News from Makovsky, APCO, WE Communications, and Margery Kraus for President

Financial Pro Doug Hesney joins Makovsky

Makovsky, an integrated communications firm founded in 1979 by Ken Makovsky (the current CEO and president), just hired Doug Hesney away from Dukas Linden PR as an Exec VP to lead their financial and professional services division. At Dukas, Hesney was also an Exec VP overseeing their asset management practice as well as designing measurement and analytical programs..

Turkey hires APCO Worldwide

APCO Worldwide has been hired to provide “crisis communications” by the government of Turkey after a coup attempt in Turkey last month failed. But it’s just a two-week contract during August 1-15. They will provide “media relations, crisis communications, third-party outreach, and social media strategy and development within the United States all in furtherance of promoting positive relations between the Republic of Turkey and the United States.”

At least that’s what the paperwork APCO filed with the Justice Department indicated – along with them receiving $74,200 for their work during the two weeks.

So far, the U.S. has been backing the Turkish government and denouncing the coup and anyone involved, but Turkey is making sure that doesn’t change from any fallout in the next couple of weeks. At this point, it appears that Turkey’s other PR reps will continue as they have. That includes Gephardt Government Affairs (founded by former Rep. Dick Gephardt from Missouri) and firms they have subcontracted for help when needed, and Amsterdam & Partners.

Oops! WE Communications mistakenly sends confidential email to wrong person

Of course, we’ve all done it. Hit the send button and not realized the wrong recipient(s) was listed. In this situation, WE Communications representing their client Microsoft, sent a confidential email meant for Microsoft mucky-mucks regarding information gathered on an outside journalist at Fast Company to another journalist. What the unintended recipient at Gizmodo found interesting was the level of detail and research found within the report and how it related to a possible interview with a top Microsoft executive, Gurdeep Singh Pall. Pall would be discussing the media roll-out of a new SKYPE product.

The email detailed ways an interview was likely to go, including questions that would be asked and then attached a detailed dossier on Mark Sullivan. When Gizmodo approached WE about the email, their response was, “As you might expect, we work to make sure all of our spokespeople come into any interview prepared.” They further explained the ways they help those to be interviewed.

Kraus would win as President if PR people were the only voters

Yep, you heard right, PRWeek recently did their own political poll asking the PR community to vote for who they would like to see as president if one of the heads of a PR firm were running. More than 4,000 votes were cast and Margery Kraus, head of APCO Worldwide, received well over 1100 of them. Kraus is well-known for her leadership qualities including mentor, bridge-builder, multi-tasker, and calming. The next two PR leaders receiving the most votes were Karen Van Bergen, Global CEO of Omnicom, and Barri Rafferty, CFO and new COO of Ketchum. Guess that says something about PR being ahead of the world in Female leadership appreciation.