We are very excited to announce that Brian Ackermann (in our Pittsburgh office) and Megan Duffy (in our New York office) have been named Rising Stars as part of the Social Shake-Up’s 2019 Movers and Shakers Awards.

These prestigious social media awards recognize industry thought leaders in the use of social media for a brand or client.

During Brian’s two years at Havas PR, he has become indispensable. “Always on” when it comes to social, Brian’s ideas and hard work have led to tremendous success for our largest client, Transitions Optical. Brian leads the Transitions PRO Facebook and LinkedIn channels for eyecare professionals—growing post engagement by 512 percent over the past year. Brian also manages the award-winning Transitions Change Agent influencer program and launched Transitions Optical’s trade Instagram account—recommending the idea after being inspired during the 2018 Social Media Marketing World conference and securing additional budget from the client to make it happen.

Megan—who joined our team less than two years ago—is also a social media powerhouse who is credited with elevating Havas PR’s digital marketing development to new heights. Megan delivers strong social results for many clients and will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Her accomplishments include spearheading influencer outreach for our True Citrus client—securing 238 influencer posts for a total reach of 6.3 million (only 16 posts were paid). Megan also has a knack for converting influencer relationships into traditional media placements, including earned segments on ABC “Lowcountry Live” and WBTV-CBS. Megan is also active on the social teams for AQUA Carpatica.

Both Brian and Megan will be honored during the Social Shake-Up conference, taking place May 6-8 in Atlanta.