Choice Hotels International announced today that it had hired Robin Pence as its new public relations chief, bringing to a formal close her more than two-year stint as Corporate's top spokesperson.
Pence left that job in November without explanation, taking on a new GCI post as vice president, special projects/strategic communications, a position that still appears on her LinkedIn profile.
Based in Silver Spring, Md., publicly-traded Choice franchises more than 6,100 hotels in the U.S. and overseas under brands including Comfort Inn and EconoLodge.
Pence's position appeared threatened from the moment Corporate unexpectedly hired Maryam Banikarim as chief marketing officer a year ago -- an appointment that came just a week after the company launched an expensive corporate branding campaign that had been the centerpiece of Pence's term as PR chief.
Banikarim has been looking for Pence's replacement since November. There have been recent signs she's having trouble attracting the right candidate.
Pence was named GCI's top publicist in July 2009, taking over from the company's long-time communications VP, Tara Connell.
[Photo: Choice]
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| Pence |
Based in Silver Spring, Md., publicly-traded Choice franchises more than 6,100 hotels in the U.S. and overseas under brands including Comfort Inn and EconoLodge.
Pence's position appeared threatened from the moment Corporate unexpectedly hired Maryam Banikarim as chief marketing officer a year ago -- an appointment that came just a week after the company launched an expensive corporate branding campaign that had been the centerpiece of Pence's term as PR chief.
Banikarim has been looking for Pence's replacement since November. There have been recent signs she's having trouble attracting the right candidate.
Pence was named GCI's top publicist in July 2009, taking over from the company's long-time communications VP, Tara Connell.
[Photo: Choice]
Sometimes, executives named to Gannett "special projects" jobs are given just one project: find another job.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you keeping track, this is the first time Pence's photo has appeared on Gannett Blog.
Pence has worked for a phone company, a government IT contractor, a newspaper chain and now a hotel chain. Why in the world do companies pay as much money as they do for mouthpieces who don't even know their industries? If Pence was any good, she'd have convinced GCI to come up with the bucks to get Jimmy to voluntarily shut down.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Hey, Jim, has Gannett ever offered you money to shut down the blog? If it did, how much would it take for you to take the offer?
ReplyDelete10:20 No. And I can't think of a dollar figure that would work.
ReplyDeletePence has done what Jim has not in 4 years: find another job.
ReplyDeletePence is working. Jim is begging. Haters, take note.
Jim is doing important work. The blog has its moments of meanness and rumor-mongering but it's been sourced by the general press, other industry bloggers, journalism schools, and industry insiders. Employees and management read it.
ReplyDeleteGannett is a first amendment company and if they ever bribed Jim or tried to shut it down, it would be the biggest news story in the world.
Craig? you don't give up do ya
ReplyDelete*sigh*
11:18
ReplyDeleteAnd you're a Gannett executive with nothing better to do than hate on Jim. You know that the posters here are right: Management is venal and vile. And you, well-paid quisling that you are, think that your little posts will turn the tide. Pathetic.
The history of this blog and Robin Pence is quite instructive.
ReplyDeleteMonths of where is she, months of speculation, months of utter nonsense.
She was a cool woman and a good person and I'm glad she has found a new job, away from this juvenile crap.
Robin Pence kept her head down, did her job, delivered what the Chairman and COO asked of her and then some. In the end, she fell to the same fate as thousands of other talented nice people at Gannett: she was shown the door.
ReplyDeleteI wish Robin all the best in her new life. I can assure you she has less stress, more appreciation and peace.
Amen 12:24. That's the case with most people who leave this god forsaken company. Life is so much better when you're out of this sick and very toxic environment. The economy is turning around. Start assessing your talents and what you can contribute to other companies and treat Gannett the way it's treated you for the last five years. Time for the employees to take control.
ReplyDeleteI am also glad for Robin. As the other posters said, she worked hard and was extremely nice and fair to those of us who had the pleasure to work with her. Like many before her, she deserved far better treatment than she got from Gannett. I wish her much success in her new role at Choice.
ReplyDelete"Pence works. Jim begs." I like that.
ReplyDeleteFor those crying "corporate," think about this. Why would corporate back Pence now? Do you think about this, or do you just cry wolf any time you see a truthful post that hurts your tender ego?
Gannett used to be a nice place to work with nice people.
