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Nicole Cornish Appointed CEO of Direct Impact

Direct Impact announced Thursday that Nicole Cornish has been appointed CEO. Cornish previously served as President of the firm and has been with Direct Impact since 2003. Former Direct Impact CEO Dave DenHerder has been named the United States CEO of Burson-Marsteller. DI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Burson-Marsteller and a member of the WPP family.

“Nicole has been a natural leader of the Direct Impact team since her arrival eight years ago. Her strategic, hands-on approach and her dedication to client service truly embody the DI brand,” said Dave DenHerder. “She has played a pivotal role in positioning the firm as a leader in the communications space, and I am confident that, under her leadership, DI will continue to grow and exceed client expectations.”

Cornish will have an expanded role in providing strategic oversight of the firm and developing new business and client programs. Before joining Direct Impact, Nicole worked in Burson-Marsteller’s San Diego office, where she served as brand practice manager for the Sony Electronics Corporation-West Coast account. Previously, she worked for Edelman-New York as a technology practice account supervisor for Fuji Photo Film, U.S.A., managing several digital imaging product launch activities, Internet campaign initiatives and the promotion of corporate milestones.

“Dave’s appointment to U.S. CEO at Burson-Marsteller is a natural progression given the leadership he has demonstrated at DI,” said Nicole Cornish. “As a result of Dave’s entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to excellence, and personalized approach to client relationships, Direct Impact has seen tremendous growth in the last few years and is now the strongest worldwide unit of Burson-Marsteller. We know that Dave’s leadership at Burson Marsteller will no doubt have a fresh and lasting impact on the PR industry.”

DenHerder has been the CEO of Direct Impact, Burson-Marsteller’s grassroots public affairs and corporate reputation subsidiary, since 2007 after joining the firm in 2005 as COO. He also served as the Ford Motor Company global client lead for WPP.