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# Burson adds three key D.C.-based staff to its U.S. Corporate & Public Affairs practice
- URL: https://capitolcommunicator.com/burson-adds-three-key-d-c-based-staff-to-its-u-s-corporate-public-affairs-practice/
- Published: 2025-12-11T22:36:13.000Z
- Updated: 2025-12-11T22:38:03.000Z
- Author: Capitol Communicator
- Tags: People, Agency, #wp-upper-left-sponsored, #Import 2026-10-08 18:55

[**Burson**](https://www.bursonglobal.com/?ref=capitolcommunicator.com) **announced three D.C.-based hires in its U.S. Corporate & Public Affairs practice,** each of whom, states a release, “brings considerable experience in public affairs, crisis and issues management, government service and public advocacy to their new roles.” The trio are **Bruce Haynes, Randy DeCleene** and **Eric Watnik.**

“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.”

A Burson release states:

**Bruce Haynes joins as U.S. Head of Public Affairs.** 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 as an Executive Vice President**. 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 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 joins as an Executive Vice President.** 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.