Michael Ballinger, a marketing and communications veteran who has crafted strategies for municipal market firms for more than 20 years, has joined The Bond Buyer as national advertising sales manager.
Ballinger’s background includes roles managing communications and marketing for bond insurers MBIA Insurance Corp., now National Public Finance Guarantee, and CIFG Assurance.
At The Bond Buyer he is charged with expanding the publication’s marketing-services business by offering a wider range of print, online, and live-event advertising and marketing opportunities to a broader group of clients.
He will also work closely with Tara Gonzalez, who will be managing sponsorship opportunities for the newspaper’s conferences portfolio.
“The past three years have unleashed a nearly unprecedented wave of change in the municipal market — with many familiar names disappearing from the market, and new voices emerging to fill the void,” Ballinger said. “I think The Bond Buyer offers a great platform for these firms to share their story with the rest of the industry, and I am looking forward to helping them do that in innovative ways.”
Michael Stanton, The Bond Buyer’s publisher, said Ballinger’s marketing and communications skills fit well with the publication’s expanded online presence.
“The municipal market has weathered the global financial crisis as well as any capital market in the world,” Stanton said. “That stability, combined with the continued excellence of our editorial staff’s news coverage, has driven The Bond Buyer’s total print and online audience to an all-time high. Mike Ballinger’s experience as a marketer focused on the municipal finance industry will be crucial for helping our clients reach that growing audience and expand their own businesses.”
