SAN FRANCISCO — Nearly two years after parting ways with Ruder Finn, Dushka Zapata has landed at Zendesk as head of communications.

Zapata joined the company as a contractor after Heather Meeker left her role as head of communications in June. This week Zapata was made VP of communications reporting into the company's new head of marketing Jeff Titterton. 

Former VP of communications Matt Hicks, who has been with the company since 2014, transitioned to a new role supporting CEO Mikkel Svane last December. He will continue on in that role.

Zapata joins as the company is ramping up for its user conference Relate in New York later this month. Zendesk works with Allison + Partners. 

"Zendesk initially hired me as a contractor and our relationship evolved from there," Zapata told the Holmes Report. "I joined full-time because I love the people that I work with and feel I am already p art of the team." 

After leaving her role as head of the West Coast for Ruder Finn in early 2016, Zapata shifted gears to focus on executive coaching, personal brand development, media and presentation training, and message development. During that span she also published several books that are a compilation of personal essays. Before Ruder Finn, Zapata held senior positions at Ogilvy and Edelman.