Burson Strengthens Growing U.S. Corporate & Public Affairs Offering with Key Hires

NEW YORK, December 11, 2025 – Burson, the global communications leader purpose-built to create value for clients through reputation, today announced three key new hires in its U.S. Corporate & Public Affairs business, each of whom brings considerable experience in public affairs, crisis and issues management, government service and public advocacy to their new roles. 

“Business leaders are facing unprecedented and continuous disruption - from geopolitical turbulence to a hyper-fragmented media landscape,” said Craig Buchholz, U.S. CEO, Burson. “Bruce, Randy and Eric’s considerable experience at the intersection of policy, regulatory, corporate communications and strategy will be invaluable in helping our growing roster of clients build, promote and protect their reputations through continuous pressures.”  

Bruce Haynes joins as U.S. Head of Public Affairs and brings decades of experience designing and executing large scale, high-profile communications strategies and campaigns with an emphasis on corporate reputation, crisis management and public advocacy; and providing communications and strategic counsel to C-Suites, Fortune 50 companies, trade associations, national coalitions and non-profit organizations, with a focus on business outcomes. Most recently, Haynes was Senior Vice President, Corporate and External Affairs for Charles River Laboratories, leading comprehensive strategies to manage corporate reputation with key stakeholders. Before that, he spent four years as Global Co-Chair of Crisis Communications and Issues Management at FGS Global (and before that Sard Verbinnen) providing public affairs and strategic communications counsel on transformative high-stakes situations that affect reputation and value, including M&A (CFIUS, anti-trust and other regulatory matters), crises, government oversight and investigations, issues management, and policy positioning. Haynes also spent nearly 10 years with Purple Strategies, as President and a Founding Partner.

Randy DeCleene joins Burson as an Executive Vice President, bringing more than 25 years of experience working in both the private sector and government with expertise in communications, writing, public affairs, public policy, media relations, crisis, marketing, branding, strategic planning and development. His work has included significant positions and projects with large and small corporations, the United States Government, foreign governments, startups and not for profits. Before Burson, DeCleene was Chief Communications and Development Officer for The Fund for American Studies, overseeing all aspects of communications, development and fundraising. Prior to that, he spent 12 years with Washington, D.C.-based kglobal, ultimately leading all elements of client service, business development, finance and operations. Earlier, he served in the United States Department of Defense as Special Assistant for Strategic Communications (SES) to Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army. He also served as a Senior Advisor to the Commanding General of the Third Infantry Division in northern Iraq from January 2010 until January 2011 and as Vice President Dick Cheney’s Deputy Press Secretary from 2004 to 2005.

Eric Watnik, who joins Burson as an Executive Vice President, is a senior communications executive with extensive experience leading global communications, crisis response, and executive messaging in high-stakes environments. Across his career, he has directed strategies that influenced audiences across 60+ countries, managed portfolios exceeding $100M, and strengthened reputation for institutions facing complex challenges. Watnik comes to the agency after 26 years at the United States State Department, most recently as Senior Advisor for the Americas, where he drove cross-agency communications strategy for a major White House initiative focused on Latin America; managed high-level stakeholder alignment, media engagement, and narrative development in support of U.S. foreign policy goals; led interagency messaging across Cabinet-level departments to support senior diplomatic travel and policy rollout; and managed high-stakes inquiries and sensitive diplomatic messaging in complex environments. Other roles Watnik held in the State Department include Regional Director of Public Affairs, African Affairs; Senior Director of Communications (based in Kenya); Senior Director, Compliance, Office of the Inspector General; Director of Communications, U.S. Embassy, Budapest, Hungary; Director of Communications, U.S. Embassy, Singapore; and Deputy Ambassador for the Marshall Islands.