NEW YORK —Allison+Partners has hired Barbara Laidlaw (pictured) as managing director of global reputation risk + advisory. In her new role, Laidlaw will be responsible for overseeing the growth of the agency’s global issues management, crisis and risk mitigation capability. Most recently, she served as a managing director at Burson-Marsteller, as which she oversaw global clients streamlining and growing activity worldwide, providing strategic communications advice and change management. Prior to that, she was the president and owner of BEL Communications.

CHICAGO — Golin has appointed Carrie von der Sitt as head of US growth, overseeing business development strategies across the agency’s most profitable region. The promotion comes 16 months after von der Sitt took over Golin’s US food and beverage sector. She has been with Golin for 22 years.

NEW YORK — RFIBinder has hired Karina Frayter, a long-time journalists and producer, to lead the agency’s media team as a managing director. Frayter will work with clients to secure news coverage and establish and strengthen media relationships, as well as facilitate training sessions and seminars around changes in storytelling and today’s newsrooms. She most recently was a field producer for CNBC and was a CNN assignment editor before that.

WASHINGTON — SKDKnickerbocker has hired Cameron French and Charlie Meisch as VPs. French is a political and public relations strategist who joins most recently from Burson Cohn & Wolfe, where he was a director of public affairs and crisis. Meisch, who has also been named director of SKDK’s tech practice, is a former senior advisor for the Federal Communications Commission.

NEW YORK — G&S Business Communications has promoted two agency leaders — Raleigh, NC-based  Kate Threewitts and New York’s Josh Laster. Threewitts, who has overseen the firm’s HR operation as a VP since 2014, has been elevated to senior VP. Laster, a 10-year agency vet, has been upped from account director to VP.

FLORHAM PARK, NJ —BML Public Relations has promoted Jillian Verpent and Michelle LoGuercio to account supervisors. Verpent has more than eight years of experience in public relations including four years at BMLPR.  LoGuercio has been in public relations for over seven years, including nearly three years with BMLPR.

CHICAGO —  Burns Entertainment has hired Courtney Worthman to further develop the corporate and agency client base of its New York office. Worthman expertise spans from corporate development in the digital influencer space to celebrity procurement for advertising, public relations and digital campaigns. Worthman has spent the last 14 years in the talent procurement industry, most recently as partner at Cogent Entertainment Marketing.