Pete Marino, president of Olson PR, is leaving the agency to become VP-communications at MillerCoors, a newly created position at the brewer.

Mr. Marino, 39, founded Chicago-based Dig Communications in 2004 with Miller Brewing Co. (later merged with Coors to become MillerCoors) as the first client. He sold the agency to Olson in 2010, but stayed on as president of public relations. He was also a member of the Olson executive leadership team.

Olson PR has 20 major clients, 70 employees and $15 million in annual billings. Bryan Specht, who manages Olson PR's operations, business development and market expansion, will take over as president. At Chicago-based MillerCoors, Mr. Marino will oversee internal communications, media relations, marketing communications, meetings and events, consumer affairs, and sales and distributor communications, according to an internal MillerCoors memo.

Mr. Marino, who is well known in beer and PR circles, was acting director of media relations at Miller Brewing Co. from late 2004 to early 2007. He took over that role again for MillerCoors in late 2011, while also running Olson PR. His appointment into the newly created VP position signals that MillerCoors is putting new emphasis on communications. "I'm moving to an industry I know very well and to a company I know and love," Mr. Marino told Ad Age .