Weber Shandwick hires Errol Cockfield to lead North America Crisis & Issues Practice 

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Weber Shandwick announced today the appointment of seasoned corporate affairs strategist Errol Cockfield as the agency’s North America Crisis & Issues lead. In this role, Cockfield will advise clients on complex issues and oversee Weber Shandwick’s Crisis & Issues practice and leadership team in North America. Cockfield joins the growing Crisis & Issues practice led globally by Peter Duda.

 

“As companies and brands contend with a constantly changing set of cultural, social and geopolitical risks, the stakes for leaders have arguably never been higher,” said Jim O’Leary, CEO of Weber Shandwick North America. “As a result, demand for our crisis expertise has never been greater. I’m thrilled to have an industry veteran like Errol leading our North America Crisis & Issues team.” 

 

Cockfield was most recently a Partner at Brunswick Group, where he was responsible for leading global clients as they navigated through Board-level concerns. Prior to Brunswick, Cockfield spent five years at MSNBC, where he served as lead spokesperson for the network and its talent. He will assume his role in Q1 of 2024.

 

“Weber Shandwick has a sophisticated vision and pioneering tools designed to ensure corporations are able to protect, defend and advance their reputations in today’s wildly unpredictable environment,” Cockfield said. “I’m excited to partner with the team across North America and the globe to help expand the group’s already impressive growth trajectory.”

 

Weber Shandwick’s Crisis & Issues business has grown double digits in 2023 and has helped a variety of clients navigate challenging situations.

 

“The growth of our Crisis & Issues business has been driven by our ability to meet client challenges in spaces like mis- and disinformation, cybersecurity, and geopolitical concerns. And with an upcoming U.S. election, it is clear that the environment will become even more challenging,” said Peter Duda, President of Weber Shandwick’s Global Crisis & Issues practice. “Errol is the right leader to help this world-class team continue to navigate this shifting environment.”

 

Weber Shandwick’s Crisis & Issues practice is a multi-disciplinary team of crisis communications experts advising at the intersection of business, public policy, geopolitical risk and culture. The team leverages AI-driven technology and human intelligence to help clients mitigate vulnerabilities and provide real-time counsel in a complex and ever-changing world. For more information on our Global Crisis & Issues Practice, please click here.