Chris Willard Communications is framing this as a strategic win—a narrative-first evolution for the boutique firm, with Pleva bringing 'deep relationships, sharp instincts, and a calm, collaborative way of working.' Willard called his new hire a 'fantastic addition' to the team.
Sources close to the situation note that navigating Vice's 2024 bankruptcy wasn't just a career bullet point—it was survival mode for anyone in senior leadership. Pleva emerged from that chaos, and now he's betting on CWC, a two-year-old shop founded by an HBO veteran making his own moves.
Pleva's Vice tenure as Global VP of Corporate Communications spanned 2024, when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. He previously led series publicity for Yellowstone (Paramount), RuPaul's Drag Race (Vice-owned World of Wonder), and South Park. CWC was founded by former HBO exec Chris Willard in 2024.
Pleva's Vice baggage could be an asset or a liability depending on who you ask—but either way, this hire signals that the realignment of power in entertainment PR is far from over.
Chris Willard Communications has made its latest move in the Hollywood PR shuffle, announcing Thursday that Kyle Pleva will join the boutique firm as Brand Storytelling Accounts lead. The appointment comes with an interesting footnote: Pleva spent 2024 steering Vice Media's senior leadership through a high-profile bankruptcy filing, and now he's landed at CWC, a two-year-old communications shop founded by HBO veteran Chris Willard. Pleva's resume reads like a tour of entertainment media's most turbulent recent chapters.
The New York-based exec brings more than 15 years of industry experience to his new role, including senior stints at Amazon, Vice Media, and Paramount. At Paramount, he led series publicity for some of the network's biggest properties—Yellowstone, South Park, RuPaul's Drag Race, Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens, and Drunk History all fell under his communications umbrella. His tenure at Vice Media ended with a bang: in 2024, as global vice president of corporate communications, he helped guide the company's senior leadership team through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings that sent shockwaves through the media industry.
"Kyle has been a fantastic addition to the team," Willard said in a statement. "He brings deep relationships, sharp instincts, and a calm, collaborative way of working. We're excited for him to help lead and grow our team and capabilities from New York." The praise is warm, but it's worth noting that navigating a bankruptcy and emerging with your reputation intact requires more than 'calm'—it demands crisis management skills most PR execs never have to deploy at that scale.
Pleva himself seemed eager to frame the move as forward-looking rather than a retreat from his Vice chaos. "CWC's narrative-first approach reflects where communications are headed, and I'm excited to help clients define their stories and connect with audiences in meaningful, lasting ways," he said. He also called Willard 'a true legend in this business,' which is notable praise given that CWC has only existed for two years—Willard made his name during a 14-year run at HBO before launching the boutique firm.
CWC's client roster includes Fox Entertainment, BritBox, SFFILM, AI on the Lot, Avail, Jewish Film Institute, and director Ben Leonberg. The firm's pitch deck emphasizes 'Brand Storytelling,' 'Organizational Storytelling,' and 'Executive Storytelling' as core service offerings—buzzword-heavy categories that Pleva will now be tasked with selling to prospective clients while managing existing accounts.
