PR Updates From Around the World

By Denise Grayes, Business Wire Nashville

Below please find the latest changes and updates in the PR industry.  To learn more about each news item, simply click the hyperlink.  Have your own update to include?  Let us know!

Atlanta
Arketi Group was selected by Cohesive Solutions for messaging, brand enhancement and website development work. Article

Marketing Inspirations (MI) has won three awards for multi-service marketing campaigns from the internationally-renowned Hermes Creative Awards 2015. Article

Chicago
Zapwater Communications announced the addition of two new clients to the agency’s travel portfolio. The new clients are AC Hotels Chicago and Visit Luxembourg. Article

DC
Public affairs firm CLS Strategies has promoted Ray De Lorenzi to senior vice president and DJ Carella to managing director. In addition, Allison Bryan joins as managing associate to serve the firm’s public affairs portfolio. Article

Rio Verde Community has selected Buffalo Brand Invigoration Group to direct a public relations program for the acclaimed active-adult residential enclave northeast of Scottsdale, Ariz. Article

Warschawski today announced the addition of Abigail Wadsworth to the agency’s growing team. Article

Houston
Ward today announced the launch of sister-company OnwardU, which helps management create high-performing teams through professional development, meeting facilitation and consulting. Article

Los Angeles
Robert Lawson has been named executive vice president and chief communications officer at Sony Pictures Entertainment. Article

Evite has named KComm its public relations agency of record. Article

Bernstein Crisis Management has launched AvoidTheApology.com, a service designed to help companies avoid reputation-damaging and financially harmful crises. Article

Miami
The Centers of Integrative Medicine & Healing has retained JoTo PR to help bring integrative medicine to the forefront of healthcare. Article

Edelman has made first acquisition in Latin America in five years by purchasing Position Comunicaciones in Colombia. Article

New York
GroupM has named David Grabert as global director of corporate communications. Article

Anu Kher has joined Rubenstein Public Relations as associate vice president, managing media relations strategies for clients in the corporate and financial services division. Article

Orange Palate has added Sarah Simmons to its client roster. Article

Turner PR is pleased to announce the addition of Pure Barre to the agency’s active lifestyle and fitness portfolio. Article

Kypris has retained Conundrum as its public relations agency of record. Article

ROK Mobile has chosen M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment as Agency of Record. Article

Weber Shandwick is expanding its presence in Latin America with the opening of an office in Mexico City, Mexico. Amanda Berenstein has been appointed managing director to lead the new office. Article

Carnival Cruise Line has handed North American PR duties to M Booth. Article

Nathalie Moar is joining Combs Enterprises as senior vice president and head of communications. Article

The Horn Group has retired the Oriella PR Network and has replaced it with an initiative that centralizes its global network. Article

Brandstyle Communications announced representation of Quad Jobs, Magnises and Bene Rialto. Article

Finn Partners received the 2015 SABRE for Midsize Agency of the Year from The Holmes Report. Article

H+K Strategies announced that Molly O’Neill will be joining the firm to lead its U.S. marcomms practice. Article

Rubenstein Public Relations has announced that Anu Kher has joined the agency as Associate Vice President. Article

Bender/Helper Impact has appointed Michelle (Mimi) Sawatka-Fernandez as Director of Business Development and Marketing. Article

Philadelphia
Adaptimmune has appointed William Roberts as vice president, investor relations. Article

Flackable has expanded its team by adding Temple University standout Alexa Miller as an account coordinator. Article

San Diego
Elevator is pleased to announce they will be conducting the website redesign for the City of San Diego‘s official website. Article

San Francisco
John Earnhardt is leaving Cisco after 16 years in the company’s communications unit to become VP of corporate communications at Visa. Article

Jonathan Carroll has been appointed senior vice president and will lead Weber Shandwick‘s digital and creative teams in San Francisco. And Douglas Myers has joined as vice president in the firm’s corporate practice from Landis Communications. Article

Rachel Whetstone is taking an SVP of public policy and communications post at Uber. Article

Weber Shandwick has made lead hires across its creative and corporate offerings in San Francisco, building out the office under the new leadership of Luca Penati.  Article

Burson-Marsteller’s West Coast leader Bill Orr has exited the company and joined Double Forte PR as EVP and chief strategy officer. Article

Horn Group has announced HORN.Global, an international communications service designed to help clients dramatically increase the volume, quality and replay of earned media coverage, social and original content, as well as their digital presence around the world. Debra Raine  will manage HORN.Global in addition to her leadership of the firm’s San Francisco operations. Article

Blurb announced that Robin Carr and Susan Rimerman have joined the marketing team. Article

Seattle
Global digital/direct marketing agency HackerAgency announced that Jason Grollman has joined the organization as Vice President of Operations. Article

Silicon Valley
PayPal has hired Visa’s Paul Cohen as VP of global corporate communications as the company prepares to split off from eBay later this year. Article

Hong Kong
Costa Coffee has appointed AKA Asia as its creative agency in Singapore. Article

Cohn & Wolfe has appointed Jonathan Tan to associate managing director of its Malaysia office. Article

Rice Communications has been appointed by Outbrain to provide communications support in South East Asia. Article

Frankfurt
Steffen Kurzawa is joining Novartis as head of global communications for Sandoz. Article

London
Edelman has appointed Matt Groves as managing director, digital, in its UK operations. Article

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry has been selected by Canon UK to provide PR support for its pro imaging business. Article

Publicasity has been selected by Old Mother Hubbard to launch its premium natural dog treats into the UK and help support the brand’s exclusive listing with Pets At Home nationwide in stores and online. Article

Virgo Health has appointed Katherine Mantell as its new global head of medical education. Article

Xero has appointed Darren Upson to lead its UK marketing activity. Article

brightside has appointed Cicero Group to provide retained corporate PR support. The account will be led by Cicero executive director Mike Robb. Article

The Ocean Beach Ibiza beach club has appointed Fever as its new retained UK PR agency. Article

Following its recent acquisition of the digital design and development consultancy Splendid Unlimited, marketing communications holding company Creston has formed a partnership agreement with The Digital Consultancy.  Article

Simon Kleine has departed Western Union after more than three years overseeing its communications in Europe. Article

H+K has teamed up with Hyper Island to launch a new training initative, as part of the development of London into the PR network’s first ‘center of creative strategy.’  Article

Paris
Pelin Kocaalp, previously deputy general manager of Hill+Knowlton Strategies Turkey, has been promoted to general manager. Article

H+K Strategies Kenya has appointed Solomon Mahinda as managing director. Article

Edelman is poised to land international PR duties for Dubai Tourism. Article

Sydney
Hill+Knowlton Strategies has won recent pitches to leading life science company Sigma Aldrich, aesthetics and dermatology pioneer Merz, and the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Radiologists. The firm has also added two new pro bono clients: Take Heart Australia and Parkinson’s NSW. Article

Ashwani Singla has launched a new corporate reputation consultancy in India, after exiting his role as Penn Schoen Berland’s Asia CEO earler this year. Article

Taj Group of Hotels has handed global PR duties to Edelman and Zeno. Article

Toronto
The Quebec Oil & Gas Association has named David Lefebvre as its public affairs and communications director. Article

Kwittken has appointed Betsy Cooper as managing director of Kwittken Toronto. Article

energi PR has been chosen as the newest partner in GlobalHealthPR, an independent agency partnership dedicated to health and medical communications. Article

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