About

RF|Binder was founded 15 years ago by CEO Amy Binder. A public relations veteran from a family of industry pioneers, Amy followed in the footsteps of her father, David Finn, and her uncle, Bill Ruder, founders of Ruder Finn, to launch her own agency in 2001. Her goal in forming RF|Binder was to create a different kind of agency – one that combines the resources of a large agency with the advantages of a sophisticated, boutique consultancy.

From the beginning, RF|Binder has been committed to delivering a higher level of senior management involvement, a more responsive working client relationship, and an operating structure that maximizes creativity and innovation. We pride ourselves on being an agency of challengers and entrepreneurial thinkers who look beyond the status quo. We believe it is critical to push the boundaries and find new ways to address our clients' business challenges. Through this approach, we’re able to build transformative communications programs that persuade people to believe in, connect with, and stand behind an organization, an issue and a brand.

At RF|Binder, we work with companies, brands and institutions that are in perhaps the most transformational period in their history, that are disruptors in their category, that are purpose driven and that are addressing the core issues of our society today. We seize every opportunity to tell your story, and we dive head first into your business. We believe that our senior hands-on management, emphasis on strategic thinking, and deep expertise in the industries we serve sets us apart from the competition. Our work ignites impactful results that not only reach your goals, but also critically strengthen your brand’s identity, to ultimately support and invigorate your business’ bottom line.

People

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  Amy Binder

  Chief Executive Officer

  Amy Binder, CEO, is also the founder of RF|Binder Partners, one of the top twenty independent PR agencies in the U.S. In the eight years since RF|Binder was created, Amy has spearheaded the growth of the agency -- building an impressive client portfolio served by an extraordinary group of communications professionals. Amy has deep and varied experience with institutional reputation management, brand communications, and public issues. She has particular expertise in the financial services, consumer products, and technology sectors, and has a particular passion for building CSR programs. A regular participant at communications industry events, she has written articles and lectured at universities. She is a member of the Arthur Page Society and a board member of the Institute for Public Relations Research and Education. Amy also is the Co-Chair of the Ruder Finn Group, the holding company which owns RF|Binder along with other communications services operations. Amy earned her MBA from Columbia University and is a graduate of Brown University.
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  Atalanta Rafferty

  Executive Managing Director, Food & Beverage Practice Lead

  Atalanta Rafferty has a rich and varied background working in consumer, corporate, and public issues communications both in the U.S. and in France. She brings a unique global perspective to supporting brands, including global brands in multiple geographies. At RF|Binder, Atalanta routinely takes the lead in client service for food and beverage clients, dealing with all aspects of product promotion as well as with public issues relating to nutrition, public safety, transparency, and sustainability. Atalanta received a BA with honors from Brown University; she is bilingual in French and English and competent in German and Russian.
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  Josh Gitelson

  Executive Managing Director, Head of Boston Office

  Josh is an Executive Managing Director at RF|Binder. With a background in both public relations and social media, he has worked closely with both established consumer brands and innovative start-ups to develop creative communications programs, media and influencer strategies, and compelling social content to engage organizations’ key audiences and significantly increase awareness and coverage. In his 20 years of work with top PR agencies throughout the country, Josh has created and managed national and regional marketing communications campaigns for some of the world’s most respected brands, including Dunkin’ Donuts, Planet Fitness, Zipcar, Fidelity, Microsoft, Krispy Kreme, Kayem Foods and America’s Forest & Paper Association. Josh holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He recently served as president of the Boston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, for which he remains a board member. He also serves on the board of directors for World Ocean School, a nonprofit helping underserved kids through educational programs aboard the historic ship Roseway.
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  Mike Boccio

  Executive Managing Director, Financial Services

  Mike Boccio is an Executive Managing Director at RF|Binder where he provides strategic communications and media relations counsel for corporate and financial services clients. Prior to joining RF|Binder, Mike was a Senior Vice President at Sloane & Company where he developed and directed communications programs for a broad array of financial services, media, entertainment and technology accounts. Previously, he worked at Intermarket Communications and managed several of the agency’s domestic and international financial services clients. Throughout his career Mike has advised companies on corporate positioning, thought leadership and brand management and has developed PR campaigns for major transactions and specialized events ranging from mergers & acquisitions to exchange/trading platform launches. Clients have included Charles Schwab, Direct Edge, Investcorp, The Financial Exchange, BIDS Trading, Newedge, Eurex, Sungard, TiVo, EPIX, Penton, TRA, and the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement. Mike began his career as an independent auditor for Deloitte & Touche where he provided assurance and advisory services and financial statement audits for clients including Morgan Stanley. He also worked as a proprietary stock trader with Momentum Securities. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from St. John’s University.
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  Annie Longsworth

  Executive Managing Director, RFB|Siren, Social Impact Practice Head

  Annie Longsworth is Executive Managing Director and head of our new RF|B Siren division. She leads our new San Francisco office. Annie is a brand and communications leader committed to positive change and social impact through business. Prior to joining RF|Binder, she was the Founder and CEO of The Siren Agency, which she launched in January 2015, after three years as CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi S. Prior to Saatchi & Saatchi S, Annie spent nine years as President of Cohn & Wolfe, San Francisco, where she launched and led the global sustainability practice. Through a combination of ongoing insight collection, strategic discovery, and social storytelling, Annie and her team have been devoted to helping tomorrow’s brands solve their hardest problems and build relationships with their most important customers. Longsworth’s past and current clients include Caesars Entertainment, Ramblers Way, Jackson Family Wines, The Coca-Cola Company, Johnson & Johnson, Tom’s of Maine, and American Express. She was one of the original partners on WPP’s Global Green Brands study, an annual survey that assessed attitudes and buying behaviors of more than 9,000 consumers. Longsworth led the research for six years and served as a key spokesperson to share the insights. She is a lifetime member of the advisory board of Sustainable Brands and has spoken on green consumer behavior and business responsibility at numerous conferences and events. Longsworth was named CSR Professional of the Year in 2016 by PR News, has been recognized by TriplePundit as one of the most influential women in CSR, and by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the Bay Area’s Most Influential Women in Business.
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  Joseph Fisher

