NEW YORK: Ogilvy has added John Lovallo to head the financial communications arm of the firm’s corporate practice. Lovallo, who joins as an SVP, was previously SVP/IR practice director at Makovsky & Co., where he worked on the Rx.com, Trigon Healthcare and MEDE America accounts. At Ogilvy, he will advise pre- and post-IPO companies, as well as developing strategies for a broad range of financial clients.
NEW YORK: Ogilvy has added John Lovallo to head the financial
communications arm of the firm’s corporate practice. Lovallo, who joins
as an SVP, was previously SVP/IR practice director at Makovsky & Co.,
where he worked on the Rx.com, Trigon Healthcare and MEDE America
accounts. At Ogilvy, he will advise pre- and post-IPO companies, as well
as developing strategies for a broad range of financial clients.
LOS ANGELES: Fleishman-Hillard has named Marylou Ferry VP in its public
affairs group. She is currently director of corporate and political
affairs at ARCO, and will begin her new job next month. Ferry formerly
spent six years as Washington governor Gary Locke’s communications
director.
NEW YORK: Bert Shanas, a longtime reporter and editor for the New York
Daily News, has opened his own media-training and PR assessment firm,
Shanas Communications. Shanas, who most recently served a 13-year stint
as communications director for the United Federation of Teachers, has
been an adjunct professor of journalism for 10 years at New York
University and Hunter College.
DETROIT: General Motors’ Pontiac/GMC division has appointed Johannes
Reifenrath as communications director. Previously general director of
international product communications for GM Europe, Reifenrath replaces
Darwin Allen, who becomes director of divisional communications for
GM.
LOS ANGELES: NBC has promoted Curt King to the newly created post of
executive director of prime time series publicity, a role in which he
will oversee PR for nearly 20 shows. He will also work with key trade
and consumer press as well as liaising with NBC programming executives
and creative talent.
WASHINGTON, DC: The SFX Sports Group, a division of SFX Entertainment,
has named Howard Schacter VP of corporate communications. He was most
recently SVP of corporate communications for Chicago-based
DraftWorldwide, and also served stints at Kemper Lesnik and
Golin/Harris.
NEW YORK: Communications provider RCN has promoted Valerie Haertel to
the post of SVP of IR and corporate communications. Previously VP of IR,
Haertel has been with RCN since its inception in 1995.
ST. LOUIS: BASF has named the Brighton Agency as its marketing
communications agency of record. Brighton, in turn, tapped The Vandiver
Group, also based in St. Louis, for the PR component of the
communications program.
HOUSTON: Bates Churchill PR has lured Judi Martin away from Fogarty
Klein to serve as president, a role in which she will oversee the
13-member PR unit of Bates Southwest. Martin, also president of
Houston’s PRSA chapter, worked at Fogarty for more than nine years.
PORTLAND, OR: The Portland metropolitan office of the American Heart
Association/Northwest Affiliate has named Shareefah Abdullah its new
media relations manager.
