Steve Behm Joins Burson as Americas Chair, Corporate Affairs
Dan Doherty Elevated to Global Head, Corporate Affairs, Axicom
NEW YORK, October 24, 2024 – The Burson Group today announced two appointments of corporate affairs senior leaders. Steve Behm will join Burson on November 11 as Americas Chair, Corporate Affairs. Dan Doherty, currently U.S. Practice Chair, Corporate Affairs, for Burson, has been elevated to the role of Global Head, Corporate Affairs, Axicom, effective November 11.
Behm is a hands-on senior strategist with expertise in tough issues advocacy, corporate and political campaigns, reputation management, crisis communications, alliance creation, public affairs, cybersecurity, earnings, rapid response, creative campaign development, executive positioning, employee engagement, media training and digital strategy.
Behm joins Burson from Real Chemistry, where he served as President, Corporate Advocacy, overseeing investor relations, corporate strategy, executive coaching, reputation and crisis. Behm also spent 18 years with Edelman in various roles, including chairing the firm’s Crisis and Risk practice, a team that delivered more profit than the rest of the corporate practice combined, and was the architect and President of the firm's Southern region, which was one of the agency’s fastest-growing regions in the U.S. during his tenure, doubling in size in three years. In both roles, his teams delivered award-winning work, including Cannes Lions, PRWeek Awards, Silver Anvils and SABRE Awards. Behm also oversaw some of the agency's most successful community development programs, including the Dear John campaign to stop child prostitution in the City of Atlanta, which won a regional Emmy award and a World Leadership Award, and the industry recognized One Orlando Foundation's response to the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. Earlier in his career, Behm spent a decade in Washington working in various government roles and on political campaigns representing U.S. Senators and Congressmen from the Midwest, including members of the House Ways and Means Committee, Agriculture Committee and Energy and Commerce and several years at a public affairs boutique.
“We are in one of the most consequential periods for corporations across industries as they juggle the vagaries of elections, changing regulations, activism, supply chain disruption, geopolitics, employee engagement and more,” said Kristine Boyden, CEO, Americas, Burson. “Steve has decades of experience counseling clients through these types of issues across nearly every industry. He will bring a clear eye and a steady hand to our clients navigating constant turbulence.”
An eight-year veteran of Burson, Doherty has led Burson’s Corporate Affairs practice since helping create the group in February 2022, which was named North America Corporate Agency of the Year in 2023 by PRovoke Media. In taking on the newly created role of Global Head, Corporate Affairs for Axicom, Burson’s technology specialist agency, Doherty will extend and enhance the rapidly growing firm’s global capabilities necessary to help clients navigate an era of technological transformation. Doherty advises high-profile executives and global organizations – spanning industry and scale – on the most complex corporate reputational and public policy issues challenging their businesses. He has deep experience in the technology, CPG, food manufacturing, chemicals and energy industries and brings expertise on issues such as sustainability, trade, market recalls and withdrawals, and mergers and acquisitions. His extensive corporate communications experience includes counseling leading organizations on customer, investor, community, government and labor relations campaigns.
Doherty began his career at Cohn & Wolfe and before Burson, he served two stints with The Wade Group, most recently as President.
“There’s no question that in every major market around the world, the technology industry is at the forefront of the most pressing policy discussions shaping our future,” said Matthew Lackie, Global CEO, Axicom. “Dan is a proven practice leader, and a trusted and respected client counselor. Burson and Axicom collaborate on several shared clients, so I’ve had the privilege of witnessing Dan’s exceptional ability to craft compelling narratives for leading tech companies, enabling them to assert their influence in the right places and at the right time while fostering an environment for growth and innovation. Dan’s formal arrival at Axicom significantly enhances our ability to amplify our clients' voices and engage a broader spectrum of stakeholders to support policy, reputation and crisis communications needs.
“Dan joining Axicom is a testament to the level of talent across the Burson Group and the incredible opportunities for growth and new challenges across our network,” Lackie added.
