RSR Partners Appoints Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications Practice
February 15, 2019 – Greenwich, Conn-based RSR Partners has named Allen Shapard as a managing director and head of the corporate affairs and communications practice. He is based in the firm’s New York office.
Mr. Shapard has more the 25 years of relevant experience in communications, branding, marketing and corporate social responsibility. He has worked closely with high-profile consumer and enterprise organizations, including PepsiCo, Cisco Systems, Honeywell and Samsung, as well as with vaunted institutions like the Nobel Foundation, United Nations, U.S. Institute of Peace and the Kavli Foundation.
Previously, Mr. Shapard was senior vice president of WME/IMG, the global marketing and entertainment conglomerate, for 20 years. In this role, he grew the company’s global consulting capabilities in the areas of communications, marketing and branding. Much of his efforts were focused on developing human capital solutions for a wide array of clients in various parts of the globe. He was also SVP at APCO Worldwide (and co-head of the firm’s corporate responsibility practice), and was global vice president, communication at ABB Inc., in Zurich, Switzerland.
“Allen’s wealth of experience and relationships in the communications and marketing arenas are highly regarded,” said Brett Stephens, CEO of RSR Partners. “His track record for creating and implementing strategic partnerships and complex communications and marketing campaigns will serve our clients well.”
Brad McLane, managing director and head of RSR Partners’ marketing officers and consumer goods and services practices, said Mr. Shapard will be a powerful asset in handling clients’ evolving communications and marketing needs. “He maximizes the matrixed relationship between marketing functions such as brand, digital, social, and product development, and appreciates how they interconnect with internal and external communications and corporate affairs teams,” said Mr. McLane. “His unique background is well-suited for clients who are grappling to connect the dots between teams that, in today’s environment, need to be highly orchestrated.”
Veteran Recruiters
RSR Partners, founded by Russell S. Reynolds Jr. in 1993, is an executive, board and leadership recruiting firm with offices in Greenwich, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Cleveland and Los Angeles. Specialties include: consumer goods and services, hospitality, industrial, financial services, retail, board, CEOs, CFOs, CHROs, chief information officers, chief marketing officers, sport leadership, risk, board recruiting, board advisory, management consulting, technology, innovation, leadership, assessment, asset management, family office, fintech, investment technology, blockchain, cryptocurrency, leadership assessment, executive search, talent, talent advisory, healthcare, life sciences, human capital and corporate affairs.
In recent months, RSR Partners has continued to strengthen its services. Recently, the firm named Rebecca Holland New as a managing director, leading the healthcare and life sciences practice. She is based in Raleigh, NC. Ms. New has more than 20 years of experience advising senior management on transitional and growth, talent and human capital strategies and was previously EVP, enterprise operations, at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
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\In November, the firm expanded with the addition of Drew Cloud to its global sport & entertainment leadership practice. Based in the search firm’s New York City office, Mr. Cloud will concentrate on finding senior leaders and providing human capital advisory services across the global sport ecosystem. He will also contribute to the hospitality and leisure and marketing services practices. He has more than 20 years of relevant experience, most recently as chief business officer for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and as chief sales and marketing officer for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
RSR also recently promoted Danny Berghoff to managing director. Mr. Berghoff, who took over as head of RSR’s global sport and entertainment leadership practice from Joe Bailey in May, focuses on working with clients across the sports, media and entertainment industries. He is also a member of the firm’s hospitality and leisure practice.
In addition, the search firm expanded its asset management practice with the addition of industry veteran Michael D. Fitzgerald. In his role as a managing director, Mr. Fitzgerald is charged with launching the firm’s presence in Boston, a strategically important expansion of RSR Partners’ geographical reach. Previously, Mr. Fitzgerald was a managing director and distribution practice leader at a search firm specializing in financial services.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
