Allison+Partners Announces Expansion of Executive Leadership Team

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Allison+Partners announced the appointment of seven new partners, all of whom have made significant contributions to the growth and evolution of the agency. Agency partners are responsible for the health and growth of the business and driving agency-wide initiatives outside of their specific job remits.

“This new class has distinguished itself by making significant contributions to Allison+Partners by actively growing offices and practice groups”

New partners include: Todd Aydelotte, managing director, reputation management; Karyn Barr, managing director, business-to-business technology; Tracey Cassidy, general manager, New York; Tara Chiarell, general manager, Washington D.C.; Meghan Curtis, general manager, San Francisco; Jill Feldman, managing director, U.S. corporate practice; and Barbara Laidlaw, managing director, global reputation risk + public affairs.

“This new class has distinguished itself by making significant contributions to Allison+Partners by actively growing offices and practice groups,” said Scott Allison, co-founder, global chairman and CEO. “Many of our new partners have been with the agency for more than 10 years and we appreciate their dedication and ongoing hard work.”

• Aydelotte brings his more than 25-year career as a C-suite counselor to clients across technology, energy and healthcare industries, helping them define and achieve differentiated leadership positions in their competitive marketplace. His work with the CURA Foundation to make a lasting impact on the creation of healthcare breakthroughs has garnered numerous industry awards. As an example of Allison+Partners’ entrepreneurial core value, Todd has played an ongoing role helping grow the agency. He also plays a leadership role for Allison+Partners’ global thought leadership offering, Connected Thought Leadership.
• Barr has built Allison+Partners B2B technology team into a world class organization since the group formally launched in 2018. In that time, the category has grown into one of the agency’s most successful practice areas with marquee clients across APAC, Europe, Latin America and North America. In the U.S. alone, 2021 revenue is poised to grow more than 50% YoY at $6MM.
• Cassidy has led year-over-year revenue growth for New York, Allison+Partners’ largest office, while simultaneously driving culture, receiving the designation of a Best Place to Work in New York from Crain’s in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Tracey is also the co-founder and co-chair of Allison+Partners’ Women’s Leadership Program. Since joining the agency, she has led award-winning campaigns for clients in the consumer brands and technology practices including Progressive Insurance and Shopify.
• For more than 15 years, Chiarell has been a key player in Allison+Partners’ growth starting in the agency’s New York office, then taking the role of GM of the Washington D.C. office. Tara’s vision has shaped the agency’s presence in DC into one that is always ahead of the traditional beltway curve, spanning the full suite of integrated marketing services Allison+Partners has to offer. Her dedication and mentorship have built a culture for staff who stay with the firm for years, winning Washington Business Journal’s Best Places to Work award in 2019.
• As general manager of Allison+Partners’ headquarters office in San Francisco, Curtis fosters a collaborative, supportive and entrepreneurial environment for staff to thrive. She has nearly two decades of experience leading integrated marketing campaigns for consumer brands, including Stasher, Zenni, Boost Mobile and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. In 2020, she drove signature wins for the agency, including UBS, Amy’s Kitchen and Bolt Threads.
• Feldman has played a leadership role in helping manage and grow the agency’s corporate practice. With a focus on building iconic corporate brands, she has led numerous dynamic integrated accounts in the professional services, consumer, technology and non-profit segments. Leading by example, Feldman supports the agency’s culture through her management and mentoring of staff to drive strategic ideation and tactical execution for our clients, while empower teams to develop and succeed. She is the co-founder and co-chair of Allison+Partners’ Women’s Leadership Program.
• Laidlaw has played an integral role in developing the agency’s global reputation risk and public affairs offering. Under her leadership, Allison+Partners’ Reputation Risk group recognized more than 250% growth in issues/crisis work in 2020. She mentored staff dealing with both the COVID-19 crisis and Black Lives Matter movement and provided strategy, risk management and crisis advice to 56 of the agency’s largest clients about how to best navigate these issues as it pertains to their business, employees and goals.

“Partnership is available to every single person at the agency, and we see announcing more partners as our expansion continues, and as key individuals demonstrate they have the entrepreneurial talent – and professional commitment – to drive sustainable growth,” Allison emphasized. “Partnership means being positive, professional and pursuing perfection with passion. It means thinking about the agency as a whole and not just an individual office or practice, building on the cornerstone of our “One Allison” approach. We are a global agency, and partners need to think globally, with an understanding of how to manage relationships across cultures.”

About Allison+Partners

Allison+Partners is a global marketing and communications agency driven by a collaborative approach to innovation and creativity. The firm was named by PRovoke Media as one of its Global and North American Agencies of the Decade, 2020 North American Agencies of the Year and 2020 Best Agencies to Work For. The agency also scored a perfect 10 in PRWeek’s 2020 Agency Business Report, was named a Best Places to Work for the fourth consecutive year and recognized as one of PRWeek UK’s Fastest Growing Agencies in 2020. Allison+Partners operates in 31 markets worldwide and is organized around four practices: Consumer Brands, Corporate + Public Affairs, Healthcare and Technology. The agency’s Marketing Innovation Team, which combines integrated marketing, creative, research and measurement expertise into one offering, works across these practices to deliver integrated storytelling for clients. Allison+Partners also has a network and deep affiliations with firms worldwide through MDC Partners (NASDAQ: MDCA), a progressive marketing and communications network, championing the most innovative entrepreneurial talent. For more information, visit www.allisonpr.com.

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