NEW YORK—McGraw-Hill Education has hired Catherine Mathis as chief communications officer. She will lead influencer and stakeholder management efforts aimed at key individuals, investor audiences and organizations relating to the business and future strategies of the company. Mathis was most recently the senior vice president of marketing and communications for Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, and before that senior vice president of corporate communications for The New York Times Company.

LOS ANGELES—Robert Lawson has been named executive vice president and chief communications officer at Sony Pictures Entertainment, reporting to CEO Michael Lynton, responsible for media relations, executive communications and crisis management. Lawson was previously executive vice president at Rubenstein.

NEW YORK—Media investment company GroupM has named David Grabert as global director of corporate communications. In this role, he will lead strategic external and internal communications. Grabert joins GroupM from Clear Channel Outdoor, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, where he led corporate communications for the company’s Americas division. He has prior senior communications and marketing experience at Cox Communications, Comcast and Canoe Ventures.

PHILADELPHIA—Adaptimmune, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the use of T-cell therapy to treat cancer, has appointed William Roberts as vice president, investor relations. Roberts brings more than 20 years of investor relations, communications, and scientific experience. Most recently, he spent 10 years with ViroPharma Incorporated (acquired by Shire in 2014) with responsibility for investor and media relations, patient and physician advocacy, and brand communications.

QUEBEC CITY—The Quebec Oil & Gas Association has named David Lefebvre as its public affairs and communications director. Lefebvre was previously media relations director for the Quebec Council on Tobacco & Health.