SAN FRANCISCO: Albert Durig, chairman of Burson-Marsteller's US tech practice, has left the agency to become president of US operations for Axialent, a management consulting firm.
"I know this is not PR per se, but at the senior level in PR, what I did had everything to do with relationship management and development," said Durig. "And although the offering at Axialent isn't PR, we're a professional-services firm."
Durig said the chance to serve on Axialent's worldwide executive committee, helping drive bottom-line strategy, is what attracted him to the position.
Durig, who worked for Burson for nearly a decade, said the split was amicable. He began his career with the agency as client leader for the AT&T account in Latin America. Durig then created and ran Burson's tech practice in Latin America, and served as GM of its offices in Brazil before moving to San Francisco in mid-2002 to run the US tech practice.
Heidi Sinclair, chairwoman of Burson's global tech practice, will oversee the US tech practice until she finds a replacement for Durig. Sinclair said she is also looking to make other tech-practice hires, including people to support the SAP and Hewlett-Packard accounts, as well as a market leader for the San Francisco office, ideally someone with a background in technology.
