Business News

The Boston Globe Appoints Robert M. Powers Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs

Wednesday 02. July 2008 - The Boston Globe announced today the appointment of Robert M. Powers to the position of vice president, communications and public affairs, effective July 1, 2008.

Responsibilities of the new position include external and internal communications, as well as community relations. Mr. Powers will report to Steven Ainsley, publisher, The Boston Globe.
Mr. Powers will oversee media communications for both The Boston Globe and Boston.com, in recognition of the ever-growing integration of the two media brands. As such he will serve as the primary contact for press inquiries and outreach. He will also direct the organization’s internal communication system, including oversight of the intranet site, which is used to help employees stay informed about the business.
The Boston Globe Foundation, which annually awards grants to Boston-area nonprofit organizations, will report to Mr. Powers. In addition to grant-making, the Globe Foundation creates and runs programs that support the educational and personal development of young people. One such event is the annual Media Matters, now a two-day conference for writing students and teachers held at UMass Boston.
The Globe Santa program, which last year supplied toys for 55,000 needy children in the greater Boston area, will also report to Mr. Powers. For more than fifty years, Globe Santa has collected donations from readers and organizations for the purchase of toys for children.
Mr. Powers, 52, started at the Globe in 1981 and has held a variety of positions in promotion, marketing research, advertising sales development, marketing services and internal communications. He is a graduate of Bentley College, where he earned a B.S. in Accountancy.