SAN FRANCISCO — FleishmanHillard senior VP Barbara Pinto is joining W2O as head of the agency’s North American executive communications practice.

In the newly created role, Pinto, a former broadcast journalist, will work with the practice’s global leader Mike Huckman and group director Patrick Ryan to strengthen the executive communications offering. The practice’s focus is on advising c-suite and senior managers on corporate and media strategy, reputation management, media coaching and crisis planning.

“Business is being challenged more today than ever before given massive shifts in technology, society, influence and markets,” said W2O president Jennifer Gottlieb. “Barbara has demonstrated the ability to guide leaders through significant change by capturing and conveying stories that break through to generate interest and engagement.”

Pinto moves to W2O after more than three years at Fleishman, where, as a senior VP, she focused on strategic message development, presentation and media coaching, reputation management, and crisis communications. Before that, she worked in broadcast journalism, spending a decade-plus as an ABC News correspondent before starting her own production company, which she ran for nearly four years.