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Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

PRNEWS Selects Toshiba's Rick Havacko as Person of the Year Winner

Internationally Recognized Communications Leader is One of Five National Finalists for Prestigious Honor

Toshiba America Business Solutions' Corporate Communications Lead Rick Havacko is one of five national finalists for a PRNEWS People of the Year Award.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250922834074/en/

PRNEWS Selects Toshiba's Rick Havacko as Person of the Year Winner

PRNEWS Selects Toshiba's Rick Havacko as Person of the Year Winner

PRNEWS selected its People of the Year finalists from a record-breaking number of entrants and upon evaluation by more than 200 judges from across the PR and communications industry.

The 2025 People of the Year Awards will be celebrated at the Platinum PR Awards Gala on October 7 at Pier Sixty in New York City. Widely recognized as the biggest night in PR, the gala will convene more than 450 industry leaders, top brands, and powerhouse agencies to honor the campaigns and professionals who defined the year in communications.

"Each of our People of the Year honorees has made an indelible mark on the communications field," says PRNEWS Content Director Kaylee Hultgren. "From breaking new ground in strategy to championing meaningful change, Rick Havacko and all other honorees reflect the ingenuity and excellence that define our industry at its best."

Toshiba's Gamechanger

Havacko is an accomplished public relations professional who delivers measurable and industry-differentiating impact for Toshiba while managing the company's communications program. Providing consistent, high-quality, and timely news to local, national, trade media and market analysts, he enables Toshiba to remain at the forefront within the B2B technology space.

Havacko's efforts result in Toshiba consistently besting its competition in key metrics (per Cision) throughout the United States, Latin America and Brazil. His story placements for Toshiba, its products and people appear in such notable outlets as CNBC, U.S. News & World Report, Fox Business Network, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Morning Brew, CIO, Los Angeles Times, Orange County Business Journal and Washington Post.

He is also a recipient of the Gold Stevie® Award in The 2024 International Business Awards® for Communications Professional of the Year as well as a national finalist for Ragan Communications and PR Daily Media Relations Professional of the Year.

"Rick’s latest recognition is a powerful testament to his continued excellence in delivering strategic, high-impact PR results that strengthen our brand’s presence in a competitive landscape," states Toshiba America Business Solutions Vice President of Solutions and Outbound Marketing Kerstin Woods. "His ability to secure top-tier visibility and foster lasting credibility across B2B markets is unmatched. We’re thrilled to see his contributions honored once again and look forward to celebrating even more of his success."

A supporter of worthy causes, Havacko enjoys volunteering for charities, particularly Breakthrough T1D, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research. He's also an admirer of the great outdoors and enjoys playing in Austin, Texas sand volleyball, soccer and softball leagues.

Click-to-Tweet: PRNEWS Selects Toshiba's Rick Havacko as Person of the Year Winner

About PRNEWS

PRNEWS is the leading resource for the public relations and communications industry, delivering trusted business intelligence through award-winning content, high-impact events, and premier recognition programs. For more information, visit www.prnewsonline.com.

About Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc.

Toshiba America Business Solutions is a leading innovator of solutions empowering people to perform efficiently and effectively in their work environment. Serving professionals across the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America, Toshiba delivers secure and sustainable systems, services, and subscriptions to better print, manage, and display information. Toshiba continuously focuses on its clients and communities, is committed to sustainability, and is recognized as a Wall Street Journal Top 100 Sustainable Company. To learn more, please visit business.toshiba.com. Follow Toshiba on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and YouTube.

@ToshibaBusiness communication leader Rick Havacko is a national finalist for @PRNEWS Person of the Year! PRNEWS will reveal the award winners on Oct. 7 in New York City. https://bit.ly/2025PRNPOY #PRNEWSAwards #PRPeopleoftheYear

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