NEW YORK, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) today announced the appointment of D. Edward (Ted) Smyth as executive vice president, Corporate Affairs and executive assistant to the chairman, president and chief executive officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies, effective Feb. 16, 2009. He succeeds David Stafford who will rejoin the Corporation's Legal Department as vice president and associate general counsel.
Mr. Smyth will be responsible for the marketing, communications, government affairs and community relations activities of the Corporation and also will advise the chairman on matters involving the Board of Directors and the management and operation of the Corporation. Mr. Smyth has 36 years of experience in the public and private sector, both as a senior Irish diplomat and, subsequently, as chief administrative officer and senior vice president at the H.J. Heinz Company where he was responsible for human resources, corporate and government affairs.
"Ted is a respected corporate affairs strategist with a broad international perspective who has a successful history of dialogue and partnership with a range of public stakeholders," said Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and chief executive officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies. "Ted's appointment is consistent with The McGraw-Hill Companies' commitment to working closely with customers, policymakers, regulators and employees around the world as we work to restore transparency and confidence in the financial markets, continue to develop innovative education solutions, and deliver transparent business information that helps our customers make informed decisions."
During his tenure at Heinz, which has leading brands in North America and Europe, the company expanded rapidly in overseas markets such as India, China, Russia, Spain and Indonesia. Mr. Smyth was chairman of Heinz's Global Communications Council, and a member of the Office of the Chairman. Mr. Smyth joined Heinz in March 1988 following a 15-year career as an Irish diplomat. A native of Ireland, Mr. Smyth served in embassies in Switzerland, Portugal, the United States and Great Britain.
Mr. Smyth is an honors graduate in History and Political Science from Trinity College, Dublin. He is a Director of the Africa America Institute, the Ireland Funds and Glucksman Ireland House at New York University, and a member of the Global Studies Program of the Center for International Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.
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Release issued: January 29, 2009
SOURCE The McGraw-Hill Companies
Contact: The McGraw-Hill Companies: Media Relations, Steven H. Weiss, Vice President, Corporate Communications, +1-212-512-2247, (office), or +1-917-699-9389, (mobile), weissh@mcgraw-hill.com, or Frank Briamonte, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, +1-212-512-4145 (office), or +1-201-725-6133, (mobile), frank_briamonte@mcgraw-hill.com