WASHINGTON: Neel Lattimore has left his four-year perch atop BSMG -
now absorbed into Weber Shandwick Worldwide (WSW) - to take over as
director of communications for a newly formed nonprofit, The
International AIDS Trust.
Lattimore, who served as press secretary for then-first lady Hillary
Rodham Clinton from 1993-1997, said he relinquished his senior managing
director position at the IPG firm for the opportunity to return to
public service. "I got a great deal of satisfaction from my work at
BSMG," he said. "I was doing a lot of work with my head, but not my
heart. Hopefully here I can do both." Lattimore concentrated primarily
on education and technology clients at BSMG, most notably Microsoft.
Both he and sources within the firm denied that his departure was in any
way connected to IPG's recent decision to merge BSMG with WSW, a move
that, in Washington, has so far been actualized only in name. Both firms
continue to maintain separate office space with no confirmed target date
for coming together.
According to president Lance Morgan, no decision has yet been made on
whether to replace Lattimore, and it is unlikely one will be made before
the location change occurs.
