Winner: Sara Schwartz
Assistant Account Executive, Havas PR
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One of Sara Schwartz's first assignments after joining Euro RSCG Worldwide PR—now Havas PR—in May 2011 was helping to plan a Back to School editor event for Kmart and manage it on-site. She had already become a part of the Sears/Kmart team, working on Sears' Online Business Unit and honing her PR skills, from undertaking media relations in must-win markets and monitoring coverage to drafting releases and writing weekly reports. But through Back to School, Schwartz created a place for herself on the already close-knit Sears/Kmart team. For the event, Schwartz 's efforts contributed to the two-dozen media attendees and more than 79 million media impressions for the program overall.
Then, in December 2011, the agency was named Coty's agency of record for the company's corporate communications business. Shortly after that, Coty requested on-site support, and Schwartz got the call. She now spends four days a week in Coty's New York office supporting senior agency management on corporate communications and crisis management needs.
In addition, Schwartz is one of Havas PR’s thought leaders, having written for the agency’s Social Life and Social Media blog about social media’s influence in the primaries and about the changing face of education in the digital age. Schwartz is not resting on her laurels. Her plans for the upcoming year: “I hope to continue to push strategic thinking around social media in 2013, helping clients to engage consumers and best manage potential crisis scenarios in real time,” says Schwartz. —Scott Van Camp
Honorable Mentions:
Melissa Czapiga, Senior Account Manager, Bhava Communications
Shane Peck, Senior Communications Coordinator, Parson’s Brinckerhoff