Penta president Matt McDonald has served as a senior counselor to leaders in the public and private sectors for more than two decades, including former presidents and governors and the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). 

Now he’s at the helm of Penta, which bills itself as “the world’s first comprehensive stakeholder solutions firm.” McDonald joins the latest episode of The PR Week to discuss the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, including:

- The possible implications of the Federal Trade Commission doing away with non-compete clauses; 

- This year’s Dashboard 25 list; 

- ChatGPT and its implications for business; 

- The future of work; 

- More mass job losses across technology and media; 

- And the main takeaways from the World Economic Forum in Davos. 

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AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! 

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The latest guest on The PR Week is none other than the 2023 chair of PRSA and chief communications officer at Alyeska, Michelle Egan. 

She talks about living and working in Alaska, and the direction she has planned for the industry body for 2023. Plus, she discusses the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, including: 

-The World Economic Forum in Davos and the Edelman Trust Barometer 2023; 

-Donna Imperato’s retirement from BCW; 

-Jim O’Leary’s transition from Edelman to Weber Shandwick; 

-Dave Samson replacing O’Leary at Edelman; 

-Ketchum’s new COO and CFO; 

-New York University’s study on whether PR’s workforce is too liberal

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AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! 

Follow us: @PRWeekUS

Receive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek

Follow us on Twitter: @PRWeekUS

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AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! 

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It’s the first podcast of the new year and with a guest worthy of the occasion: Sean Garrett: founder and convener at Mixing Board. 

The tech-sector veteran talks about everything from Mixing Board’s unique structure to founding Pramana Collective with other tech comms heavyweights to what the future will hold for Twitter. 

Plus the biggest news of the week, including: 

- Southwest Airlines’ holiday disaster; 

- The NFL’s response to Damar Hamlin’s collapse; 

- Away’s interesting social media campaign.

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AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! 

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The PR Week takes a look back at its best interviews of the year with this compilation podcast that includes chats with Tim Dyson, Chris Foster, Margot Edelman and more.

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AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! 

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Featuring:
-Jacob Moon, cofounder and GM, Salt Lake City, Method Communications

“It starts at the top. David has been very transparent about sharing personal things [and his lead has set a great tone for us].” Those words are shared by Method Communications cofounder Jacob Moon about his agency’s CEO and other cofounder David Parkinson.The Salt Lake City, Utah-headquartered firm’s selection as a Best Place to Work in PR is notably based on not only the level of transparency from leadership exemplified by Parkinson, but an impressive and easily recognizable commitment to the holistic well-being of all team members.As Moon continues his chat with Gideon Fidelzeid, PRWeek editorial director of custom, it becomes clear that Method is an agency that prioritizes its employees above all else.

Based on staff responses to the PRWeek survey upon which the honorees were determined, programs such as Method Matters More and Method Anywhere really make a difference. The latter, in particular, helps explain why the firm scored so well for “being flexible to the point of allowing each employee to have an individualized work arrangement that works best for them (as opposed to mandating one policy for all)”.

Another area in which Method scored very well was its mentoring programs. Moon explains how his firm focuses on this – and he does so with great pride. That is a sentiment his team clearly shares about the agency that employs them.

AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! 

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Featuring:
-Jamie Cooper, VP, global brand PR and influence, Bacardi
-Jessica Merz, VP, global corporate comms, Bacardi 

Perhaps unsurprising, but still gratifying is the fact that the word “team” was used so consistently and often by both Jamie Cooper and Jessica Merz, Bacardi’s VP of global brand PR and influence and VP of global corporate comms, respectively, during this podcast.

So many of the things that stand out about Bacardi and its selection as a Best Place to Work in PR come back to that concept of teamwork.

As Merz explains to Gideon Fidelzeid, PRWeek editorial director of custom, the desire to contribute to the greater good of the team, as opposed to being a solo star, is one of the key things Bacardi looks for upon hiring anyone. And that collaborative spirit is just as evident, notes Cooper, not only among the two teams, but among Cooper and Merz themselves.

The brand got very high marks from its comms team for “recognizing employees for doing a good job.” Cooper notes how leadership really prioritizes this not only as an emotional boost to staffers, but as a key to their constant evolution as professionals.

Even with that emphasis on team, the staff also rate Bacardi strongly for its “entrepreneurial” culture. Merz is particularly pleased by this because it is indicative of the creative atmosphere she is helping to build, one in which every single employee feels as if they can contribute meaningfully.

Putting the team first, but still allowing individuals to shine. That certainly sounds like a best place to work.

AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! 

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Perhaps no acronym is considered and uttered more by brands and their communicators today than ESG. Still, many questions abound. Armed with data and vast experience in the area, leaders from Kivvit answer them in this podcast.

AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! 

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When it comes to the home-improvement retail giant’s culture, an inverted pyramid structure, says The Home Depot’s CCO Stephen Holmes, is a major factor that could explain this honor.

Customers are at the top of that pyramid. So are employees. Leadership is at the bottom. And every leader, including CEO Edward Decker and Holmes himself, truly feels their main priority is creating an environment where their associates (the preferred word to “employees” at The Home Depot) can thrive.

In fact, main headquarters are not even called “corporate” at The Home Depot, adds Holmes. It’s the “store-support center.”

As the conversation continues with PRWeek editorial director of custom Gideon Fidelzeid, Holmes drills deep into explaining how creative storytelling helps tell the employee story and the level the comms team goes to in order to empower in-store staffers to be the best brand ambassadors they can be. After all, happy employees make happy customers.

All Best Places to Work selections were based solely on feedback from staffers provided via responses to a survey PRWeek distributed. As such, it is noteworthy that The Home Depot got very high marks on two somewhat disparate characteristics – comms being involved in all major business decisions and being a fun place to work.

Amid numerous entrants, though, many of which were also quite strong, excelling on both of those particular fronts (and much more) seems apropos for an entity chosen as a Best Place to Work in PR.

AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! 

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Ketchum CEO Mike Doyle is the latest guest on the PR Week, as his firm brings to a close what he describes as an outstanding year. He discusses the state of the agency business and the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, including: 

-PRWeek’s Best Places to Work 2022; 

-The Liver King scandal; 

-Client payment terms;

-Volkswagen moves its account; 

-A round of big people moves.

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www.prweek.com

AI Deciphered is back—live in New York City this November 13th.Join leaders from brands, agencies, and platforms for a future-focused conversation on how AI is transforming media, marketing, and the retail experience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Secure your spot now at aidecipheredsummit.com. Use code POD at check out for $100 your ticket! 

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