Ex Groupon VP Bradford Williams Joins PR Powerhouse Weber Shandwick

One of the world’s leading public relations firms just snagged Groupon’s ex vice president of global communications. A recent press release from Weber Shandwick announced that Bradford Williams has joined the firm to lead the North American region of its Global Technology practice.  Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Williams served as vice president of global communications at Groupon.

Mr. Williams’s tenure at Groupon was cut very short. In late August, 2011 acting as Vice President of Global Communications, Brad left the company after just two months on the job. Sources suggest that Mr. Williams left due to the way the company had responded to its critics during the “quiet period” ahead of its initial public offering in November. At that point in time, Brad declined to comment other than to say: “We mutually decided it wasn’t a fit.”

Brad has over 25 years of technology and corporate communications experience. Many of those years were spent holding senior communications positions with leading global corporations. Brad will now be based out of the firm’s Sunnyvale office and will lead the region’s Technology practice, work with colleagues to support major client assignments and drive growth in North America. He will report to Heidi Sinclair, president, Weber Shandwick’s Global Technology practice.

If Bradford Williams name sounds familiar, it should. He has held global and senior communications positions for leading technology companies including eBay, Yahoo! and VeriSign. In all cases, he led corporate and brand positioning, elevated the companies’ industry and thought leadership profiles, served as a corporate spokesman, and counseled senior management through high-profile financial transactions and other corporate issues.

“Brad is a recognized communications strategist across the industry and we are excited to have him join the team to help drive ongoing momentum and success for our technology practice,” said Sinclair. “He has a strong sense of what technology clients are looking for from their agency partners. His talent, passion and experience will deliver great value to the firm and its clients.”

Mr. Williams seemed in good spirits as he begins a new chapter in his professional life. In a statement for the press release, he said: “I am very excited to be joining the firm and working alongside a world-class group of PR and technology practitioners and clients. Having experienced the firm in a client capacity, while at VeriSign, I had the unique opportunity to see Weber Shandwick’s strengths and talents firsthand.  I look forward to collaborating with the agency even more deeply in this new role.”

I personally wish Mr. Williams the best of luck with his new position. I also hope that he cashed in any Groupon stock options before Wednesday’s earnings call.

About Weber Shandwick:

Weber Shandwick is a leading global public relations agency with offices in 81 countries around the world. The firm’s success is built on its deep commitment to client service, our people, creativity, collaboration and harnessing the power of Advocates – engaging stakeholders in new and creative ways to build brands and reputation. Weber Shandwick provides strategy and execution across practices such as consumer marketing, healthcare, technology, public affairs, financial services, corporate and crisis management. Its specialized services include digital/social media, advocacy advertising, market research, and corporate responsibility. In 2010, Weber Shandwick was named Global Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report for the second year in a row; an ‘Agency of the Decade’ by Advertising Age, Large PR Agency of the Year by Bulldog Reporter, a Digital Firm of the Year by PR News, and Top Corporate Responsibility Advisory Firm by CR Magazine. The firm has also won numerous ‘best place to work’ awards around the world. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG).

Source: PRNewswire