2021 was a big year for Firebrand. We grew our team (to 20), our client roster (with 11 stellar startups), our services (added creative services, talent marketing) and our revenues (up 75 percent). And we grew as professionals: we perfected the art of the funding announcement (21 successfully handled), expanded our certifications (Hubspot and Google Ads) and drove more leads and awareness for our clients than ever before. We even revamped our own brand and website. That’s a lot of growing for one year.
So it’s natural that we would also look to expand our leadership team. We couldn’t be more excited to announce our newest joiner, Ian Lipner.
Ian has worked for more than twenty years with companies that create, manage, analyze and protect data, and has especially deep expertise in data governance, cybersecurity and privacy. Ian has helped dozens of venture-backed companies dominate their categories from Splunk to Crowdstrike. He has also counseled leader brands during their most critical moments, including public affairs challenges, mergers and acquisitions, IP litigation and data privacy crises.
Ian joins us from a Washington D.C.-based corporate and crisis communications agency where he led emerging tech and cybersecurity clients. But I got to know Ian well many years prior, when he founded the Washington D.C. office at my former agency. I think of him as the ultimate paradox in communications: he’s analytical but creative, big picture but sleeves-up, bold but humble. He’s the kind of leader who lifts others up. He’s the perfect person to help Firebrand with the next phase of our growth.
As SVP PR and Content, Ian will head a portfolio of clients, expand our security and privacy practice and become part of our leadership team focused on service innovation and quality.
He’ll also bring an interesting new discussion topic to our morning Campfires: kayak fishing. Yes after a tough week on the frontlines of tech startup PR, he can be found pedaling his kayak furiously against the current as a ray tries to pull him out to sea. Or sedately fly fishing for trout on the river – something like that anyway.
Welcome, Ian!
About the Author
Morgan McLintic is the founder of Firebrand. With over 25 years’ experience in the tech sector, he advises clients about their marketing and PR strategy. Prior to Firebrand, he was the founder of digital communications agency, LEWIS in the US, growing it to 250 staff and $35m revenue.
