Michael Flagg, a veteran business reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and the Washington Post, has joined the Washington, D.C. office of Manning Selvage & Lee (MS&L) as senior vice president.  His appointment is effective immediately.

Flagg is an expert in crisis communications, public relations, government relations and international business and economics.  At MS&L, he will specialize in finance and public affairs, working with clients including the Renewable Fuels Now coalition, Philips, the American Public Power Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In addition to his journalism positions, Flagg also led communications for the D.C. office of the Center for Responsible Lending, a non-profit advocacy group that fights predatory lenders.  It was among the first and most visible organizations to warn of the danger of subprime mortgages several years ago.

“Mike’s media acumen, relationships and experience managing high-profile public affairs campaigns is a tremendous asset to our clients. With almost three decades of experience writing and developing stories, Mike is a unique and exciting addition to our team,” said Sheila Gruber McLean, senior vice president and director of corporate affairs at MS&L.

At the Los Angeles Times, he reported on developers during one of Los Angeles’ busiest booms in the 1980s, and later wrote about white-collar crime; was a senior editor at the Asian Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong and then a correspondent covering marketing and media across Asia; helped supervise Bloomberg Business News’ large, far-flung Asian news operation during the currency crisis of 1997; and was an assistant business editor at the Washington Post.

Flagg has a degree in history from Columbia University and lives in the District of Columbia.

About Manning Selvage & Lee
MS&L is one of the world's leading communications firms.  Headquartered in New York, MS&L has 54 offices throughout North America, Latin America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific, as well as an extensive global affiliate network.  The agency meets the needs of global and local clients by providing best-in-class services in consumer marketing PR, healthcare PR, corporate communications, financial communications and technology communications, as well as industry-leading work in digital communications.  MS&L won PRWeek's Best Use of Internet/New Media Award in both 2006 and 2007.

MS&L is a member of the Publicis Groupe (Euronext Paris: FR0000130577), the world’s fourth largest communications group, and a global leader in digital and online advertising, media consulting, and healthcare communications. With some 44,000 professionals in 104 countries, the Groupe's activities cover advertising through three global advertising networks:  Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi, as well as through its two multi-hub networks Fallon Worldwide and 49%-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty; media agencies with two worldwide networks ZenithOptimedia and Starcom MediaVest Group; and marketing services, including digital and interactive communications through Digitas, relationship and direct marketing, public and media relations, corporate and financial communications, multicultural communications, and event communications. The Groupe is also the world leader in healthcare communications. Web site: www.publicisgroupe.com.