Kelly McGinnis has worked across technology and consumer PR, most recently as chief communications officer at Levi Strauss & Co. Now, she’s teaching students about having a seat at the table in a graduate course at the University of San Francisco. 

On the agenda for this week’s episode: 

PRWeek reporter Jeremy Sodergren discusses the top PR and communications news of the week, including:

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The latest guest on The PR Week is Charlotte West, VP of global corporate communications at Lenovo. 

She talks about how Lenovo’s role as official technology partner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was much more than a sponsorship, improving operations and even the broadcast of the tournament. West also talks about how her team is using AI, balancing one global message with regional specifics and making earnings calls more interesting. 

Plus, the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, including crises at Callaway Golf and Neutrogena, people moves at Walmart and Wendy’s, the start of the US Open and the death of entertainment legend and philanthropist Dolly Parton.

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From public affairs officer in the U.S. Navy to leading communications at New York Life and previously Voya Financial, Paul Gennaro has had a career spanning major organizations. He talks about that and how New York Life is implementing AI on the latest edition of The PR Week. 

Also on the agenda this week: PRWeek’s 2026 Hall of Fame class. And PRWeek’s Jess Ruderman talks about the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, including new appointments at Vaseline and Burson and The Athletic’s “Advantage calendar for football fans.”

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The latest guest on The PR Week is Grant Toups, global CEO of Hotwire. 

Toups talks about his first days and weeks on the job after stepping into Hotwire’s top role more than six months ago, as well as how his agency uses AI and works with influencers and creators. He also chats about his inspirations from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. 

Plus, PRWeek’s Julia Walker discusses the biggest PR and communications news of the week, including PRWeek’s 2026 40 Under 40 list, Burson’s acquisition of AI company Limbik, a change at the top of American Airlines’ communications team and much more.

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The latest guest on The PR Week is Ann Melinger, CEO of Bink, which works with biotech and life sciences companies on organizational culture, employee engagement and change management. 

She talks about Bink’s new Culture at Work Study and its key findings about how some companies fail to produce winning cultures while others thrive. 

Plus, PRWeek’s Diana Bradley on the biggest PR and communications news of the week, including key executive exits at Conagra, Edelman and Airbnb and acquisitions by FGS Global and One Strategy Group.

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What area of marketing is best positioned to be in charge of affiliate marketing? Mike Rush, EVP and partner at 360PR+, makes the case that it’s PR on the latest edition of The PR Week. 

Rush also talks about the Boston PR market and what it’s like having a lettuce client in the current news cycle. Plus the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, such as PRWeek’s Power List 2026, Wendy’s decision to hire a new PR AOR for the first time in more than 30 years, a new chief communications officer at Skims and a look inside the New York Liberty’s PR playbook.

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In beautiful Cannes, France, one of the most interesting places during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is actually a basement — because that’s where the shortlisted campaign case studies are. 

The latest guest on The PR Week, Taj Reid, global chief creative officer at Burson, talks about that and much more, including how Burson and VML won the PR Lions Grand Prix for their work for client KitKat. Reid also chats about unconventional paths into the industry, AI’s impact on creativity and inspirational work. 

Plus, PRWeek’s Carina Cole talks about winners and losers from the World Cup — that’s to say brand winners and losers — and effective tournament marketing by players, countries and fans.

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The latest edition of The PR Week features Jennifer Risi, founder and president of The Sway Effect.

Risi founded The Sway Effect, a New York-headquartered global marketing and communications agency, exactly seven years ago on July 16. In 2025, The Sway Effect reported revenue of $4.9 million, up 11% from the same period a year prior, according to PRWeek’s latest Agency Business Report. 

Risi discusses what her firm has been up to, what she attributes its success to and highlights some client campaigns. 

She also talks about her takeaways from this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Plus, PRWeek news editor Diana Bradley reviews the biggest PR and communications news of the week with newly promoted senior reporter Julia Walker, including how brands are cracking jokes amid the cyclospora outbreak; the FDA taking steps to make good on its threat to remove the adequate provision rule for pharma DTC ads; Praytell’s expansion into the Asian market; and people moves atSeatGeek, Etsy, Whoop and Unilever.

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The latest edition of The PR Week features Kevin Dulaney, EVP of innovation and integrated marketing at SourceCode Communications and a top agency strategist on AI. 

He talks all about AI — from where it’s most useful for agencies and their clients to where it’s overhyped — and discusses what he thinks is coming next. 

Plus, the biggest PR and communications news of the week with PRWeek news editor Diana Bradley, including top World Cup campaigns, brands’ reaction to Taylor Swift’s wedding and major executive moves at Ogilvy, Onclusive and Nvidia.

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The latest guest on The PR Week is helping explain fusion to the world and why it might soon be a part of people’s everyday lives. 

Joe Paluska is chief marketing officer of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, which spun out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is now the world’s largest fusion company. He talks about making a complicated technology understandable to the public and explains how his company works with influencers and content creators. 

Plus, PRWeek associate news editor Jess Ruderman interviews Frank Washkuch about the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and main takeaways from the event.

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