LOS ALTOS, CA — Erica Swerdlow has joined Summit Strategy Group as a managing director to lead client development and growth initiatives. Swerdlow (pictured) joins the firm with 30 years’ experience in communications consulting and building businesses. Prior to joining Summit, she served as CEO of Stagwell-owned Wye Communications (now KWT). Swerdlow’s career dates to 1993, when she founded EBS Public Relations, which served the high-tech industry, and which was acquired by Omnicom in January 2000. She served as an executive VP for a decade at Porter Novelli and then joined Burson-Marsteller where she led the Midwest region and the firm’s business development operations.

SAN DIEGO — Crowe PR has promoted Natalia Barclay to senior director of integrated public relations and marketing, overseeing Crowe’s client services organization, and Haley Walker to director of integrated marketing to spearhead the company’s consumer goods business unit. Barclay joined Crowe in early 2019 as a group manager. In her new role, she will continue to counsel on integrated public relations and marketing strategies for clients across all of Crowe’s divisions and will also focus on optimizing client-focused operations and supporting new business initiatives. Walker started at Crowe in 2021 as an integrated marketing strategist, developing and implementing digital service offerings, including social media management, influencer relations and paid social across all business units. In her new role, Walker will lead Crowe’s consumer goods business unit, continuing to support the spirits, technology, apparel and accessory roster with strategic marketing tactics to amplify brand awareness. 

WILLIAMS, AZ — Trust Relations has promoted Lana Marshall to chief operating officer. Marshall will be responsible for all agency operations and lead initiatives to promote positive workplace culture and improve client experience. Marshall has been with Trust Relations since 2020 as a strategic partner, overseeing client services as chief client officer. Prior to Trust Relations, Marshall worked at various PR firms and worked with companies such as Cafe Gratitude, K’NEX and the Revlon portfolio brands.

NEW YORK — Finn Partners has promoted John Bianchi to partner, head of editorial services for Finn’s health practice. Bianchi has worked with Finn since 2014 and rose to VP in 2015. Prior to Finn, he served as interim communications director at The New York Times and held leadership roles at Goodman Media International and the National Audubon Society. He began his career in television news with CBS News, CNN and NBC News.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Seven Letter has added two new members to its team — Blair Taylor as managing director and Maura Hogan as senior director. Previously, Taylor worked as communications director for US Sen. Richard Shelby and the Senate Appropriations Committee. Taylor will be based in Seven Letter's Washington office. Hogan previously worked at the US Department of State and was a senior VP at BCW’s Direct Impact. Hogan will work out of Seven Letter's Boston office, bringing her expertise and diverse experience to the firm.

NEW YORK — IGB Group has named Bryan Degnan the agency’s first new partner in its 22-year history. Degnan, who has been an IGB managing director for nearly a decade, will work with agency leadership overseeing the strategic direction of the firm. He will also continue to provide strategic investor relations and capital markets advisory services, as well as strategic business development communications, to boards and management teams of a diverse client portfolio of both public and private companies.