SAN FRANCISCO: Brunswick Group has named Bob Christie, former VP of international media at Alibaba Group, as a partner.
Christie had worked at Alibaba for more than four years, according to his LinkedIn account. He led Alibaba’s IPO comms team and media relations for the company outside of China, the agency said in a statement.
Christie will work alongside Brunswick partner and San Francisco office head Ash Spiegelberg. Christie will handle corporate, financial, and crisis communications for clients in the U.S. and internationally.
Prior to Alibaba, Christie worked as an MD at Burson-Marsteller for a year. Previously, he was an SVP at The New York Times Co. when its flagship publication rolled out its paywall. Christie also worked at Dow Jones for less than seven years, most recently as VP of communications.
Brunswick posted global revenue of $255.9 million in 2017, down 5% from the prior year.
An Alibaba representative could not be reached to comment on Christie’s departure or plans for filling his role.
Earlier this month, Brunswick's San Francisco lost director John Gallagher, who left the firm to become chief communications officer for artificial intelligence startup Uptake.
