SOUTHLAKE, TX — TrailRunner International has bolstered its leadership team with two veteran in-house communicators — Jennifer Kuperman and Jen Crichton.

Kuperman, formerly Alibaba Group’s head of international corporate affairs, and Crichton, formerly Frito-Lay’s communications director, will both serve as managing directors. Kuperman is based in San Francisco. Crichton is based near Dallas-Fort Worth.

During her six-plus years with Alibaba, Kuperman led the company’s global communications and stakeholder engagement strategy. She oversaw communications for Alibaba’s IPO and helped build the brand outside China before leaving the company in early 2021 for a Post Holdings venture.

Crichton’s experience, meantime, includes leading media, social content, internal and external messaging, influencer engagement and issues management for more than 15 Frito-Lay brands including Lay’s, Ruffles, Fritos, Smartfood and more. Before Frito-Lay, she held senior leadership positions at agencies including Edelman, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard and Zeno Group.

Kuperman and Crichton join TrailRunner amid other leadership changes at the firm, most notably the promotion of Jim Hughes, a founding member of the organization, to CEO.

“We are excited to welcome Jennifer and Jen, two proven and highly respected communications leaders and two former TrailRunner clients, to TrailRunner International as managing directors,” Hughes said. “As we continue to grow and expand, Jennifer and Jen each bring the experience and the global perspective that will help TrailRunner clients succeed in their must-win battles.”