Topaz Partners Adds Four PR Professionals to Staff

Additions Demonstrate Leadership in Tech PR

[ClickPress, Fri Jun 30 2006] Topaz Partners, the leader in next-generation technology public relations, continued its expansion with the addition of four PR professionals to its staff. The new staff members are Tim Allik, from Boston.com; Kristin Beltramini and Susan Koutalakis, who join from Boston area PR firms and Alison Raymond, a recent UMass graduate.

Allik has 10 years of professional writing, editing, reporting, and producing experience. He also has senior-level experience in web project management, e-commerce development, and product development. Prior to joining Topaz, he was the senior project manager for Boston.com. He was previously the senior producer for the Morning Edition of WBUR, where he was responsible for assigning stories, editing tapes, and writing and reporting radio pieces.

Beltramini has worked with clients to create and focus messaging, manage letter-to-the-editor campaigns, and target specific audiences through trade publications and new media outreach. She has worked with clients in the high tech, healthcare, security, and telecommunications industries.

Koutalakis, who prior to Topaz worked for Racepoint Group, has nearly a decade of PR experience. She has implemented editorial, award and speaking programs with a focus on areas such as telecommunications, networking, wireless, advertising, eMarketing and eCommerce enabling technologies. Koutalakis has worked for both emerging and established companies including Excel Switching (Cantana Technology), IPeria and ThirdScreen Media.

Raymond, a recent communications graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, joins the Topaz team after completing a six-month internship with the agency.

“Topaz continues to broaden its experience, perspective, and skill set with the additions of Tim, Kristin, Susan and Alison,” said Tony Sapienza, co-founder and principal partner of Topaz Partners. “These new staff members refine Topaz’s commitment to invest in people who will help us deliver innovative and effective services to our growing base of clients. Topaz is able to provide more valuable services to clients in key areas including Telecommunications, Buzz Media and Online Communications and Security.”

About Topaz Partners:
Topaz Partners is an emerging leader in next-generation technology public relations. Topaz specializes in strategic communications with a business development mindset, leveraging a growing suite of services addressing mainstream and consumer-generated media. The agency’s senior team of professionals draw on experience with leading PR firms and in-house corporate marketing organizations to provide counsel and hands-on support in media and analyst relations, and online communications, PR strategy and message development, the creation of editorial and marketing materials, and other areas of strategic business communications. Topaz has a growing base of clients across a broad range of technology segments, as well as business-to-business and consumer markets, in regions around the world. Established in 2002, Topaz has quickly emerged as a PR leader and was named to “Boston Business Journal’s Top 25 Largest PR Firms in Boston” list in January 2006. For more information, visit Topaz on the Web at www.topazpartners.com or call (781) 404-2400.