• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, September 13, 2010

Time Warner communications exec Edward Adler is joining MediaLink as Senior Partner, the media consulting firm said Monday. Formerly executive vice president at Time Warner, Adler is tasked with building a strategic communications practice within the influential ad and media industry advisory firm founded by Michael Kassan.

Adler will be offering up his expertise in corporate communications, media relations, investor relations, crisis management, event management and corporate marketing to MediaLink's roster clients, including Microsoft, AT&T, Unilever, News Corp., and Comcast.

In the age of Facebook and Twitter, MediaLink President and COO Wenda Harris Millard says it's critical for the agency to bolster its communications expertise. "Strategic communications is an increasingly critical practice area for marketers, particularly in social networks and other emerging earned-media channels," said Millard.

In April, MediaLink got into the headhunting business, and brought on Google executive Christopher Nutile to lead the practice. In January, meanwhile, MediaLink hired Sandy Grushow, former chairman of Fox Television Entertainment Group, as the firm's first chief creative officer.

At Time Warner, Adler worked closely with the investor relations, public policy and strategic planning heads and supervised communications between the individual operating divisions of Turner, HBO, Time Inc., and Warner Bros. Adler is also credited with leading Time Warner's branded public events program, and helping to launch various initiatives, including TV Everywhere.

Other MediaLink clients included The Walt Disney Company, Viacom, Bain & Co., GSO Capital (Blackstone), General Motors, Sony, General Electric, Paramount Studios, Hearst, NBC, GlaxoSmithKline, and CBS.