FleishmanHillard Leadership Appointments Strengthen Washington, D.C., and Global Public Affairs Offering

ST. LOUIS and WASHINGTON, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, FleishmanHillard (FH) appointed Kris Balderston to the role of President, Global Public Affairs and Strategic Engagement and named Robert Hoopes General Manager of FH Washington, D.C., in addition to his duties as President of VOX Global.

"Our Washington, D.C., operation has long been the catalyst of our global public affairs offering," said FleishmanHillard President and CEO John Saunders. "The appointments of Kris and Robert into these new roles will strengthen our core and enhance the connectivity of our global public affairs network."

In his new position, Balderston will be responsible for leading the global public affairs offering of the firm, while identifying and developing collaboration opportunities within the FH client portfolio and with targeted external partners.

"With 30 years of experience in Washington, including senior leadership positions in state, federal and international public affairs, Kris' experience connecting uncommon allies uniquely positions him to make a real impact in this new role," said Saunders. "He has been tremendously successful in helping us evolve our business in Washington, D.C., and a key advisor to me personally on global issues that impact our clients and business. I'm very pleased that we are now in a position to benefit from his experience more broadly across the organization."

"It is an exciting time for FleishmanHillard and I look forward to advancing the issues and agendas of our clients and colleagues around the globe by assembling and building new partnerships," Balderston said. "The time spent leading and shaping the direction of FleishmanHillard's Washington, D.C., business has served us well and laid the groundwork for connecting our global offering."

Balderston has been the General Manager of FleishmanHillard's Washington, D.C., office since February 2013. Before joining FH, he served as Special Representative for Global Partnerships under Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. He also served as Senator Clinton's first Legislative Director and then as Deputy Chief of Staff during her term as Senator from New York. Before joining Senator Clinton, Balderston served President Bill Clinton in the White House as the Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet and the Deputy Assistant to the President.

Hoopes' responsibilities will now include overall management and growth of FH Washington, D.C. He will retain his roles as President of VOX Global and as a member of FleishmanHillard's Global Cabinet. In this expanded role, Hoopes will oversee business operations for two of Washington, D.C.'s most successful brands in public affairs and public relations.

"The businesses under Robert's purview will be among our most significant operating units in our global network," said Saunders. "Robert is a distinguished leader in our business and is incredibly well regarded in policy and advocacy circles. He is known as an exceptional client relationship manager, collaborator, strategist and a champion of the shared FH and VOX culture. Robert's leadership at VOX Global has been exemplary and I know he will continue to be a great leader in the continued inter-agency collaboration that makes the FH network so strong."

"It's both an honor and a pleasure to lead the exceptionally talented teams we have at both FHDC and VOX Global," said Hoopes. "The public affairs sector has changed dramatically in recent years and we've been evolving at a rapid pace to have the teams, the capabilities and the culture that clients need."

In 2007, FleishmanHillard acquired Hoopes Strategies and appointed Hoopes President of VOX Global. He has been active in electoral politics for over 25 years, getting his start in national campaigns in 1987 when he worked for Senator Biden in New Hampshire on his first run for President. Hoopes later joined the Senator in his Washington, D.C. office where he worked during the first Gulf War and Supreme Court nominations. He went on to work for Senators Chris Dodd, D-CT, and Alan Dixon, D-IL. In 2012, Hoopes took a leave of absence to serve as Vice President Biden's Chief of Staff at the Democratic National Convention.

FleishmanHillard has a significant presence in Washington, D.C., which includes five brands—FleishmanHillard, VOX Global, GMMB, DDC and TogoRun.

About VOX Global
VOX Global was created when FleishmanHillard acquired Hoopes Strategies in 2007 and is a strategic communications firm. With experience in business, politics, media and advocacy, VOX Global offers clients comprehensive strategies to solve complex and diverse issues. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., VOX Global has offices in New York, Dallas, Boston, Nashville, Indianapolis, Raleigh, Portland, Maine and Tokyo. For more information, visit voxglobal.com.

About FleishmanHillard
FleishmanHillard specializes in public relations, reputation management, public affairs, brand marketing, digital strategy, social engagement and content strategy. FleishmanHillard was named PRWeek's 2014 Global Agency of the Year; "Standout Agency" on Advertising Age's 2013 A-List; NAFE's "Top 50 Companies for Executive Women" for 2010-2016; and among PRWeek's 2013 "Best Places to Work." The firm's award-winning work is widely heralded, including at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity. FleishmanHillard is part of the DAS Group of Companies, and has more than 85 offices in 30 countries, plus affiliates in 43 countries. Visit us at www.fleishmanhillard.com.

About The DAS Group of Companies
The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. OMC (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

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SOURCE FleishmanHillard