ICR, a leading strategic communications and advisory firm, today announced two senior hires to its Corporate Communications Group. Crisis communications and public affairs veteran Michael W. Robinson joins the firm as managing director and former business and financial journalist John Jannarone as senior vice president. Both will play key roles in enhancing the breadth and depth of ICR’s communications offerings for public and privately held clientele.
Mr. Robinson brings more than 30 years of corporate, crisis and public affairs experience, working in a series of notable communications roles and with government agencies. As a managing director, he will provide public affairs counsel and regulatory-legislative insight for clients and will strengthen ICR’s already deep bench of crisis and corporate communications expertise.
Prior to joining ICR, Mr. Robinson spent nearly a decade at LEVICK, a Washington-based crisis and corporate communications firm, where he served as executive vice president. His career also includes senior communications roles with Freddie Mac, Hill and Knowlton Worldwide, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), The NASDAQ Stock Market and Mobil Corporation. He started his career at The New York Times and shifted into public affairs with a role inside The White House Press Office, followed by the U.S. Department of Justice. His firm was named Crisis Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report during his tenure, and Mr. Robinson was recognized as Public Affairs Executive of the Year by PR News in 2008.
Mr. Robinson is a graduate of Syracuse University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (Cum Laude) from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications and a second Bachelor of Arts degree (Magna Cum Laude) from the university’s Maxwell School of Citizenship.
Mr. Jannarone joins ICR after a lengthy career as a financial journalist with The Wall Street Journal and most recently, CNBC. He brings invaluable insights and expert counsel to ICR clients interfacing with print and broadcast business media, and will serve as a senior resource for media strategy, media relations and training for CEOs and senior executives across the firm’s client base.
Prior to joining ICR, Mr. Jannarone was a reporter for CNBC, featured as a regular contributor on ‘Fast Money’ and ‘Closing Bell’ where he provided financial analysis across a range of sectors including technology, banking and real estate. Prior to CNBC, Mr. Jannarone was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal for eight years, working at the newspaper’s London, Singapore and New York bureaus. Mr. Jannarone covered money and investing among other beats, and also penned financial commentary on consumer products, technologies, hedge funds and mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. Jannarone began his career in financial services, working as an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley and as a trader and strategist. He graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree (Cum Laude) in economics, also studying at Stanford University’s Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies.
“We are very pleased to welcome Michael and John to ICR’s seasoned team of corporate communications leaders, and look forward to tapping into their impressive and diverse experience to offer new services and sources of counsel that will help our clients,” said Michael Fox, Managing Partner of ICR’s Corporate Communications Group. “As ICR continues to experience tremendous growth, these notable senior hires are a reflection of our commitment to providing the highest level of strategic counsel to help our clients preserve and enhance their reputations.”
Mr. Robinson will be based in Washington, D.C., and Mr. Jannarone will work from ICR’s New York City office.