ReplyDeleteIn less than two years, it has become the absolutely worst place to work with ineffective and soul-less executives.
It's good to see nice ex-Gannett people doing well.
Good luck Robin. You kept your dignity, even when Banikarim arrived on the scene chasing your scalp.
It's not too hard to figure out why Banikarim wanted Pence out and why she has yet to fill the PR Director job.
ReplyDeleteOne hint: Banikarim has been able to shine the PR spotlght on herself.
I NEVER once saw Robin Pence sell herself as a story headline in the media.
Pence was not a good hire. But who has been lately?
ReplyDeleteShe might be Mrs. Claus in the niceness category but the new logo and "It's All Within Reach" appeared on her watch.
ReplyDeleteWhatever we think of it, somebody somewhere thought it merited her dispatch to Boonieville - Special Projects.
If the People Who Matter thought the logo/slogan was great, she'd be On The Road today - not just in the hotels. But Someone Important thought that although we couldn't unspend the money on the branding, we sure could boot the spender.
Good luck Robin. You give the rest of us faith there is life after Gannett.
ReplyDeleteYou are a good egg. Onward.
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ReplyDeleteWasted a lot of money. but that is about par for gannetts mighty management team.
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ReplyDelete10:26 at least she spent it on promoting Gannett, not herself.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine the tab on Banikarim's PR agency and other resources to promote the Banikarim brand.
I'll take nice and hardworking anyday over self-important and do-nothing.
I guess the question you have to ask is, "Was Robin Pence an upgrade over Tara Connell?" If the answer is "No," then she needed to go.
ReplyDelete6:14, If that's the standard, I guess Banikarim needs to go then, too.
ReplyDeletePence was a self-serving monster who alienated the media, drove her staff insane with ridiculous demands, drove out Kelly Bell, got Ed Cassidy fired and made life a living hell for all those involved in marketing in every pocket of Gannett.
ReplyDeleteThe accolades on here for Pence are mind boggling to those unfortunate enough to ever have to work for or with her.
Her downfall was her inability to undo ego-driven Maryam Banikarim once her only protector Dubow stepped out and Martore handed the hatchet to her gal pal.
Bell resigned after finally finding a new job and Cassidy was fired by Hunke not Banikarim or Robin. She was respected and respectful and did her best in a daily no win situations.
ReplyDeleteBottom line: Pence works -- something Jim has been unable to do, aside from the DJ turntable, in four years.
ReplyDelete8:18 the part you get right is that Dubow liked Pence and relied on her.
ReplyDeleteThe other part you get right is Martore is behind most of the hatchet work at Gannett. Now she has a bunch of puppets to do her dirty work.
You can't write a better screenplay full of villainous, dagger throwing, back stabbing executives.
In the end, it appears to me, Pence came out on top..
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ReplyDeleteAnybody that can get the hell out of Gannett is better off. I promise you Robin is getting a linked in from me with the hope there are some opportunities over at Choice Hotels.
ReplyDeleteHere's the question to ask: Pence served up Dubow to the media dressed and acting like a hick from Muskogee, coupled with a silly new corporat slogan. Was it Banikarim behind the frenetic executive presentation to the troops a few weeks ago which had bat boy and a hyper gesticulating Martore in front of the camera?
ReplyDeleteThat was far worse and about as professional as a fifth grade book report. Even Hunke looked lost.
8:57 - I just laughed out loud. It's hard to get that image out of your head, isn't it?
ReplyDelete8:57, was it worse than the time Jim was fighting with the mic stand at the shareholders meeting? To this day, whenever I need a laugh, I recall that image. One of Gannett's great failings is not capitalizing on that potential revenue stream.
ReplyDelete9:25 - There's a huge difference. Bat Boy and Moratore are responsible for leading this company. Jim was already gone from Gannett when he took the mic at the meeting you keep bringing up, so who really cares about that?
ReplyDeleteNice try, 9:33, but Jim's absence from the company at that time is largely irrelevant. My point is that image always has been and always will be hilarious. Gannett should have set it to music and sold copies.
ReplyDelete10:32 GET SOME NEW MATERIAL. WE'RE ALL SICK OF IT.
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ReplyDeleteI'm not sure it's fair comparing the CEO of a company to Jim. Especially Dubow, who funneled millions into his own pockets while shareholders lost billions of dollars and some 20,000 employees were shit canned. Nice try though.
ReplyDelete