Global public relations leader Porter Novelli (PN) has appointed four new partners to the firm. These appointments come in recognition of a deep commitment to attracting and developing the best talent; delivering strategic, results-oriented programs for clients; and driving strategic, sustainable growth for the agency.
The partners are:
Rosy McGillan, executive vice president, health and wellness practice, Washington, DC
Matthew Podboy, executive vice president, technology practice and co-founder, Voce Communications, a Porter Novelli company
Jennifer Swint, executive vice president and managing director, Washington, DC
Melissa Kraus Taylor, executive vice president and managing director, Atlanta
With only 21 partners at the company, candidates must meet stringent criteria to be named a partner. Partners are evaluated by the executive committee each year in order to retain their status.
“We’re so pleased to welcome Rosy, Matt, Jennifer and Melissa to our prestigious group of partners at Porter Novelli,” said Karen van Bergen, chief executive officer. “Each has contributed significantly to the agency—through their focus on growing and developing our talent, results-driven, award-winning work for clients and steadfast commitment to excellent client service.”
Rosy McGillan is an executive vice president in the agency’s health and wellness practice. An 11-year Porter Novelli veteran, she leads strategic campaigns for clients, focused on those in the social impact and healthcare space. Prior to Porter Novelli, McGillan held roles at Manning Selvage and Lee and National SAFE KIDS Campaign.
Matthew Podboy cofounded Voce Communications in 1999, which was acquired by Porter Novelli in 2011. Podboy enjoys working with clients to build a narrative that will engage the target audience. Over the past 17 years, Podboy has helped Voce evolve its services model to include a combination of strategic counsel and program execution across paid, earned, shared and owned communications channels. Prior to Voce, Podboy worked at Weber Shandwick where he was first introduced to the Silicon Valley during the boom years of the late 1990s.
Jennifer Swint is managing director of Porter Novelli’s Washington, DC office. With a deep background in public affairs, she provides senior counsel and oversees strategic campaigns for clients. She joined the agency from APCO Worldwide, where she was a senior director overseeing the firm’s business development function. Swint also founded Nine Dot Strategies Inc., an independent communications and public affairs agency, and served as a senior executive at Atlantic Media Company. Before that, she was an executive vice president with Powell Tate/Weber Shandwick.
Melissa Kraus Taylor is managing director of Porter Novelli’s Atlanta office. A 17-year Porter Novelli veteran, Taylor has led strategic planning in Porter Novelli’s London and Atlanta offices. She co-created and is a dean of Porter Novelli’s formal global professional development program, Greater Than University, and helped create and lead the agency’s client service excellence initiative. She has taught social marketing at Emory University’s Graduate School of Public Health for more than a decade.