Six things for PR pros to know Tuesday morning, 10.14.2014

1. Ruder Finn has acquired the Asia-Pacific portfolio of SharpeLankester, a consultancy that specializes in reputation management, crisis communications, and investor relations, the firm said Tuesday morning. Ruder Finn named Charles Lankester as SVP for reputation management in Asia-Pacific, based in Hong Kong.

2. Hundreds of usernames and passwords for the file-sharing service Dropbox appeared Monday on information-sharing website Pastebin. An anonymous user claimed to have hacked as many as 7 million accounts. However, Dropbox said it was not hacked and that the usernames and passwords, which are mostly for lapsed accounts, were stolen from other services.

Reports claiming we’ve been hacked aren’t true. Your stuff is safe. More info on our blog: http://t.co/rtynCYaWUZ

— Dropbox Support (@dropbox_support) October 14, 2014

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Thomas Frieden said at a press conference on Monday that the US needs to rethink how it combats Ebola and other infectious diseases. Frieden made the remarks after nurse Nina Pham became the first person to contract Ebola in the US after caring for an infected patient at a Dallas hospital, raising questions about the preparedness of medical centers to treat Ebola.

4. Warren Buffett is a bigger brand than his holding company, Berkshire Hathaway. However, the uber-successful businessman is working to change that by putting the Berkshire Hathaway brand front and center in public appearances and in business deals, according to Dealbook.

Interesting piece on how Warren Buffet is trying to push his company rather than personal brand. http://t.co/VCqnB0MF9D

— Laura Shields (@mediawhizz) October 14, 2014

5. Kim Jong-un appeared in public on Tuesday for the first time in five weeks, giving "field guidance" at a residential district, according to state media in the country. The North Korean dictator was carrying a cane amid rampant speculation about his health and grip on power.

6. A handful of companies appointed new leaders over the holiday weekend.

• Luxottica Group chairman and founder Leonardo Del Vecchio has taken control of the company after two prior CEOs quit the job in as many months.
• New JCPenney CEO Marvin Ellison, a veteran of Home Depot and Target, has been hailed for his operations and retail experience. Target and Gap Inc. have also tapped executives with nuts-and-bolts expertise for their top jobs in recent months, eschewing trend-spotting.
• Abigail Johnson is set to take over as chief executive of fund manager Fidelity Investments, replacing her father, Edward C. Johnson, who has served as CEO since 1977.