Will Instagram’s New Head of Communications Schake Things Up?

Instagram is getting a new head of communications, as David Swain announced via an Instagram post that he will leave his post in April, after aiding in the transition of successor Kristina Schake. Schake represents a nice coup for Instagram, as she has served as deputy communications director for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and communications chief for former first lady Michelle Obama, as well as chief communications officer at L’Oreal. Instagram confirmed both moves to Kurt Wagner of Recode, and Wagner reported that Schake will officially come on board in March. Schake wrote in her post (embedded below): I love using Instagram to celebrate my friendships and find inspiration. I am elated to join this unique and innovative company that is bringing people closer together through the connections and experiences it enables. And I am coming back home to California so this is a dream come true. Thrilled to be joining the extraordinary @Instagram communications team! I love using Instagram to celebrate my friendships and find inspiration. I am elated to join this unique and innovative company that is bringing people closer together through the connections and experiences it enables. And I am coming back home to California so this is a dream come true. A photo of my hometown Sonoma, CA taken by my sister Kori Schake. Thank you Instagram for this wonderful opportunity! A post shared by Kristina (@kkschake) on Feb 21, 2017 at 12:24pm PST And Swain wrote: Over the next few months, I will be moving on to the next chapter, but Instagram and Facebook will stay family. For Instagram, I’m excited we’ve found one of the most creative thinkers in the business to take the reins. Welcome, @kkschake! After almost a decade at Facebook and Instagram, I’ve had to dig out old computers in boxes to try to find photos from the early days. And then I realized I was still carrying around a red Blackberry in 2008 when photos at work were more of a novelty. When I joined Facebook, my now 8-year-old daughter hadn’t been born, and my 10-year-old son would soon say his first word. Facebook was still just one website and a team of a few hundred people with outsized ambition. The opportunities that ambition opened for me in those first few years are still hard to grasp. It was a learning curve akin to a vertical wall. And I loved every second of it. By 2012 it was clear that realizing our vision required more than one company, so we asked this little 18-month-old startup called Instagram to join the family. What @kevin, @mikey, and few dozen people had created at Instagram by the time I joined was equally hard to grasp. There was an understanding of community, design and culture that I had never seen in tech. What followed was four years of deep gratitude for experiences I would share with colleagues you could only dream to have. Over the next few months I will be moving on to the next chapter but Instagram and Facebook will stay family. For Instagram, I’m excited we’ve found one of the most creative thinkers in the business to take the reigns. Welcome, @kkschake! Here’s a fuzzy throwback to @zuck prepping the day before f8 in 2008 – the quiet moments when you see all the pieces come together. Still sporting the sandals. And @kevin and @mikeyk making the job fun. One of my favorites - @kevin at our first photo shoot together taking the photo into the ocean. A post shared by David Swain (@swain) on Feb 21, 2017 at 12:17pm PST Image courtesy of Kristina Schake’s Twitter account.

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Will Instagram’s New Head of Communications Schake Things Up?

David Swain will leave his post in April, after aiding in the transition of successor Kristina Schake

David Cohen

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David Cohen