NEW YORK—Frank Ovaitt has joined Makovsky + Company as executive vice president, leading the firm’s efforts to integrate research into public relations practice. Ovaitt is CEO Emeritus of the Institute for Public Relations and professor of applied public relations research at The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.

Ovaitt will contribute to new client services including high level counsel on integrating research and measurement into practice and programs; ongoing support for senior communications executives to interpret and evaluate research results, communicate these to top management, and build programming on research; educating client staff on research skills and uses; and identifying research and measurement requirements, developing the RFP, supporting the client in hiring and managing vendors in this area.

Ovaitt will also counsel Makovsky clients on employee engagement and international public relations.

Prior to becoming president and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations in 2004, Ovaitt founded Crossover International, which worked with major corporations in the pharmaceutical, automotive and retail industries. He also held senior public relations positions at AT&T, MCI and Monsanto.