Andy Polansky to Receive IPR's 2019 'Alexander Hamilton Medal for Lifetime Achievement'

CommPRO Editorial StaffAndy Polansky, Chairman and CEO of Constituency Management Group and Executive Chairman of Weber Shandwick, will receive the 2019 Institute for Public Relations Alexander Hamilton Medal for Lifetime Achievement. Polansky will accept the Institute’s highest honor and speak at the IPR Annual Distinguished Lecture & Awards Dinneron November 19, 2019 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.The IPR Alexander Hamilton Medal is named after the founding father in honor of the carefully planned strategies Hamilton used to gain acceptance and adoption of the U.S. Constitution. Each year, the Institute for Public Relations presents its highest award to someone who has made major lifetime contributions to the practice of public relations, including effective use of research. Past recipients include Al Golin, Harold Burson, Betsy Plank, and many other distinguished leaders in the field.“Like Alexander Hamilton, the namesake of this great milestone award, Andy is a ‘founder’ with revolutionary goals,” said Gail Heimann, president and CEO of Weber Shandwick. “Andy’s particular revolution has been one of leadership. Leadership that has not only shaped the modern global communications agency of today, but that has demonstrated, beyond doubt, that relentlessly focusing on people is what matters most. Andy has laid down this most human of legacies for all of us to follow.”Polansky is the Chairman and CEO of IPG’s Constituency Management Group, which comprises over 25 specialty marketing firms across a wide range of disciplines. He also is Executive Chairman of Weber Shandwick, an award-winning communications and marketing solutions firm. Previously, Polansky served as CEO at Weber Shandwick from 2012 to 2019. Polansky was a member of the IPR Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2014.Under his direction as CEO, Weber Shandwick was a “Standout” Agency on the prestigious Ad Age Agency A-List in 2017 and 2018, and was named to Ad Age’sBest Places to Work list in 2019. Weber Shandwick was also PRWeek’s Global Agency of the Yearfour years in a row (2015 to 2018) and The Holmes ReportGlobal Agency of the Year in 2014, 2015, and 2017.“Andy Polansky puts the lie to Leo Durocher’s oft-quoted observation, ‘Nice guys finish last,’” said Steve Cody, IPR Chair, and Founder and CEO of Peppercomm. “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Andy personally and professionally for more years than either of us would care to admit, and I can say I’ve yet to encounter anyone who has achieved so much yet remains so humble. If anyone embodies the Alexander Hamilton Medal winner’s traits of leadership, sharing success with others and making a personal investment in the future of our profession, it is Andy Polansky.”Tickets to the IPR Distinguished Lecture & Awards Dinnerare available for $500 each. Tables of 10 can be purchased for $5,000 and premium tables of 10 are available for $10,000. The price includes a networking cocktail reception (sponsored by the UF College of Journalism and Communications), the awards dinner, and the Distinguished Lecture by Mark Leibovich, Chief National Correspondent for TheNew York Times Magazine and #1 New York Times bestselling author.