University of Alabama

Andy Polansky, 2014 Agency Mentor

Karla

Andy Polansky is Chief Executive Officer of Weber Shandwick, a leading global public relations agency with offices in 81 countries around the world. Andy was named CEO in November 2012, after serving as global president since March, 2004.

Under his direction, Weber Shandwick was named to the prestigious Advertising Age A-List in 2014 and was named PRWeek’s International Consultancy of the Year in 2013. The firm also has over the past few years won Global Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report, toppedThe Holmes Report Global Creativity Index, was named PRNews Digital Agency of the Year and top Corporate Responsibility Advisory Firm by CR Magazine. Weber Shandwick also has been recognized as one of the top firms to work in social media by Mashable and has won numerous “best place to work” awards around the world.

Andy led the development of Weber Shandwick’s Client Relationship Leader (CRL) program, which has been featured as a Harvard Business School case study. He serves as a senior strategist on a number of corporate and business-to-business client engagements. In addition, Andy spearheaded the development of the firm’s global Making A Difference program, which encompasses pro-bono community outreach programs that Weber Shandwick supports.

Programs Andy has developed have won numerous industry awards, and in 2010 he was named to the PRNews Hall of Fame.

In addition, Andy serves on the Board of Directors for The Ad Council, a private, non-profit organization that produces, distributes and promotes public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community wellbeing and strengthening families.

Andy from 2010-2012 served as chair of the Council of Public Relations Firms, the U.S. Trade Association for public relations agencies. He sits on the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Public Relations (IPR), an independent foundation in the field of public relations focusing on research and education. Andy also is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society and The Seminar.

Andy also has served as a non-executive director of Freeplay Energy, a global supplier of clean, off-the-grid energy products.

Prior to joining Weber Shandwick (as a member of a firm then known as Bozell Public Relations), Andy was a municipal reporter for the Bucks County Courier Times in Levittown, PA, a business and feature writer for the Princeton Packet in Princeton, NJ, and a sportswriter at The Trentonian in Trenton, NJ.

Andy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and sits on the TCNJ Foundation Board of Directors. The TCNJ Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation that solicits, receives, and administers gifts, bequests, and trusts for the benefit of the College.

 

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