05 April 2011
Public relations and communications consulting firm Burson-Marsteller has promoted its leadership team for Latin America.
Long-time Chief Executive Officer Santiago Hinojosa has become chairman. Chief Operating Officer Ramiro Prudencio has become CEO, and business development manager Claudia Adriasola now is the firm’s COO for the region.
The appointments took effect April 1, said Burson-Marsteller, which runs its Latin American operations from Miami.
CEO Prudencio leads the firm in a region with 11 wholly-owned offices and three affiliate offices across 12 countries. He has worked for 20 years for Burson-Marsteller in various roles, including 12 years as country manager in Chile and seven years heading up operations in Brazil. In Brazil, he led a multinational communications consultancy with a staff of more than 60 people.
Prudencio began his career with Burson-Marsteller in the firm's Washington public affairs practice. He has counseled clients such as HP, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin, Gerdau, the Chilean farmed salmon industry, Odebrecht, ING and Nestlé. Before joining the firm, he was a legislative aide to then-U.S. Rep. Bill Richardson of New Mexico. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Hinojosa was Burson-Marsteller’s Latin America CEO and president since 1998. He has directed key public relations efforts in the region for multinational clients including VISA, Club Med, IBM, Nextel, Symantec, Schering, Johnson & Johnson, Accenture and Astra Zeneca.
As regional chairman, he works with Prudencio on developing the firm’s regional strategy for Latin America.
Before becoming regional CEO, Hinojosa was managing director for DMB&B Americas, based in Mexico City, and ran DMB&B's Mexico operations, working with clients including Procter & Gamble, Mars, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Mexico Tourism, Philips, Bancomer, Jose Cuervo and CPC. He also spent 17 years with McCann-Erickson Worldwide and was its managing director in Peru, Chile and Mexico.
COO Adraisola leads the firm's client development, new business and corporate initiatives in Latin America. She joined Burson-Marsteller in 1997 and has held varied posts, including managing director for human resources for Latin America plus country manager for Chile and for Mexico.
Before joining, she led communications for the Chilean goverment's National Women's Service and worked as journalist for Chilean media.
Burson-Marsteller, established in 1953, has 67 offices and 71 affiliate offices in 96 countries on six continents. It is part of Young & Rubicam Brands, which is part of WPP, a communications services group.
For more information, visit www.burson-marsteller.com.