Wright joins Nahigian Strategies as account associate.
5. 🌱 Nonprofit and trade moves
- Bloomberg alum Arielle Elliott joins NOTUS as chief executive officer.
- The American Hotel & Lodging Association appointed Ralph Posner as chief communications officer.
- Susan Buehler joins Clean Energy Buyers Association as senior vice president, corporate communications.
- Edelman alum Drea Braxmeier joins Milken Institute as senior director, communications.
- American Gaming Association promoted Cecilia Scott to senior director, marketing and industry communications.
- ICA Philadelphia named Akilah Child as director, communications and content.
- Amazon Music alum Anaïs Laurent joins Share Our Strength as associate director, celebrity partnerships.
- Beau Boughamer joins Davis Phinney Foundation as program manager for content.
6. 🗞️ Media moves
- Axios: Abigail Higginbotham is a reporter, Axios Local — Kansas City; Mitchell Byars is a reporter, Axios Local — Boulder; Crystal Hill is an Editor, Axios Local — South; Katherine Davis is a biotech deals reporter; and Colin Campbell is a supply chain deals reporter.
- CNBC: Erin Doherty is a politics reporter.
- CNN: Sarah Owermohle is a health policy and political reporter; Avery Miller is executive producer of "The Lead with Jake Tapper.""
- Bloomberg: Catherine Lucey is a White House correspondent.
- The Free Press: Tyler Cowen, Jed Rubenfeld and Batya Ungar-Sargon are columnists; Coleman Hughes will cover culture; Matthew Continetti will cover the Republican Party.
- The Information: Aaron Tilley will cover Apple.
- MSNBC: Antonia Hylton and Elise Jordan will co-host "The Weekend: Primetime;" Catherine Rampell will co-host the evening edition of "The Weekend."
- The New York Times: Jodi Rudoren is editorial director of newsletters
- Politico: Felicia Schwartz is a diplomatic correspondent; Dana Nickel is a cybersecurity reporter; Julia Marsh is deputy executive editor
- Reuters: Charlie Conchie is a markets reporter.
- Tech Crunch: Kyle Wiggers is an AI editor.
- The Washington Post: Dan Merica and Matthew Choi will write the Early Brief newsletter.
- Wired: Caroline Haskins is a business reporter.
Thanks to copy editor Chris Speckhard. Share your job news with us here.
Sign up for Axios Communicators



