New York-based Risa Heller Communications has tapped former Netflix executive Erika Masonhall as managing director to lead the company’s expansion into Los Angeles.
Masonhall is the first hire for the Los Angeles office as Risa Heller Communications looks to represent more entertainment industry figures, from production companies to showrunners. Masonhall has 20 years of experience working in communications for entertainment, tech, news and politics with prominent brands.
Founded in 2011, Risa Heller Communications specializes in crisis and reputation management, representing corporate, institutional, real estate and nonprofit entities. It also handles clients from the worlds of academia, advocacy, hospitality, live events, philanthropy, startups and tech firms.
Before joining Risa Heller Communications, Masonhall worked at Netflix for five and a half years leading communications across content, marketing and studio operations. She also served as VP of communications at NBC News and was head of news communications for Facebook. Masonhall started her career in Washington, D.C. serving as press secretary to Sen. Joe Lieberman.
Masonhall worked for NBC News from 2011 to 2017, starting out as the PR rep for “Meet the Press” and “NBC Nightly News” and rising to VP of communications. She left to join Facebook in early 2017. Eighteen months later, she moved to Netflix as a senior leader in content communications. Masonhall’s tenure with Lieberman, who was Al Gore’s running mate on the Democratic ticket in 2000, ran from 2006 to 2011, during the period when Lieberman served in the Senate as an Independent.
Heller Communications clients at present include Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard, AirBNB, DoorDash, Madison Square Garden, the Match Group, Jeff Zucker’s RedBird IMI and former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell.
(Pictured: Risa Heller, Erika Masonhall)
