NEW YORK—Travel and hospitality marketing specialist MMGY Global has acquired NJFPR, the specialist boutique founded by Nancy J. Friedman, which will be rebranded as NJF, an MMGY Global Company. Friedman, president and CEO, will play an active role in the new entity, and will now be able to offer clients PR strategy as part of a fully integrated marketing firm. Gould+Partners advised on the transaction.

NEW YORK—Industry veterans Sandra Macleod, Craig Rothenberg and John Doorley have joined together to launch The Academy for Communication Excellence, designed to enhance skills, leadership capabilities and business acumen. The three have assembled a faculty of communication and business leaders from diverse industries, geographies and professional backgrounds. Macleod, Rothenberg and Doorley will customise the curriculum based on the greatest needs of a specific communications department or team.


NEW YORK—Mike Bako and Susan Higgins have been promoted and Shelby Fix and Scott Sommer have joined the team at DS Simon Media. Bako is now executive producer and Higgins is now director of media relations. Fix joins as video producer/ senior content marketer, having previously been in charge of the social media platforms for 39 Applebee's locations. Sommer joins as video producer/ content marketer from his role as producer, reporter, and editor at Artisan News Service.

LONDON and CHICAGO—ApotheCom, a global medical communications business within Huntsworth Health, has formed a strategic partnership with Continuum Clinical, a pioneer in patient recruitment and late-stage research. The partnership will see the launch of new products and services in 2017 in the fields of global market access, medical affairs, health economics and outcomes research, and real world evidence.