HUNTER Elevates Gigi García Russo and Michael J. Lamp to Key Leadership Roles

As agencies adapt to a communications landscape increasingly shaped by AI, digital transformation, and evolving audience behaviors, leadership decisions are becoming strategic signals about where the industry is headed. This week, HUNTER announced two significant executive promotions that underscore its commitment to growth at the intersection of communications, culture, and technology.

HUNTER has promoted Gigi García Russo to President and Michael J. Lamp to Chief Digital & Transformation Officer, expanding the responsibilities of two longtime leaders who have helped shape the agency's evolution over the past two decades.

The appointments come as organizations across industries seek communications partners capable of blending trusted storytelling, earned media expertise, and emerging technologies to drive business outcomes.

Reporting to CEO Grace Leong, García Russo will oversee the agency's reputation, relationships, and revenue growth while helping define HUNTER's next phase of expansion. A champion of earned media and an advocate for innovation, she will lead efforts to deepen client impact while continuing to nurture the culture that has become a hallmark of the agency.

García Russo's promotion reflects a remarkable journey at HUNTER. Over more than 20 years, she has helped guide the firm's transformation from a 30-person boutique agency into a global organization of more than 300 professionals. She has also played a central role in expanding HUNTER's capabilities across earned media, influencer marketing, social media, experiential programs, crisis communications, and AI-enabled services. In 2025, she helped launch Bobbie, the agency's standalone talent and influencer marketing division.

As the communications industry approaches the midpoint of 2026, García Russo sees a renewed appreciation for the core strengths that have long defined public relations.

"The agentic era has supercharged a renewed interest and genuine appreciation for the power of earned storytelling as it's proven to propel brand discovery, spark fandom, and move businesses forward," she said. "In the best way possible, it feels like the creative comms industry has come full circle. Now, we have new technologies to help us unlock growth for our clients more creatively and effectively than ever before."

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, García Russo believes agencies must continue balancing innovation with the fundamentals that have always driven trust and engagement.

"Staying true to our 'always hunting' spirit, we have remained ahead of the curve and are pumped to keep our sleeves rolled up and help our clients navigate this new world ahead," she said.

Beyond client work, García Russo has been a driving force behind initiatives that support culture, inclusion, and professional development. Her industry contributions have earned recognition from PRNEWS and PRSA-NY, and she currently serves on the board of the Hispanic Public Relations Association.

At the same time, HUNTER is elevating Lamp to a newly expanded leadership role focused on helping the agency navigate the next era of communications.

Since joining HUNTER in 2008, Lamp has been instrumental in building the agency's digital capabilities. What began as a two-person digital team has grown into a multidisciplinary practice of more than 60 specialists. As Chief Digital & Transformation Officer, he will lead HUNTER's digital innovation strategy, oversee AI and emerging technology initiatives, guide staff and client training programs, and help develop new approaches to communications in what he describes as the "agentic era."

Lamp has already been at the forefront of many of HUNTER's technology initiatives. In 2025, he launched HUNTER: Hi5, the agency's AI Search Optimization solution designed to help brands improve visibility and credibility across AI-powered search experiences. His work has earned recognition from industry organizations including PRWeek and PRSA-NY, and he currently serves as an advisor to the Ragan Center for AI Strategy.

Asked where the industry stands as 2026 reaches its midpoint, Lamp offered a measured assessment of AI adoption across communications and marketing organizations.

"Thinking about the industry from the lens of transformation, I feel like we're a community in flux," he said. "Everyone came to a collective decision last year that AI would be this silver bullet-style unlock for all orgs. But AI isn't an iPhone you can just unwrap and start using."

According to Lamp, many organizations are still working through the practical realities of implementation.

"It requires a slew of considerations to operationalize in a way that's effective and adopted responsibly across the company," he said. "We're seeing a lot of organizations struggle to find their footing with AI based on governance confusion or an over-reliance on one platform, often Copilot or ChatGPT."

For the remainder of 2026, Lamp's focus is on ensuring innovation remains tightly connected to client needs and business outcomes.

"My main goal for the back half of the year is to focus the innovation of our agency services on direct and specific answers to current client problems," he said. "The typical, retainer-style model has morphed into a series of needs-based engagements over time, so we need to anticipate those needs to be the best partners for our clients."

Announcing the promotions, Leong emphasized the complementary strengths both leaders bring to the agency's future.

"These promotions recognize two exceptional leaders who have helped define HUNTER's success and will play a critical role in shaping our future," she said. "As our clients and staff navigate a world where the combination of human expertise and technology is increasingly essential, Gigi and Michael bring the leadership, vision, and innovation needed to help them succeed."

The promotions also reflect a broader trend reshaping the communications industry. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into content discovery, search, reputation management, and audience engagement, agencies are investing heavily in leaders who can bridge traditional communications expertise with emerging technologies.

For HUNTER, the elevation of García Russo and Lamp signals a continued focus on building integrated communications programs that combine earned media, influencer engagement, digital innovation, and AI-powered solutions to help brands earn attention and build trust in an increasingly fragmented media environment.

With both leaders assuming expanded responsibilities, HUNTER appears to be positioning itself for continued growth while reinforcing the belief that the future of communications will require equal parts creativity, culture, technology, and human expertise.