Former Out Editor New Creative Director at Leading, Queer PR Firm

Photo by Falyn Huang

Former Out executive editor R. Kurt Osenlund has a new role at the queer-owned PR firm Mark Allen & Co., which represents leaders in advertising, media, and consumer brands as well as the LGBTQ+ space. He has been promoted from creative and media strategist to creative director and account supervisor at Mark Allen & Co., a leading, queer-owned public relations firm founded by media and PR veteran Mark Pasetsky.

Osenlund worked at Out from early 2014 to late 2018. He joined as managing editor and, working alongside fellow brand veterans like Aaron Hicklin, Jason Lamphier, and David Gray, he ran the production of dozens of print issues, produced bespoke online content, and wrote cover stories ranging from Elliot Page to Billy Porter. After his promotion to executive editor, he notably led the development and production of the 2018 Out100, which at the time was hailed as the most successful and diverse in the portfolio's 24-year history, and yielded 600 million media impressions within a week of release.

Now living in Los Angeles with his husband, the veteran tastemaker has also held other senior positions at Slant Magazine, Playboy, and PROSE.

Since 2019, Osenlund has worked across Mark Allen & Co.'s clients, including RanaVerse, the queer-owned creative agency that specializes in DE&I and LGBTQ+ initiatives for brands like Unilever, and #HatNotHate, the anti-bullying organization that raised significant funds for The It Gets Better Project.

"Today's announcement recognizes Kurt's success in helping clients break through with high-profile placements, interviews and newsy byline articles," said Mark Pasetsky, CEO and Founder of Mark Allen & Co. "Kurt brings a tremendous combination of editorial and PR experience to our clients, and I'm excited to leverage his creative expertise across our entire roster of clients."

In the newly created role of Creative Director, Kurt will lead Mark Allen & Co.'s focus on generating big PR campaign ideas to help clients stand out in the earned media landscape. He will also lead the development of graphic design assets and videos to illustrate clients' executive thought leadership efforts and PR initiatives, including white papers, presentations, and social media images. As an Account Supervisor, Osenlund will expand his portfolio of clients and continue to oversee and execute daily account activities.

"Mark Allen & Co.'s focus on helping clients navigate change is invaluable to clients in today's media landscape," said Osenlund. "I'm excited about my expanded role and continuing to collaborate with the incredibly talented team of PR and editorial experts at our firm."

Osenlund added, "I'm also looking forward to helping the firm build on its success in helping brands and executives best engage LGBTQ+ media and consumers."

The promotion of Osenlund comes amid a busy time for Mark Allen & Co. Over the past year, the firm has become a leading advisor for brands launching NFTs and entering the metaverse. The firm also continues to build out its senior management team as it brought on account director Jason Fink in 2021.