What’s New at Edelman DABO, Mercury Public Affairs, Ketchum, Coyne, and APCO
Edelman DABO in Dubai Lays off 20 Staff Members
At the beginning of the first full week in February came the bad news to 20 of Edelman DABO’s (EDBO) employees – no more job. The Dubai-based PR firm became part of the Edelman network in 2015, adding 150 employees to Edelman’s roster and two offices (Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In 2016 the firm picked up Asia’s LinkedIn account but is believed to have also lost several other accounts according.
Mercury Public Affairs Hires Former Senator as Lobbyist
Former Senator David Vitter (Louisiana) is joining the DC office of Mercury Public Affairs to help develop their Gulf Coast presence, especially regarding issues of transportation, environment, energy, and infrastructure. Vitter was recently voted out of office in the November election being replaced by Sen. John Kennedy (Rep) after serving two terms in the Senate. Vitter is well known for having an independent spirit and approach – some even refer to him as brash.
Mercury’s headquarters is in New York and is probably doing well this year as they are one known for representing Republicans such as George W. Bush and John McCain. The DC office was just officially opened in December 2016 and Vitter was spotted in that office early that month. It’s believed that under the current administration, Vitter should do well in the new job.
KayAnn Schoeneman Made new SVP and Director at Ketchum’s DC Office2
At the tail end of January, Ketchum announced they promoted KayAnn Schoeneman as their SVP and director of public and corporate affairs in their DC office. Jerry Olszewski will oversee her position as Schoeneman works with clients providing strategic senior counsel. She’s been with Ketchum, an Omnicom entity, since 2008, beginning in the global research and analytics division. Schoeneman also worked for Weber Merritt (a grassroots firm), National Strategies, Inc., the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and the National Republican Congressional Committee as a campaign field analyst.
Tom Brady Back on Top of NFLPA’s 50 Top Player Sales List
The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) just released their most recent quarterly Top 50 Player Sales List and Tom Brady is back in the #1 position. The list relates to the total sales of all officially licensed NFL player merchandise. The most recent list is the first one based on sales for the 2016 season. The highest ranking rookie on the list is Ezekiel Elliott from the Dallas Cowboys and sits in the #2 spot. Six of the top 10 spots are filled by quarterbacks – Carson Wentz (Philly Eagles), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Aaron Rodgers (GB Packers), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), and Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers).
The NFLPA is represented by Coyne PR, and the list is released through an arm of the NFL Players Inc. All sales of licensed NFL Player products in traditional retail outlets and online are used to put the list together. Some of the licensees reporting sales include Fanatics, VF Imagewear, Forever Collectibles, Fathead, McFarlane Toys, Bleacher Creatures, Wincraft, Nike, Outerstuff, Funko, Hallmark, OYO Sports, FBF Originals, and more.
APCO IAC Gains J. Kenneth Nasshan
Kenneth Nasshan, formerly a VP for Kaman Corp, joins APCO’s International Advisory Council bringing 25 years of experience in communications. He worked at Kaman for 17 of those years. Kaman is a defense, science, aerospace, industrial supply, and music manufacturing and distribution firm. He oversaw efforts in the US and North America as VP of PR. He currently leads a firm he established specializing in clients in the defense, international and high-tech industries.
Margery Kraus, APCO’s founder and executive chairman, said: “Ken has a proven track record as one of the most effective communicators in our industry. His experience leading global corporate communications efforts strengthens the counsel we provide to our clients as they face a complex, ever-changing world. We’re delighted to welcome Ken to our IAC.”
