SAN FRANCISCO: FleishmanHillard has appointed Mitch Germann to global MD of its retail, sports and lifestyle sector, effective on Wednesday.
Germann will focus on elevating FleishmanHillard’s role as a “cultural connector” for clients, building and maintaining relationships with the media, creators, influencers, athletes, agents, events and venues in the sector. He’ll also work with account teams to translate brand and product innovation to consumers to drive awareness and demand.
“We're gonna start with an innovative intelligence-led strategy, but balance that with more local on-the-ground insights in relationships, tapping into our key cities looking for those insights and trends, so that we can help play that role of cultural connector for our clients in the sector,” Germann said.
The firm’s retail, sports and lifestyle sector works with more than 200 clients with teams in offices worldwide.
Germann’s goal for overseeing the practice is to organize, accelerate and grow FleishmanHillard’s work across the retail, sports and lifestyle space. Germann reports to chief client experience officer Mark Mortell.
Dianna Kraus held the title of GM of the most recent version of the practice, specifically focusing on sports and lifestyle. Germann’s new role expands the sector to include retail. Kraus is serving as SVP and senior partner at the firm.
Germann previously served as senior partner in the San Francisco office where he led the consumer brand team. There, he oversaw a portfolio of the agency’s retail, sports and lifestyle clients as part of the agency’s client experience initiative, FHX. Germann won’t be replaced in that role.
Germann is also a member of the global media and platforms leadership team and global brand leadership team.
Prior to his most recent role at FleishmanHillard, Germann worked as senior director of media relations at Nike. He started on Nike’s Jordan Brand in 2016 leading global comms following his second stint at FleishmanHillard as a GM working in the agency’s San Francisco and Los Angeles offices.
His new role follows other promotions at FleishmanHillard for Tim O’Keefe to global MD of technology in March and Courtney Quaye to Chicago GM in February.
FleishmanHillard is a member of Omnicom PR Group, which also includes Ketchum, Marina Maher Communications and Porter Novelli.
The agency reported a revenue increase of 17% to $745 million globally and 13% to $510 million in the U.S. in 2022, according to PRWeek’s 2023 Agency Business Report. FleishmanHillard was awarded agency of the year and outstanding extra-large agency at the 2023 PRWeek Awards.