Beware the “PR” Predator

I was scrolling through my LinkedIn feed the other morning, as I settled in with my coffee.

No big deal. Caught glimpses of all the normal announcements, pronouncements, and opinion pieces, alongside the workplace tips, infographics and occasional A.I. tomfoolery.

Scroll, scroll, scroll… Sip, sip sip…

But then – I saw it.

Or rather, I saw him:

A photo of a former colleague, out on the town in London from a night or two prior, at a recent cocktail event, as posted online by a woman who is this man’s apparent business partner.

The guy in question was a colleague of mine from years back. Now age 60-ish, he was still instantly recognizable.

Same harmless-looking, Fozzie Bear countenance.

Same bro-beard (although more grown-out from the scruffier look he once sported).

Same smart, unassuming spectacles suggesting experience, wisdom and insight.

But, too, precisely the same arrogant, narcissistic glint in his eyes, as if to say, “Catch me if you can.”

And yes, surrounded in the photo – as normal – by a small pack of young-ish to mid-career ladies.

Mind you, it wasn’t a situation you might expect from this narrative set-up, such as a known workplace sexual harasser infamous for his exploits, conquests, and on-the-quiet cash settlements to keep victims hushed-up. (At least that wasn’t ever my personal experience with him or knowing of him, given that I only previously interacted with him from ZOOM calls and group e-mails.)

No, this guy was (and is) a different sort of predator.

Without getting into too many details, what I can say about this individual that gave me something of a gut-punch from simply catching sight of him in my LinkedIn scroll is that the guy is a serial user of other people – particularly new-found colleagues who have no experience with or knowledge of his patterns and tactics.

With a personality that initially comes across as affable, charming, and, yes, harmless – and with an industry name-brand resumé of big-time PR firms and conglomerates that immediately implies “Vetted! Safe! Solid! Credible!” – many people never realize his wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing routine… until it’s too late.

Granted, the guy has sported a wildly successful career for decades and, as told to me by others who once were friends of his (past-tense!), a massively lucrative one.

The secret of his success?…

Targeting, recruiting, and co-opting young (or young-ish) talent (usually women, but not always) under the auspices of “mentorship” and lending a hand-up, but meanwhile, behind the scenes, leveraging and even seeking to dispatch these small platoons of neophytes and protégés – completely unbeknownst to them – on errands and initiatives singularly focused on making him look good.

The kicker:

More than half the time, the “making him look good” strategy focuses on covering up or distracting attention away from whatever travesty he only recently was solely responsible for ginning up, to someone else’s great career and financial detriment.

That’s what makes this jackass a “predator.”

His predation hinges on targeting good people of good character – colleagues who’ve worked hard for their own reputations and their (usually more modest) careers – and, without their knowledge of his hidden agendas, placing themselves in unknown jeopardy merely by engaging with him.

If this man had one, singular super-power, I’d say that’s it: targeting good people as chosen vessels for his veiled duplicity.

As I personally experienced his machinations some years ago, the guy considers this twisted game his own personal blood-sport. He loves deceiving people. He thrives off “The Dangerous Liaisons” of it all.

For me, my prior situation involved working with him on a PR industry committee, but with no knowledge – ZERO – about his squirrelly history from many years prior. I had no idea of his track record representing exceptionally unethical and hideous clients of ill-repute (for which he was paid handsomely, of course). Had I known, I never would have signed up to volunteer. I would have avoided him and his whole tribe, like the PR Plague.

Because I didn’t know his prior history, the work I was trying to accomplish in good faith on our shared committee became tainted by what later emerged as his laser-focused agenda to make everything about him, to his own selfish and singular benefit, instead of for a greater good that most of us on the committee were actually seeking to achieve.

The back-story on this man – and of just how depraved his tactics extend – are far too ugly for one singular blog post.

But no need. You get the drift. And in getting the drift, I hope you learn the lesson I wish I had grasped with greater clarity, those years ago:

Beware of well-heeled colleagues seeking to use you for their own white-washing (or ethics-washing) agenda.

Kick the tires. Check under the hood.

Do your homework on people before agreeing to work with them — even in a volunteer capacity or on a side-gig.

And really watch out for people who seek to attach themselves and their personas to you for overly altruistic front-facing reasons (as if they’re doing you a favor), when their real rationale for even giving you the time of day is hidden way beneath the underbelly of whatever trouble they’ve self-inflicted, due to their own ego and greed.

I hope the bevy of gals Mr. Fozzie Bear recently found himself with for his LinkedIn photo-opp are reading this. I know a few of them. They’re smart women. I hope they’re aware enough to stay away from that guy. I wish I had been.

Mary Beth West is a public relations strategist with a 30-year career, based in the U.S.