Weber Shandwick Appoints Dave Watson as Group Director

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 ATLANTA, GA – April 29, 2008 – The Atlanta office of Weber Shandwick today announced that Dave Watson has joined the firm as Group Director.  Watson comes to Weber Shandwick with more than 15 years of experience in the United States and Japan developing and leading internal and external communications programs designed to increase brand recognition and build business.  As Group Director, Watson will play a leading role in the office’s Business Marketing and Corporate practices.

Before joining Weber Shandwick, Watson served in communications roles at Aflac Incorporated. As manager of Aflac’s HR Communications function, Watson oversaw the creation and dissemination of print, online and interpersonal communications to Aflac’s more than 4,500 U.S.-based employees. Prior to that, Watson served as media liaison for Aflac, focusing on business and trade media outlets at the local, regional and national levels to further understanding of the Aflac brand.

“Dave brings in-depth business-to-business and corporate public relations and marketing experience, having worked on both the agency and client sides of our industry,” said Wayne Roberts, senior vice president and general manager of Weber Shandwick’s office in Atlanta.  “We are thrilled to add Dave to our team and know that he will bring great value to our clients and agency as a whole.”

Earlier in his career, Watson helped launch the media relations functions at two Atlanta-based technology start-ups, and before that, represented various business-to-business and consumer clients at Ketchum Public Relations in Atlanta. He began his career in communications working for Sony Enterprise Group in Osaka, Japan.  A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Watson received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

About Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is one of the world's leading global public relations firms with offices in major media, business and government capitals around the world. The firm specializes in strategic marketing communications, media relations, public affairs, reputation management, and crisis and issues management. It also offers corporate communications counseling services. The firm provides specialized integrated services including Web relations, advocacy advertising, market research and visual communications. Weber Shandwick received the highest client-satisfaction honors in the 2007 Agency Excellence Survey by PRWeek U.S. and in 2006, was named Large PR Firm of the Year (PR News U.S.), European Consultancy of the Year (The Holmes Report) and Network of the Year (Asia Pacific PR Awards). The firm also won the 2005, 2006 and 2007 United Nations Grand Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Relations. To learn more, please visit www.webershandwick.com.

Weber Shandwick is a unit of The Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), which is one of the world's leading organizations of advertising agencies and marketing services companies.