Capital New York
Mario Ruiz, head of communications for The Huffington Post, is leaving his position to start his own agency.
“I always wondered what would be the next step, and for me, the five-year mark of being at The Huffington Post is something I’ve been thinking about. It’s a natural time to assess where I am in my life,” said Ruiz, noting that The Huffington Post will be one of his clients. “I have great affection and admiration for Arianna and the whole team, so I’m thrilled I’ll be able to continue working with them.”
Ruiz said by phone that he has a few other clients who will be in place soon, but he wouldn’t name them. He hopes to work with a variety of clients, including nonprofits and media and tech companies.
Ruiz said he’s most excited about getting to choose which clients he works with: “In the back of my mind, what always made sense was starting my own firm. I worked for agencies before, so I know what it’s like to juggle clients, but now I’ll get more control over which clients I get to work with.”
Ruiz, who works with a team of three other PR staffers, said The Huffington Post is now looking to hire someone else.