Axios Communicators

May 05, 2023
📇 Today's special Monthly Moves newsletter is 1,326 words, a 5-minute read.
1 big thing: Roberta Thomson to Hasbro
Photo illustration: Maura Losch/Axios. Photo: Ulysses Ortega
Corporate communications and brand positioning pro Roberta Thomson will join Hasbro as chief communications officer.
- In this new role, she will oversee communications and corporate brand and will report directly to CEO Chris Cocks.
Why it matters: Thomson most recently led brand and corporate messaging for Notion and prior to that led product and corporate communications for Meta.
What she's saying: "As soon as I heard about this opportunity, honestly, my first thought was Transformers," Thomson told Axios. "I have been a huge fan my whole life and so I was immediately intrigued."
- "Hasbro is all about connecting generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling and the exhilaration of play. As a mom of two young boys, I'm excited to tell stories about things that are a little bit more tangible and that I can see and enjoy in my own household too."
What she's watching: "Communicators must find ways to reach consumers directly, and not only rely on traditional media relations," says Thomson.
- "I think everyone who's a professional communicator is having to re-evaluate what their job is and evolve their craft in order to meet the changing media landscape."
💡Plus: Oscar Suris to Duke Energy
Photo Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios. Photo: Edelman
Duke Energy has named Oscar Suris as chief communications officer and will help develop the company's messaging strategy as it transitions to clean energy.
Why it matters: Suris is an Edelman alum who previously spent 20 years in-house at Wells Fargo and Ford Motors.
What he's saying: "Every company has a story to tell and stakeholders to reach — this is particularly important in the energy sector," Suris told Axios.
- "Duke Energy has committed $145 billion over the next 10 years toward upgrading the infrastructure grid in support of clean energy, which will require really smart storytelling and strategic communications."
3. 💼 Corporate moves
McDonald's promoted Michael Gonda to senior vice president, chief impact officer, North America, Sandy Rodriguez to vice president, chief communications officer and Jenny McColloch to vice president, chief sustainability and social impact officer.
Stephen Kehoe returns to PepsiCo as chief corporate affairs officer.
Uber and Sweetgreen alum Daniel Shlossman joined Wonder as chief growth and marketing officer.
Edelman alum Mustafa Riffat is global head of communications for Global Infrastructure Partners.
Blair Shane joined IVP as partner and chief marketing officer.
Headspace alum Louise Troen joined Reveri Health as chief marketing officer.Â
Bronagh Hanley joined Preface Global as partner and chief communications officer.
Nancy S. Coleman is senior vice president, corporate communications at DigitalOcean.
Anne (McNally) Hammer is global chief communications officer for Manulife.
Dan Kimball is Spectrum Equity's first chief marketing officer.
Armen Najarian joins Sift as chief marketing officer.
Russell Investments appointed Josh Stoffregen-Foye as global head of communications.
Javier Lacayo joined DoorDash as head of policy communications.
Brianna Gays is senior vice president, brand marketing & communications at Smartly.io.
Tyler Watson is executive vice president, marketing for The Atlantic.
Gerry Petrella is general manager for U.S. public policy at Microsoft.
Prosek Partners alum Ben Shapiro joined Point72 as manager, corporate communications.
Lockheed Martin alum Trent Perrotto joined Johnson Controls as vice president, external communications.
Madelyn McHugh joined Human Interest as vice president, head of strategic communications.
Frank Lentini is senior communications director at M&T Bank.
Walmart alum Carrie McKnight recently joined Pricewaterhouse Coopers as senior director of My+ and People Communications.
Alison Chartan has been promoted to senior director, external communications at Novavax.
CNN promoted Anna Beth Jager to director of communications for its Washington bureau.
Twitter alum Charlotte Catania joins Rivian as a senior publicist.
Amanda Halbersma is returning to Wells Fargo as senior lead communications consultant on the enterprise communications team.
Hillary Wilson has been promoted to communications lead at Momentive.
Adrian Zamora has joined Netflix's communications team.
Kickstarter appointed Twitter alums Courtney Brown Warren and Nikki Kria to vice president, brand marketing and head of communications, respectively.
Twitter alum Kenny Mintz joined Gamefam as senior communications manager.Â
Carly Bayer is senior manager of internal communications at PlayStation.
Twitter alum Elizabeth Busby is now senior communications manager, trust & safety at Twitch.
4. 📣 Firm moves
Former Biden speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum joined Bully Pulpit Interactive as a partner and Sean Anderson joined the Chicago team as a senior director.
Margot Edelman was promoted to general manager of the Edelman New York office; Radina Russell is U.S. corporate practice chair at Edelman; Shama Hussain is a senior vice president, overseeing Edelman Smithfield's digital team; and Edelman Global Advisory named Simon Behrmann as managing director.
Glenn Hall is partner and executive editor at Brunswick Group.
Edelman Smithfield alum Serena Saitto joined TrailRunner International as managing director.
