FTI Consulting hires ex-White House staffer Jennifer Kaplan as MD – PR Week

Kaplan, former deputy assistant to President Joe Biden, joins FTI in a newly created role.
by Noah Zuss Added 18 minutes ago
WASHINGTON: FTI Consulting has appointed Jennifer Kaplan, who was deputy assistant to former President Joe Biden, to a newly created role as MD. 
Kaplan joined FTI Consulting’s strategic communications practice on April 28. She reports to Brian Kennedy, senior MD and head of the Americas at FTI Consulting. 
The global advisory company created Kaplan’s role because FTI Consulting is growing its crisis, litigation and public affairs teams, a spokesperson for the firm said. 
“We are focused on investing in talent that can uniquely support clients through crisis and disruption — be that front-page cyber incidents or navigating today’s turbulent geopolitical environment,” the spokesperson said.Kaplan will work with FTI’s strategic communications team in the Americas and around the globe as well as other business segments within FTI Consulting, the spokesperson added.
Kaplan joined FTI Consulting after serving as deputy assistant to Biden. She also served in the Biden administration as senior adviser to the director of the Office of Public Engagement. Before that, Kaplan was senior adviser at the U.S. Department of Commerce. 
Kaplan also served as director of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships from 2014 to 2017. Under former President Barack Obama, she was deputy director of the White House Council on Women and Girls. Kaplan also served as special assistant to the director of the Office of Public Engagement.
Before that, Kaplan was tri-state finance director of Obama for America.      
FTI Consulting’s strategic communications practice includes services in corporate reputation, crisis communications, financial communications, public and government affairs, transaction communications and communications and insights. Mark McCall, global segment leader of strategic communications at FTI Consulting, leads the practice. 
Last month, Isabella More and Scott Schneider were also named as MDs at the agency. Additionally, in February, FTI Consulting appointed Curtis Smith as MD; and the following month, Payne Griffin was named senior director.
 All of the newly created positions report to Kennedy.     
“These roles are all part of FTI Consulting’s investment in broadening our bench of experts,” the spokesperson added. 
FTI Consulting was founded in 1982 and is based in Washington, DC. FTI Consulting reported a 2% revenue increase to $336 million globally in 2024, according to PRWeek’s 2025 Agency Business Report.    
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