I am excited to announce the further growth of our executive team with the elevations of Andrew Cross to president and Allison Ward to chief people officer, two moves which will continue to support Walker Sands’ top-tier talent and award-winning B2B work.
As we continue to grow, it’s more important than ever to support a flexible, people-first culture so our teams can continue to provide high-caliber work to top B2B brands. I’m grateful to look back and see the milestones 2022 has already brought us in these areas — from being named a Best Place to Work in Seattle and Chicago by Built In to having our work recognized by the PR Club Bell Ringer, B2 and Hermes Creative awards. We also recently committed to offering both hybrid and fully remote work options so our people can work in whatever space is best for them.
With these promotions, we elevate two leaders dedicated to supporting our people and the great work they do every day.
- Andrew Cross, President: Over the course of his 11 years with Walker Sands, Andrew has proven to be a strong, people-first leader. He began his career on the ground floor of the public relations team and advanced up the ranks until he ran the entire department. As the leader of the agency’s largest department, Andrew continued to grow the PR function while also leading some of Walker Sands’ biggest clients across teams. In his role as president, Andrew now leads the agency’s service teams across all of Walker Sands’ core functions including public relations, branding, creative services, demand generation, marketing strategy and web. In addition to overseeing our service team members, Andrew also focuses on new business, strategic client support and agency growth and development.
- Allison Ward, Chief People Officer: Allison joined Walker Sands in 2013 and spent the first seven years on the services side of the agency, providing award-winning work first in public relations, then in Client Services on some of our first integrated accounts. In 2020, Allison took over Walker Sands’ Talent Department, where her tireless work to create a more inclusive and supportive work environment is evidenced by the implementation of policies like our fully paid 12-week family leave and the strengthening of our DEI strategies. In her role as chief people officer, Allison oversees our people and talent departments, with a focus on attracting and recruiting top talent and making Walker Sands a “Best Place to Work.”
As I look to the future of Walker Sands, I am confident that the agency’s people and growth are in great hands. Congratulations to Andrew and Allison for their well-earned elevations.
Interested in joining the Walker Sands team? Visit our Careers page and apply today.