MIAMI: República has hired Carlos Santos, former GM of corporate communications for Latin America and the Caribbean at Delta Air Lines, as its VP of communications.
Santos is managing the agency's PR and media relations divisions and providing strategic counsel and crisis communications advice for clients. He is also collaborating with the firm's advertising, digital, branding, and promotions departments. Santos reports to Emma Carrasco, EVP, with a team of 15 staffers in the PR division reporting to him.
“With [Santos'] arrival, we are definitely at a level playing field with some of the large multi-national firms,” said Jorge Plasencia, chairman and CEO of the firm, “and I am excited to gain more national clients with [Santos] as leader of the public relations practice.”
Santos joined Republica after working at Delta for five years, managing corporate communications for more than 30 countries. He previously served as PR manager at TXU Energy for four years and as GM of Burson-Marsteller's San Juan, Puerto Rico office.
“Personally, I just look forward to further developing the communications division at República,” said Santos. “We have a great team here, and I am very honored to have joined República to help in taking it to the next level.”
He replaced Christina Kolbjornsen, who left República a year ago to lead the corporate communications practice of Wells Fargo in Florida. Other executives and consultants managed the firm's PR department during the search for a replacement, said Plasencia.
The agency's PR clients include Goya Foods, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, philanthropist Adrienne Arsht, and Nielsen.
