Amsterdam, 26 May 2010 – Media Wise, the international PR and communications agency based in Amsterdam, has appointed Vicky Valanos as Senior Communications Adviser and Corporate Responsibility Coordinator.
Valanos, a Greek-American former diplomat, financial analyst and journalist, previously advised on corporate responsibility strategy through her own Amsterdam-based company be involved!
At Media Wise Valanos will develop Media Wise’s Corporate Responsibility practice, focusing on developing stakeholder engagement activities, concepts and approaches that marry sustainability to companies’ core values and strategy.
“Vicky has an unusually diverse combination of business, analytical, journalistic and creative skills that enriches our communications assets,” says Emma Robson, Managing Director of Media Wise, adding: “Vicky is brimming with ideas about CSR, and this is an area we were actively looking to develop further, beyond the annual sustainability reports we have produced to date.”
Vicky’s career spans 25 years, spent in Greece and the U.S. and includes stints at the IMF, as an election campaign event manager and as an analyst at the U.S. Department of State, specialising in intelligence and counterterrorism. When in Greece, she worked as a financial analyst for a private equity company, advised the Greek Foreign Minister, spearheading cultural programming and international conferences, established a successful music and video games company and produced television news for U.S., Australian and Middle East-based broadcasters.
Vicky has a degree in international relations and Spanish from Dickinson College, Pennsylvania and a Master’s in international law from the American University in Washington, D.C. She is a native English and Greek speaker and is fluent in Spanish.