Shore Fire Media Names Angela Barkan CEO as Founder Marilyn Laverty Elevates to Chairman

Shore Fire Media, a leading communications firm, has appointed Angela Barkan as its new Chief Executive Officer. This leadership change sees company founder Marilyn Laverty transition to the role of Chairman of Shore Fire and a senior advisor to its parent company, the marketing collective Dolphin. In her new capacity, Laverty will concentrate on strategic growth initiatives and provide guidance to the executive team, while maintaining her direct representation of iconic, long-term clients such as Bruce Springsteen and Cyndi Lauper. Additionally, as a senior advisor to Dolphin, she will be tasked with enhancing collaboration across the supergroup's diverse portfolio of businesses.

Angela Barkan, who was most recently Senior Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at the global music company BMG, will now oversee Shore Fire's daily operations and new revenue strategy. Based at the firm's New York City headquarters, she will lead the executive team and report to both Dolphin CEO Bill O'Dowd and Marilyn Laverty. "Marilyn's accomplishment in building Shore Fire into an industry leader with deep expertise across arts and culture is remarkable," stated O'Dowd. He also praised Laverty for her instrumental role in fostering a collaborative spirit across Dolphin's subsidiaries, noting that this ethos has been invaluable to the group's overall business model and success.

Laverty reflected on the company's evolution since its acquisition by Dolphin in 2019, a period that has seen Shore Fire significantly broaden its client roster and service offerings beyond traditional PR to include content strategy and event production. "My role has naturally evolved with our growth," Laverty said. "I am now focused on ensuring our next generation of leaders is positioned for success and on finding new creative collaboration opportunities with our Dolphin sister companies. Fostering an environment for fresh ideas is how I can best propel the company forward at this stage." She expressed strong confidence in Barkan, highlighting her proven leadership at major and independent labels, as well as her command of emerging media.

Bill O'Dowd also commented directly on the new appointment, saying, "Angela is a truly impressive executive. She brings the character, creative intellect, and strategic experience that will deliver tremendous value to Shore Fire, its staff, and its clients. I look forward to the fresh perspectives she will introduce." Barkan's background includes prior leadership roles in marketing, brand partnerships, and public relations at several Sony Music labels before her tenure at BMG. Beyond the corporate sphere, she is an active member of the Arts Committee for the City Parks Foundation's SummerStage, one of New York's premier free outdoor performing arts festivals, and has served as a co-chair for its annual gala fundraiser.

This executive transition underscores a strategic consolidation for Shore Fire, which Laverty founded in 1990 following her career as National Vice President of Publicity for Columbia Records—where her work with Bruce Springsteen began—and earlier work as a freelance journalist. Industry analysts note that such founder-led successions are critical moments, often testing a company's cultural resilience. The dual reporting structure for Barkan, answering to both the parent company and the founder, is designed to ensure continuity while injecting new strategic vision, a balance that will be closely watched as the firm navigates an increasingly integrated marketing landscape.