Ragan Communications welcomes Diane Schwartz as new CEO

Diane Schwartz, former publisher of PR News and one of the nation’s most recognized experts in corporate communication, has joined Ragan Communications as Chief Executive Officer, effective May 13.

The Chicago-based media company is best known for its PR and communication news sites and its growing conference, training and membership divisions. Its daily news sites—PR Daily, Ragan.com and HealthCareNews—are read by more than 600,000 internal and external communicators monthly.

“Diane Schwartz is known by nearly every communicator and PR professional in the country,” said Mark Ragan, owner and chairman of the board at Ragan. “I can think of few people in corporate communication as influential as Diane.”

The hiring of Schwartz coincides with Ragan’s plan to open a New York City office later this year. “New York is one of the epicenters of PR and corporate communication,” Ragan said. “We have long needed a presence there, and soon we’ll have one.”

Among many of Schwartz’s accomplishments at PR News was the launch of the world’s leading PR awards program, its successful conference division and its critically acclaimed newsletter, which for the past 75 years has been widely read by key industry influencers.