The 51 best public-relations people in the tech industry in 2017

Best PR 2017

Whatever is happening in the world these days, the tech industry always seems to be front and center — from new apps and futuristic innovations to divisive political debates and activities of high-profile billionaires.

While the work of journalists who cover the tech industry is very visible, there's a harder-to-see side: the communications pros who help reporters tell all sides of a story.

The relationship between reporters and communications professionals is often cantankerous and adversarial. Some PR people evade and spin, or take glee in torturing reporters with irrelevant pitches. On the flip side, journalists can be gruff, tough, and demanding, especially on deadline.

But there are PR folks who do an exceptional job in helping us report on the tech industry. They respond quickly, accuracy and fairly, even if the story is something the company would rather not be published.

Some of these people have massive networks of influence. Others are wizards at helping reporters find hidden stories to tell.

Based on all those criteria, this is the list of the best PR pros in tech in 2017, according to the tech journalists working at every big-name publication that covers the fast-moving industry.

51. Adam Weissman, AW Consulting

Weissman works under his own shingle, AW Consulting.

He's one of the go-to guys for the high-end audio consumer electronics industry and has worked with Mass Fidelity, Cambridge Audio and Focal.

His "exuberance and knowledge of high-end audio and consumer benefits from products" has won him praise from journalists and gadget reviewers, says one reviewer.

In 2017, he helped launch Focal's line of luxury headphones, which was covered by a bunch of tech, business and lifestyle publications.

When not marketing audio tech, he can be found photographing music concerts.

50. Curtis Sparrer, Bospar PR

Sparrer is a cofounder of the Bospar agency which represents companies like 1010data and Ebates.

He cut his teeth as a TV producer and the reporters he works with appreciate that about him. "A former journalist, he understands what we need for a story, and is very easy to work with," one says.

His three-year-old agency has already won some awards, including for its holiday campaign for Ebates.

He's also known for his 15-minutes of fame when CNET’s Chris Matyszczyk took a picture of him making a phone call on his Apple watch, ear awkwardly bent to wrist, and wrote the story, "This is how absurd you look taking a call on your Apple Watch"

49. Robyn Hannah, Dynamic Signal

Hannah is a senior communications pro with Dynamic Signal, the enterprise app that allows companies to broadcast info to employees.

"She's amazing at getting me very interesting stories and tying into breaking news. It's very rare that I can get someone in the comms world who is actually that good at storytelling," says one journalist.

2017 has been a big year for the her startup. It opened a London office and doubled its headcount.

Her passion project is named like a joke but it's for real: an effort called #StopSucking, which wants to kill plastic beverage straws that wind up littering our beaches, oceans and elsewhere, and harming wildlife.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider