Ascendant Group promotes Merilee Kern to vice president of public relations

Ascendant Group has elevated longtime strategist Merilee A. Kern, MBA, to vice president of public relations after nearly 16 years with the global CEO branding firm. The move underscores the company’s push to deepen executive visibility and thought-leadership work across earned media and brand strategy.

Why it matters: - Ascendant Group is putting a longtime communications leader in charge of a core function that helps CEOs and executives build visibility, credibility and market influence. - The promotion signals continued investment in executive branding at a time when leadership reputation is a business asset, not just a communications function. - Kern will shape how Ascendant turns client expertise into media exposure, thought leadership and broader brand authority.

What happened: - Ascendant Group named Merilee A. Kern, MBA, vice president of public relations. - The announcement came on Oct. 5, 2026, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. - Kern has worked with Ascendant since 2010, when she joined as chief public relations strategist. - Her expanded role will include leading the firm’s PR function and supporting integrated earned and controlled-media strategies.

The details: - Kern has spent nearly 16 years with Ascendant Group. - Her work has included executive visibility campaigns, thought-leadership platforms and cross-channel narratives. - Ascendant says her campaigns have helped secure national media coverage in outlets including Forbes, Fortune, Entrepreneur and national and regional broadcast television. - Kern brings more than two decades of experience in public relations, strategic communications, brand storytelling and content. - Her background includes B2B and B2C communications, media relations, crisis communications and reputation management. - Kern has generated thousands of earned placements across national and regional broadcast, print and digital media. - She is a member of the Entrepreneur Leadership Network and a former member of the Forbes Business Council. - Ascendant Group was founded in 2004 by Raoul Davis. - The firm says it was an early entrant in CEO and executive branding and operates across the U.S. and international markets. - Ascendant says its model includes brand strategy, public relations, social media, design, strategic relationship and visibility development, photography, videography and publishing. - The firm says it uses a proprietary five-phase branding model centered on brand strategy, acceleration and monetization. - Ascendant works with clients ranging from Fortune 50 executives to founders and entrepreneurs. - The company says it was built to fill a gap in traditional public relations by taking a more integrated approach to executive visibility and brand development.

Between the lines: - The promotion gives Ascendant a senior public relations leader with deep institutional knowledge of the firm’s playbook and history. - Kern’s background fits a business where earned media is used as one piece of a broader executive-branding system. - The move also suggests Ascendant wants to keep tightening the link between PR, thought leadership and long-term positioning. - Raoul Davis said Kern has the ability to find the ideas and stories that make leaders distinctive and turn them into sustained visibility and influence.

What's next: - Kern will help guide Ascendant’s PR strategy and work across the firm’s broader executive-branding services. - The company expects her to keep building integrated media and thought-leadership campaigns for clients. - Ascendant said her role will help reinforce client positioning and long-term brand development. - Kern said her focus will remain on uncovering client stories and placing them in front of the right audiences.

The bottom line: - Ascendant Group is elevating a veteran insider to lead public relations as the firm doubles down on executive branding and visibility.