Business Roundtable -- Taking the lead. Larry Burton (ex-BP America) has been tapped as executive director of the CEO group, starting September 1. Burton, replacing Patricia
Hanahan Engman, who is retiring after 17 years at the Roundtable, will be responsible for directing the Roundtable's overall public policy efforts and coordinating the work of the
Roundtable's task force directors on issues such as fiscal policy and corporate governance...Contact: Tita Freeman, Business Roundtable, 202.496.3269.
DeVries Public Relations -- Changes up top. Jim Allman (ex-Ammirati Puris Lintas/J.Walter Thompson) has been named president of the firm, replacing Ildy Herczeg, who recently
moved to Denver after 15 years with New York-based DeVries. Allman will report to agency founder Chairman-CEO Madeline de Vries...Meanwhile, Paul Oestreicher, Ph.D., (ex-Sanofi-
Synthelabo Inc.) has joined the agency to lead its healthcare practice; Oestreicher has launched or repositioned 40 healthcare products...Contact: Leah Pucciarelli, DeVries,
212.891.0409.
Edelman -- Healthy decision. Lee Lynch (ex-Hill & Knowlton) has joined the firm to start up its Health Ally Development group, which will bring together corporate,
professional, not-for-profit and government sectors in the healthcare field. The new group complements the firm's existing Medical and Professional Alliances practice in
BioScience Communications, Edelman's medical education and publishing company...Contact: Derek Creevey, Edelman, 212.819.4834.
Hill & Knowlton -- Climbing the hill. Rory Davenport (ex-Fleishman-Hillard) has been named senior VP and director of the Public Affairs practice in the firm's Washington,
D.C., office. Davenport will be responsible for building a practice offering that brings together public and corporate affairs, with particular focus on international clients...
Contact: Lily Loh, Hill & Knowlton, 212.885.0430.
Ketchum -- Good call. Dr. Johnette McCrery, a former broadcast reporter and professor at Louisiana State University at Shreveport, has been tapped as VP of Ketchum Public
Affairs. She'll be based in the agency's Washington, D.C., office. Contact: Brad Ferris, Ketchum, 202. 835.9411.
Porter Novelli -- New Rx. Greg Baird (ex-Novartis) has been named a partner in the firm's New York office, where he will direct Porter's healthcare practice, the largest such
practice within the agency. Baird has extensive knowledge of the pharmaceutical, biotech and healthcare sectors, as well as experience in employee communications and product
marketing... Contact: Karen Pasternack, Porter Novelli, 212.601.8049.
R&J Group -- New challenge. Ken Aurichio (ex-Weber Shandwick/Hill & Knowlton) has joined the brand-building agency as director of public relations. Aurichio is a PR
veteran who has handled blue chip accounts such as Eastman Kodak and Georgia-Pacific...Contact: Jason Ledder, R&J Group, 973.331.1070.
StevensGouldPartners -- Mapping it out. Barbara Burns (ex-GCI Group/ RuderFinn), an international PR guru, has joined the M&A consulting firm as Senior Associate. Burns,
who will keep her own PR consultancy, has served as counsel to such multinationals as Merck & Co., and Canon Europa and governments such as France, Greece and Japan. Burns,
who will be based in New York, will divide her time between her own firm and helping StevensGould expand its international presence...Contact: Art Stevens, StevensGould,
212.982.5758.
The Advertising Council -- Tag-team. The council has promoted two employees: Ellyn Fisher, manager for corporate communications, has been named director of corporate
communications; Beth Costiglio, coordinator for corporate communications, was named to succeed Fisher...Contact: Best Costiglio, Ad Council, 212.984.1923
TMG Communications -- Changes in the lineup. Andy Andersen (ex-Riverside County Integrated Project) joins the firm as General Manager, where he will oversee the day-to-day
operation; Ingrid Kajankova (ex-Arrowhead Financial Group), comes aboard as senior account executive, where she will manage client accounts and supervise the junior account
executive and administrative staff; Amber Wiens (ex-Pala Resort, Casino & Spa) has been tapped as Account Executive to help with new business development... Contact: Louis
Desmond, TMG Communications, 909.371.4558.