Sue Barnes Joins Airfoil Public Relations as Silicon Valley General Manager

Detroit – Oct. 3, 2008 - Airfoil Public Relations, an independent public relations agency specializing in public relations and marketing communications for both leading and emerging companies, today announced the addition of Sue Barnes to its management team where she'll serve as the general manager of the company's Mountain View, Calif. office. She will have broad management responsibilities for the agency's Mountain View location including Silicon Valley Public Relations, client service, business and staff development. In particular, she'll lend her expertise to the agency's Web 2.0, business intelligence, telecommunications and consumer technology clients.

Barnes brings more than 20 years of communications experience to her new position, with areas of specialization including reputation management; merger and acquisition communications; crisis control and avoidance; product launches; momentum PR; analyst and media relations; and media training and message creation, honed on behalf of a number of the world's leading businesses including Microsoft Corporation and Advanced Micro Devices.

"We are energized by the talent and experience Sue brings to our Silicon Valley office," said Airfoil President Janet Tyler. "Her deep understanding of conducting public relations in this unique technology, business and media community is a tremendous asset to Airfoil. The agency's entire client roster and professional staff will benefit from the expertise she brings to Airfoil."

Most recently Barnes served as the technology practice leader at Zeno Group, an Edelman company, where she held leadership roles on established brands such as Oracle, as well as providing C-suite counsel to fast-moving start-ups in burgeoning technology areas such as e-discovery.

During the previous 18 years when Barnes was at Waggener Edstrom, she held a leadership role on the Microsoft account creating and supporting campaigns across the company including Windows Server, storage and management businesses and the corporation's licensing initiative. She also helped Microsoft establish and maintain a positive reputation in Silicon Valley and created a multi-discipline, multi-office team to drive communications programs for Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing, security, privacy, ant-spyware and anti-spam initiatives.

Barnes developed her passion for technology at one of the first British microcomputer developers, Kalamazoo PLC, in Birmingham, England.

"I am thrilled to join Airfoil Public Relations and look forward to fostering the growth of the agency's Silicon Valley office and client base," said Barnes. "As a company with a reputation growing in both esteem and reach, Airfoil is an exciting place to be."

Barnes holds a bachelor's degree in mass communications from California State University at Hayward.

The agency's West Coast office was established in 2006. Initially located in Redwood City, the rapidly expanding staff and client growth led the agency to relocate operations into its current offices in Mountain View in 2007. From there it services Airfoil's California-based clients including SRC, LLC and MobiTV. The West Coast team lends its expertise and counsel —particularly as it relates to the Web 2 and 3.0, venture-funded start ups, and new service delivery models — to the balance of the agency's client roster served from its Detroit headquarters location.

About Airfoil Public Relations, Inc. (www.airfoilpr.com)
Airfoil, with offices in Detroit and Mountain View, Calif., is an independent firm that specializes in marketing communications and public relations for both emerging and established brands. Established in 2000, Airfoil was named 2007 Technology Agency of the Year by the Holmes Report; is ranked 10th among O'Dwyer's top 50 technology PR firms; and had been recognized by PR Week as one of its Top 100 PR firms. Airfoil was also a recipient of the PR Week Boutique PR Agency of the Year Honorable Mention. For more information about Airfoil Public Relations, please call 866.AIR.FOIL.