LifeSci Communications named Tim Bird as executive vice president, client services and Sarah Wheeler as senior vice president, medical communications.
Revive promoted Ryan Colaianni to chief communications officer.
Sarah Potts Ashton joined FGS Global as managing director.
Biden administration alums Dan Cluchey and Sarah Gouda joined Fenway Strategies as principals.
Prosek Partners named Tom Rozycki and Dan Allocca as partners and Carlin Pappas is an account supervisor.
Seven Letter promoted Annalyse Keller to managing director, Kris Fetterman to senior director and Regina Anderson to manager.
Jorge Guajardo is a partner at Dentons Global Advisors.
The Herald Group promoted Marc Brumer, Todd Van Etten and Tom Snedeker to partner.
Teneo alum Andy Maas joined Kekst CNC as a partner.
Global Situation Room hired Bloomberg alum Christine Baratta as director of news and editorial.
RGA and NRSC alum Jesse Hunt launched Monadnock Strategies.
MWW alum Gina Cherwin joined DDC Public Affairs as chief operating and people officer.
Golin alums Dave Duschene and Tim Peters joined Alpha IR founder Chris Hodges to launch Alpha Advisory Group.
Hollywood Agency promoted Steve Saleeba to vice president, media relations and named Marissa Lalli as performance marketing director.
Bully Pulpit Interactive alum Molly Mitchell has launched Mitchell Media.
Mission Control Communications promoted Connie Zhang to senior vice president overseeing the climate tech portfolio and hired Kate McIlroy as vice president.
Bryson Gillette hired Garrett Arwa as vice president and head of politics and Micki Duncan as director, public affairs.
The Next Solutions Group named Greg Jenkins as managing director.
Revere and Google alum Pete Voss has launched Pete Voss PR.
Glen Echo Group promoted Tricia McCleary to senior associate and Maha Quadri to Associate.
5. 🇺🇸 Government moves
Biden administration:
- Elizabeth Fishman is senior adviser for communications at the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General.
U.S. Senate:
- Caty Payette is deputy communications director for Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Robyn Bryan is deputy communications director for Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).
House:
- Taylor Weyeneth is communications director for Rep. Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.); David Frulla is communications director for Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.); Meredith Happy is press assistant for Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.); Jay Rhoden is communications director for Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.); and Olivia Tripodi is communications director for Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.).
Of note:
- Courtney Alexander is national press secretary at the Republican Governors Association; Christian Slater is communications director for Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.); and Michael Starr Hopkins is now vice president, communications at Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
6. 🌎 Nonprofit moves
Rose Weldon has been promoted to senior vice president, communications at Cullinan Oncology.
Wendy S. Steinberg is vice president of communications, marketing, and public affairs at CUNY’s Baruch College.
The National Apartment Association has promoted Nicole Ryan to director, public affairs and Zach Quimby to manager, public affairs.
Dana Jacobs was promoted to deputy director, communications at Carbon180.
Edelman alum Ashley Lewis joined The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board as deputy director, office of communication and engagement.
7. 🗞 Media moves
ABC News: Jeffrey Ballou is a producer for ABC News Washington.
The Ankler: Peter Kiefer is a staff writer.
AP: Wyatte Grantham-Philips is a business reporter.
Axios: Meira Gebel joins Axios Local-Portland; Natalie Breymeyer is an editorial research associate for Axios Pro; Yacob Reyes joins Axios Local-Tampa Bay; Anna Spiegel joins Axios Local-D.C.; Ryan Heath is a global technology correspondent and co-author for Axios Login; and Carly Mallenbaum is a lifestyle reporter and editor.
Bloomberg: Oma Seddiq and Diana Li join the tech team.
CNN: Isabel Rosales is a correspondent based in Atlanta and Elisabeth Buchwald is covering the economy.
The Daily Mail: Fox alum Kelly Laco is executive editor, politics.
The Huffington Post: Kevin Robillard is a politics editor.
Inc: Jennifer Conrad is covering entrepreneurs and tech.
The Messenger: Dan Merica and Tom LoBianco are national political reporters; Aneeta Mathur-Ashton is a political breaking news reporter; Adam Wollner is an editor; Nolan McCaskill is a congressional reporter; Benjamin Powers will cover tech and policy; Rebecca Morin will cover the White House and Amie Parnes is chief White House correspondent.
NBC News: Katherine Doyle will cover the White House.
The New York Times: Joe Plambeck is media editor.
Time: Sam Jacobs is editor in chief.
Variety: Alison Herman is a TV critic and Stephen Rodrick is chief correspondent.
The Verge: Jay Peters is news editor.
The Washington Post: Herb Scribner is a breaking news reporter covering entertainment, style, media, art and pop culture; Tony Romm is an economic policy reporter; Sarah Ellison is a national enterprise reporter; Meryl Kornfield is a politics reporter; Samantha Chery is a features breaking news reporter; Siobhán O’Grady is chief Ukraine correspondent; and Will Sommer will cover media.
Yahoo News: Lauren Johnston is executive editor.
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