MWW, APCO, Dukas Linden PR, Kwittken, and Crenshaw Communications

Wendi Shapiro joins MWWPR as Sr. VP Western Region Consumer Practice Leader in Los Angeles

Wendi Shapiro left her Sr. VP job with Murphy O’Brien PR to start as a Sr. VP at MWWPR. In the new position, she will oversee the consumer practice division for the Western region working out of their Los Angeles office. In addition to the consumer practice and communication strategies with clients including those in industries such as wine and spirits, restaurant, and travel, she’ll also be in charge of business development for potential consumer clients.

While at Murphy O’Brien, Shapiro provided account management and strategic leadership for many clients in the lifestyle, hospitality, and travel sectors. Before Murphy O’Brien, she worked in the beauty, health, and literary publicity sectors.

Mary Foerster leaves Boeing behind to join APCO’s IAC

Former VP of both communications & marketing and communications and community relations for Boeing Commercial Airlines and Boeing Defense and Space respectively, Mary Foerster, joins the International Advisory Council (IAC) of APCO Worldwide. Foerster will work out of their Seattle location in their Corporate Communication Strategies (CCS) group of the IAC. Foerster also brings past experience as a senior executive with Hill and Knowlton as well as Burson-Marsteller. In addition to that, she’s been part of strategic communications planning with top-tier companies such as GE, Ford, Toyota, and Philip Morris.

Four Sr. Exec Promotions Announced by Dukas Linden PR

Moving on up in the New York-based PR firm of Dukas Linden are Zach Kouwe, Stephanie Dressler, Sean Dougherty, and Ted Smith. The first three were all promoted to the position of Sr. VP, and Smith as VP.

Kouwe has been with DLPR since 2011 managing complex accounts with activist campaigns, specialized financial services, and alternative asset managers. Prior to DLPR, he worked for almost 10 years as a financial journalist for Dow Jones, The New York Times, and The New York Post.

Dressler, at DLPR since 2012, works overseas in their wealth and asset management group. Bringing 10+ years’ experience working in PR, financial marketing, and communications, she’s added skills in media relations, social and digital media, and account management, allowing her to rise rapidly through the ranks at DLPR.

Dougherty deals with media relations programs for the professional services group and has been at DLPR since 2010. He’s built and maintains relationships with leading national journalists at trade and financial publications.

Smith’s background was in selling securities, and he joined DLPR in 2013 to manage some of the agency’s top alternative and institutional clients.

Kwittken Jason Schlossberg Shares Thoughts on Cannes Lion Festival

Co-founder and chief creative officer at Kwittken, Jason Schlossberg, just returned from his first Cannes Lion’s experience and shared some of his thoughts at psfk.com.

Here’s a summary of what he had to say:

With approximately 40 presentations a day, don’t expect to see even part of what is available. And that’s not counting the various parties, exhibits, things to see, places to go, etc. But with all of that, an event happening once a year will not present new trends – all of those are explored on a daily basis in the various PR publications. If you’re going to see the PR work being highlighted, you can catch that all online easier – though it’s fascinating at Cannes as well.

Whatever parties you attend are going to be cool, but since there are so many, and you may only attend about 5 percent – you’ll soon realize there are always others offering more. So just enjoy where you are and don’t worry about what you may have missed.

For Schlossberg, the experience was really about the opportunity to meet and talk with others, form connections, be inspired by the work of others, and maybe even meet someone you always wanted to meet and talk with them for a few minutes. It’s more than networking, but that too.

Crenshaw Communications Signs as Fuigo’s AOR for PR

Fuigo exclusively serves interior designers helping them with collaborative workspace and their business platform. They recently signed Crenshaw Communications to provide their content services, media relations, and PR.