  Vice Chairman

  Joe Fisher has been creating marketing, advertising, and public relations programs for clients for over 20 years. Joe's work today for RF|Binder primarily supports counsel and services to financial services companies and investors in new companies and technologies. Joe has been president and chief executive officer of Burson-Marsteller USA and a member of that firm's worldwide executive board. He earned his MBA with a marketing concentration from Columbia University and his BA in economics from Fordham University.
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  Jason Buerkle

  Chief Financial Officer

  As Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Jason is responsible for managing RF|Binder’s global financial operations. Jason oversees financial strategy and planning, budgeting, auditing, treasury, legal functions and financial systems, as well as contributes to business planning. Jason oversees human resources, company insurance, contracts and agreements, corporate level negotiations including real estate and major supplier and clients contracts. Prior to joining RF|Binder, Jason held positions with Cross Media Marketing, a publicly traded online & traditional direct marketing company, first performing due diligence on potential acquisitions and later responsible for the financial operations of the Print Division as Controller. At Grant Thornton, he served clients seeking to acquire other companies with Due Diligence and M&A services, and at Deloitte & Touche, he served financial, consumer, and telecom clients in an audit advisory role. He holds an M.B.A. from Fordham Business School with a dual concentration in Finance and Media & Communications and received his B.S. in Accounting from St. John’s University and is a Certified Public Accountant. He is a member of the New York Society of CPA’s and he serves as a Director on the Fordham Business School Alumni Association.
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  David Weinstock

  Chief Creative Officer

  David Weinstock brings more than 20 years of experience in advertising, design, marketing, digital, PR, experiential and content creation to his position as Chief Creative Officer at RF|Binder. Prior to joining RF|Binder, he was the Executive Creative Director for MSLGROUP NY, where he founded the creative department and oversaw creative across all channels on the agency’s lead accounts. His clients included P&G brands such as Crest, Oral B, Nyquil, Febreze, Bounty, and Charmin. In 2014, David’s campaign for March of Dimes won PRWeek’s Nonprofit Campaign of the Year, Publicity Club of New England’s Silver Bell Award, In2 SABRE’s In2 Advertising Award, and Pro Awards’ Platinum Award. Prior to the MSLGROUP, David served as VP, Creative Director at MKTG Inc. in New York, Creative Director of On-Air Marketing at The Oprah Winfrey Network, SVP, Director of Design at MRM/McCann Worldwide, and SVP, Director of Design at Campbell Mithun Minneapolis. He has received recognition from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Ad Week, Creativity Magazine, SHOOT Magazine, Graphic Design USA, Print Magazine, Ad Age, and the Broadcast Designers Association. As an award-winning commercial director, David created and directed broadcast, online, and in-cinema campaigns for clients including Sony, Nokia, Nike, MTV, Oppenheimer Funds, US Bank, Bayer, and TGI Fridays, to name a few. He received a Clio for a campaign he directed for Trojan Condoms. His directorial work has been highlighted in Adweek’s “Ad of The Day,” Brand Freak, and Boards Magazine. David is a graduate of Pratt Institute in New York with a degree in Communications Design.
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  Jim Furrer

  Senior Managing Director, Media Strategy

  Jim Furrer is a Senior Managing Director and leads RF|Binder’s Media Relations Team, specializing in media relations and media strategy for the agency. Jim has deep connections across broadcast, print and digital outlets. Jim also heads media training for clients and media messaging sessions with C-Suite executives across a variety of prominent sectors including food & beverage, education, finance and tech. Jim has also spent the past 12 years working with Dunkin’ Brands at both a corporate and regional level. In the Metro New York market, Jim works closely with Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees and has extensive experience working within the franchise model allowing him to develop programs that drive both brand visibility and franchisee satisfaction. In addition to his work with Dunkin’ Brands, Jim oversees consumer marketing campaigns, food and beverage programming as well as corporate communications initiatives for consumer clients. Prior to joining RF|Binder, Jim spent 10 years in broadcast journalist for ABC News, Good Morning America in New York. Jim covered all major breaking news events during his tenure at ABC News, including the Peabody-Award winning coverage of the 9/11 attacks. Jim graduated with a B.A. in Television Communications from Kutztown University. When visiting family in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Jim stays at the Days Inn on Sabbath Rest Road.
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  Eva Pereira

  Senior Managing Director

  Eva Pereira is a senior managing director at RF|Binder with more than 15 years of public relations and CSR/brand purpose experience. Eva specializes in the strategic development of public relations as well as CSR and community relations initiatives that have helped clients, including Baskin-Robbins, CVS Health, Capital One, Bank of America and Staples, raise awareness and visibility of their brand purpose.   In 2014, Eva led the RF|Binder team that supported CVS Health when it made the bold decision to remove tobacco products from all CVS/pharmacy locations. In the two years that followed, Eva worked with CVS Health and its non-profit partners, including the American Lung Association and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, to develop strategic programming that would keep CVS Health’s commitment to helping people lead tobacco-free lives in the spotlight.   Eva has also led the Baskin-Robbins account for the past five years and has been responsible for developing media and influencer strategies that have created buzz and awareness around key moments in time for the brand and have showcased its franchisees through storytelling and special events.   The work of Eva’s account teams has been recognized by the PR News CSR Awards and has contributed to RF|Binder being named a PR News CSR A-List Award recipient for the past several years.   Eva received a B.A. in Communications from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.