MikeWorldWide, a leading independent and integrated public relations agency, announced that Gina Cherwin, who joined the firm in 2013 and served as EVP & Chief People Officer since 2016, has been promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer. In this newly created position, Cherwin will maintain CPO responsibilities of leading the firm’s focus on culture and talent strategy, while adding all international operations, resource planning and forecasting, real estate and facilities management, and acquisition integrations. Cherwin will continue to serve on the firm’s executive committee, responsible for establishing policies that promote company culture and vision through operations to maximize growth and profitability while managing risk.
“Soon after Gina joined MikeWorldWide, she became a heartbeat of our agency and an incredible champion for our culture. Many organizations talk about its importance, but Gina has successfully operationalized our culture, elevating our purpose and values to a strategic function and a competitive differentiator,” said Michael W. Kempner, Founder and CEO of MikeWorldWide. “Gina and I will continue to collaborate to ensure that our people remain at the center of our decision-making and reinforce our position as the agency where top talent and top brands want to be.”
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As Chief People Officer, Cherwin was instrumental in leading the agency through the pandemic and the transition to remote and hybrid work, while preserving the people-first, client-centric ethos that has been the hallmark of MWW since its inception. Cherwin has also been the executive sponsor of MikeWorldWide’s DEI efforts and spearheaded the development of the firm’s industry-leading benefits, which include 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave for all parents, unlimited PTO, and free online therapy for all employees and dependents. Cherwin has stewarded the firm’s leadership in all aspects of mental well-being, including the addition of seven paid holidays per year as agency-wide mental health days and company sponsored mental health and wellness stipends. Her innovative approach to benefits design is also reflected in MWW’s “Pre PTO” policy, which offers new hires a week of paid time off prior to starting at the firm to ensure a true reset and refresh between jobs. These programs are operational reflections of MWW’s “Caring Counts” philosophy and have led to industry-leading staff and client retention.
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“Human Capital isn’t just part of the PR business, it is the entire business,” commented Cherwin. “I am proud to work at an agency with such an incredible track record of promoting from within, and alongside Michael Kempner, who has always given me the latitude to innovate and re-imagine how culture and HR can be a catalyst for growth. This is truly an agency that encourages people to pursue their passions and chart their own course. ”
Cherwin continued, “The past two years have demonstrated that things we never thought possible can be done well if you allow your organization to lead with its values. Our industry is at an inflection point; what brought agencies this far will not propel us to the future. As we continue to reimagine and re-think legacy ideas and systems, I look forward to continuing to ensure that strategy, operations and people come together in a way that creates value for our clients and opportunity for our people.”
Cherwin was honored this year as one of the Top Women in Communications by PR Daily and Ragan Communications.
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