Michael Stern Is Hired as Chief Marketing Officer and Paul M. Rand Joins Advisory Board to Further Brand Development and Business Growth

Crisp, the leading provider of Social Media Safety, has named Michael Stern to the role of CMO. Stern will lead Crisp’s global marketing team, providing guidance and strategic oversight for integrated marketing efforts to demonstrate the value and urgency of crisis monitoring for brands around the world. He will report to Crisp President Vikram Sharma in Chicago. In addition to Stern’s appointment, Paul M. Rand, VP of Communications at The University of Chicago, has joined Crisp as an advisory board member.

“Crisp has grown significantly over the years. This year in particular, we’ve really solidified our position as a leader and category definer in the Social Media Safety and crisis monitoring space,” said Sharma. “We’re at a tipping point in our growth, and as we head into the next phase of our journey, Michael and Paul will be instrumental in strengthening our position in the market. These meaningful additions to our leadership and advisory teams are exactly what we are looking for as we continue to elevate our brand.”

Most recently serving as a Global Business Lead at Leo Burnett, Stern comes to Crisp with more than 20 years of marketing experience working with some of the world’s leading technology, CPG, food and beverage, hospitality, personal care and retail brands. Prior to Leo Burnett, Stern started his career in public relations before serving on the executive teams of Omnicom’s premiere social media and digital marketing agencies.

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“In recent years I’ve witnessed firsthand the rise of harmful social content and the negative effect it can have on today’s leading brands,” said Stern. “I was incredibly impressed with Crisp’s solution as well as its rapid expansion to Chicago in June. I’m excited to work with Vikram and the leadership team to demonstrate the value of Crisp’s services to global brands, and elevate our position within the marketplace.”

As a member of the advisory board, Rand brings his experiences as a leader in the marketing and communications space, as well as his entrepreneurial background, to the Crisp team as the organization works to protect the market capital of today’s largest brands. Rand currently serves as Vice President of Communications at the University of Chicago. Prior to that, he was Chairman at Critical Mass/Zócalo (a division of Omnicom Group). He founded and led two successful agencies: Corporate Technology Communications, one of the nation’s largest independent public relations firms, and Zócalo Group, a full-service digital and social media agency, both of which were acquired.

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“Social media is becoming increasingly weaponized as more people leverage the channels to spread misinformation and harmful content,” said Rand. “Brands are just beginning to fully realize the negative impact — both in reputation and valuation — that social media can have when it is used in this way. I’m very pleased to support the team in helping educate brands on the issue and devise pragmatic solutions to address them.

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