Weber Shandwick Makes Two Senior Hires in its Global Social Impact Practice 

Lee Ann Townes joins as executive vice president and New York social impact team lead. Melanie Janin joins as executive vice president and strategist focused on sustainability and will be based in Seattle. Townes and Janin will work across Weber Shandwick’s global social impact, corporate, consumer and public affairs teams, accelerating the agency’s work with clients to elevate purpose leadership and solutions to complex business, policy and social issues.

 

Townes, most recently senior vice president of social purpose and sustainability at MSL Group, specializes in shaping purpose and social issue campaigns, helping brands and organizations engage with multiple stakeholders, spanning employees, consumers and community partners. She brings over ten years of experience in B2B, B2C and employee engagement across multiple sectors including financial and professional services, technology and consumer healthcare.

 

Formerly the global corporate communications lead of sustainability and social responsibility for Amazon, Janin brings over 20 years of communications experience to her role at Weber Shandwick, specializing in reputation strategy, issues management and storytelling for corporations and organizations focused on social and environmental innovation. Previously, Janin also led communications and marketing for Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) and business sustainability communications for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).

 

Townes and Janin will each work with a range of clients — from companies seeking to reorient their CSR investments to better meet and exceed purpose expectations, to organizations focused on elevating their environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities, to brands seeking data-fueled, transformative ideas and campaigns.

Townes will report to Joy Farber Kolo, president of Weber Shandwick East; Janin will report to Will Ludlam, president of Weber Shandwick West. Both Townes and Janin will work closely with Paul Massey and Victoria Baxter, Weber Shandwick’s social impact lead in the Americas.

 

“Our clients rely on us to navigate complexity and to shape strategies that build reputations and enable progress on urgent social issues. Lee Ann and Melanie bring deep experience and perspective on the ways our clients can demonstrate purposeful leadership and deliver meaningful social impact,” said Sara Gavin, president of Weber Shandwick North America. “Lee Ann and Melanie are creative thinkers and passionate advocates for social issues — and are deeply committed to delivering bold, standout work.”