NEW YORK — RF|Binder has added two new senior execs to its food, drinks and nutricion practice — Maggie Boezi and Amy Grosheider. Boezi joins as a senior managing director, and Grosheider joins as a managing director. Boezi most recently served as group VPt at Kaplow, Grosheider comes from the agency Legend, where she worked with Dole, Dean Foods brands and Coca-Cola.  In addition to bolstering the practice, the two hires expand RF|Binder’s roster of female leadership above the managing director level, which currently is made up of 56% women.

TORONTO — Hill+Knowlton Strategies has tapped Melissa Lantsman to serve as the Toronto office’s VP of public affairs. Lantsman most recently ran the Progressive Conservative Party’s campaign war room during the 2018 Ontario provincial electionhas more than 10 years of senior public affairs and strategic communications experience that includes working on the Doug Ford campaign and serving as the director of communications to Caroline Mulroney’s campaign to lead the Ontario PC Party.

MINNEAPOLIS — Longtime researcher Dan Reilly has been promoted to senior VP and leader of SMS Research Advisors, a division of Padilla. With more than 20 years of market research experience, Reilly has worked in multiple industries including consumer, retail, manufacturing, financial and health care. He has been with SMS for the past five years, and succeeds SMS founder Jeri Meola, who recently departed the firm to pursue a client-side opportunity. 

ORLANDO, FLA — Christina Pantin, a longtime journalist and communications practitioner, has joined Uproar PR as managing director. Her 25 years of experience includes covering corporate news in the US and across Asia for Reuters and public relations experience at Samsung Telecommunications America and two global agencies. Pantin will play a strategic role at the firm, focusing on managing and growing its clients and team.

CHICAGO —  Annie Gudorf, Allison Ward and Erin Jordan have been promoted to Walker Sands partners. Their elevations bring to the number of partners in the firm to 10. The promotions, the first in three years, come in conjunction with the agency’s plan to grow by 52% this year.

SAN FRANCISCO — Megan Gilbert, most recently VICE Media’s director of branded editorial, has joined Codeword as its executive director of strategy. Gilbert will head up Codeword’s strategy and insights team to bring content and storytelling to clients including Google, Netflix and Qualcomm. Her experience includes working for the Washington Post, Slate and Fusion, leading strategic creative and production teams.