The Halo Group has promoted Lara Cohn to SVP and director of PR. She joined the firm in 2010 and has since worked to broaden the company’s capabilities in the events, social media, and content creation space.

Talley Summerlin has joined Emanate as VP in the New York office, leading the corporate reputation efforts for the Philips client and working with the Legacy Asset Servicing division of Bank of America. Summerlin was previously a director with EnviroMedia Social Marketing, an Austin, TX-based firm.

Jaime Malet, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Spain, has joined APCO Worldwide‘s International Advisory Council. He will counsel Spanish clients looking to expand abroad as well as companies doing business in Spain. Mallet is also the president of TELAM, a business consulting and lobbying advisory firm.

IR firm Sharon Merrill has launched Socialize IR, a division specifically for those clients wanting to add social media and digital technologies to their IR efforts. Dennis Walsh, senior consultant and director of social media, will lead the division.

Newly-formed parent company W2O Group has hired Tom Pierce for a new position in the company: COO. He was previously director of operations and finance at BDO Consulting and has 20 years of experience in the operations and finance area.