DiGennaro Communications Merges with Australia's Access PR to Create Access-DGC and Expand Global Reach

CANNES, FRANCE--(Marketwired - June 21, 2017) - New York-based independent PR agency DiGennaro Communications (DGC) is merging with Sydney-based Access PR, following a four-year strategic partnership borne out of a shared client relationship. Each firm is dominant in its respective regions as experts in connecting leading ad, media, marketing and tech clients to key press, conference programmers, analysts and influencers. Access Founder Andrea Kerekes will move to New York to become DGC's first Executive Vice President, Managing Director, reporting to DGC Founder and CEO, Samantha DiGennaro. Kerekes will also serve on DGC's executive team.

Access PR in Asia-Pacific will be renamed Access-DGC and will be led by newly appointed CEO Nichola Patterson. The merger creates a team of more than 50 communications practitioners with a deep range of expertise across B2B and B2C communications from thought leadership to content creation, reputation management to publicity, crisis management to training.

Two realities spurred the merger of DGC and Access:

• The PR discipline has become a more vital solution to helping advertising, marketing and media companies break through the clutter of content and messaging, resulting in DGC's desire to build out and strengthen its team to serve its growing roster of clients.
  
  
• The world is getting smaller as communications companies expand their multinational reach, leading DGC to broaden its multi-national network of PR expertise into the Asia Pacific region.

DGC has made two other talent grabs recently aimed at expanding its senior leadership and capabilities in content creation, thought leadership and training. DGC hired Michael Burgi (May 2017), a veteran editor with Adweek and Mediaweek, as Senior Vice President heading up the firm's burgeoning news and content practice. And in April ('17) Megan McIlroy returned to DGC as Senior Vice President/Group Director. With deep advertising, media, marketing and tech/ad-tech experience, McIlroy has quickly resumed her role delivering against DGC's vision to be the best PR agency servicing communications companies.

"This is a brilliant opportunity for both agencies to collaborate and pool resources, skill sets and ideas to create an accountable and innovative micro-network that puts clients' results first and foremost," explained DiGennaro in announcing the merger. DGC counts among its clients Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, National Geographic, Epsilon, DDB, David&Goliath and the community.

Kerekes brings over 20 years of experience in the PR, marketing and media space to DGC. She founded Access PR nearly 10 years ago and has built it into Sydney's foremost shop specializing in reputation management, content and publicity, working with B2B clients like Starcom, News Ltd, JWT, Vivaki, AnalogFolk, Zenith and Razorfish, and B2C clients including Spotify, Pizza Hut and Sodastream. Before launching her agency in 2008, Kerekes worked in-house at M&C Saatchi as Regional Communications Director for seven years, and prior to that, spent four years in-house at Y&R in a PR and communications role. She worked as an in-house copywriter for two years at Condé Nast on VOGUE and related titles, spent the first few years of her working life as a media and marketing journalist.

"On the cusp of our 10th birthday, we started to think about what the next 10 years could like for the business, and this is a truly exciting path to create -- especially with someone who has been a friend and colleague for many years," said Kerekes, who relocates to New York later this summer.

About DiGennaro Communications
DiGennaro Communications (DGC) is a team of communicators for creative brands. Founded in 2006, by Samantha DiGennaro, DGC currently supports innovative companies in a range of sectors including media, entertainment, marketing, technology, publishing and consumer brands, including Facebook, Instagram, National Geographic, Spotify, Disney on Ice, Marvel Universe LIVE!, Epsilon and Jingle Punks. Leading brands and emerging entrepreneurs trust DGC to deliver the increased awareness and understanding that ultimately drives brand value. DGC is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Austin, Miami, Sydney and Melbourne, and partnerships in the UK and Bangalore.

DGC is a repeat recipient of The Observer's PR Power 50 Award, named Company of the Year by The Stevie Awards for Women in Business, a Great Entrepreneurial Place to Work by NY Enterprise Report and has been included in Inc.'s 500|5000 list of America's fastest growing privately held companies for over five years. DiGennaro herself has also been recognized as an Entrepreneur of the Year by The Stevie Awards and is a recipient of the SmartCEO Brava! Award. Learn more here: www.digennaro-usa.com

About Access-DGC
Access-DGC is a Sydney based independent communications and PR agency specializing in reputation management, content and publicity. The agency has a joint venture with award-winning independent New York-based agency DiGennaro Communications (DGC). Between them the agencies have around 50 staff. Current Australian clients include Sydney Airport, Tourism Northern Territory, Barangaroo Delivery Authority, Freeview, AnalogFolk, Sydney School of Entrepreneurship, The Star, Pizza Hut, and Art Gallery of NSW. The agency was a finalist in 2017 CommsCon PR Employer of the Year and 2015 Mumbrella PR Agency of the Year.

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