WME Group has promoted Marie Sheehy to executive vice-president and head of communications, placing her in the company's senior executive ranks. In the role she oversees all communications strategy and operations across the firm — which spans the WME talent agency, IMG Licensing and Pantheon Media Group — and acts as its lead spokesperson while managing external, internal and executive communications. The move recognises a long-serving figure at one of the entertainment industry's most prominent talent businesses.

Sheehy has been with the company for more than two decades, joining what was then the William Morris agency in 2005. She has helped steer communications through its merger with Endeavor, the acquisitions of IMG and UFC, and last year's take-private deal by Silver Lake, and previously led corporate communications for Endeavor Content (now Fifth Season). Co-chairmen Christian Muirhead and Richard Weitz praised her strategic counsel and industry relationships. Sheehy also sits on the advisory board of USC Annenberg's Center for Public Relations and mentors in The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment programme.