Brussels, Belgium. May 20, 2009, 20. Mai 2009 - The Worldcom Public Relations Group, the largest global network of independent public relations firms, elected new officers, and four new partner firms at its annual group meeting held recently in Seattle, USA.

New officers are: Diego Biasi, chairman (Business Press, Italy), Matt Kucharski, chair elect (Padilla Speer Beardsley, Minneapolis). Tom Van Blarcom, past chair (TQPR Thailand, Bangkok) and Melissa Sturges, secretary treasurer (Sturges Word Communications, Kansas City).

Other board members elected include: Niall Dologhan, knowledge sharing (Kestrel, London), Corinna Voss, marketing (HBI Helga Bailey GmbH, Munich), Neil McGlone, membership (Michael A. Burns Associates, Dallas), John Bliss, practice group, (BlissPR, New York), Stephanie Paul, strategic plan (Phillips Group, Brisbane), Hal Dash, Americas Region chair (Cerrell Associates, Los Angeles), Douglas Wright, Asia Pacific Region chair (Wrights, Melbourne) and Crispin Manners, EMEA Region chair (Kaizo, London).

In Worldcom’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Region, there is one new partner: PRAM Consulting from Prague, Czech Republic. The Americas Region has three new partners: Sandy Hillman Communications from Baltimore, MD; Parallax Communications Group from Indianapolis, IN and InfoMedia Consulting from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Diego Biasi of Business Press in Milan, the new Chairman of Worldcom’s Group Board said, “Each year at our annual group meeting, hundreds of PR professionals representing their firms from around the world, contribute to Worldcom’s growing success. With the addition of four new partners, we become even stronger as a global force in a wide range of business practices tailored to delivering excellent value to clients one local international and global basis.”

Europe Middle East and Africa Region
PRAM Consulting, Prague www.pram.cz
PRAM Consulting was established in 2001 as a private Czech company specializing in providing public relations services. From the start, its first customers were multinational corporations that had a mid- to high-level of representation in the Czech Republic. PRAM is a creative and flexible firm that handles media communication, social events, and other marketing services. The goal of PRAM Consulting is to help its business partners, not only with marketing their brands, but also with promoting the sale of their products, securing media support, and handling the various aspects of advertising, including long-term strategic planning.

Americas Region
Sandy Hillman Communications, Baltimore www.hillmancommunications.com
Sandy Hillman Communications provides comprehensive communications services for its clients – from strategy and branding, to public relations program development and implementation. The Hillman team has represented dozens of consumer-focused publicly traded corporations, specializing in gaming, health care, tour and travel, destination marketing, and sports and entertainment. In all, the group has supported more than 30 cities and attractions around the world.
Parallax Communications Group, Indianapolis www.parallaxgroup.net
Parallax Communications Group is an award-winning public relations agency, founded in 1989, specializing in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. It offers strategic, creative, flawlessly executed communications services including publicity, advocacy, and issues management. No project is too small or too great for Parallax. The company takes pride in making its clients successful, and recognition of their work speaks for itself.

InfoMedia Consulting, Buenos Aires www.infomediaconsulting.com.ar
Infomedia Consulting is a communication, public affairs and branding firm specialized in operating within complex scenarios. IC learns the business needs of his clients and generates collaborative, long term programs. IC produces reports on the economic and political situation as a key to develop result-oriented strategies and actions, and builds bridges of trust between audiences with diverse and, at times, opposed interests (politicians, technical officials, businesses, media). IC helps people and institutions under tension to find fruitful spaces of dialogue and negotiation.

 

Worldcom PR Group

Worldcom Public Relations Group is the world’s leading partnership of independently owned public relations counseling firms, with some 110 offices in 91 cities worldwide. Established in 1988, it was formed so that the strongest, most capable independent public relations firms could serve national, international and multi-national clients while retaining the flexibility and client-service focus inherent in independent agencies. Through The Worldcom Group, clients have on-demand access to in-depth communications expertise from professionals who understand the language, culture and customs of the geographic arenas in which they operate. Visit www.worldcomgroup.com for more information.
Worldcom EMEA currently consists of 30 agencies with a strong expertise in consumer, healthcare, travel & tourism, technology, energy & environment, financial services, investor relations, public affairs and crisis & issues management. Thanks to a collaboration model that focuses on high quality and results, the Worldcom EMEA regional agencies today share a broad range of international clients including Cotton Council International, the EU Anti-Tobacco Campaign, Verbatim and Palm.