PR Masters Series: Recent Episodes
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PR industry leader Ron Berkowitz joins host Rich Jachetti to reflect on building Berk Communications into one of the nation's top sports and entertainment agencies and why his innovative partnership with MikeWorldWide offers a fresh blueprint for agency acquisitions.
In PR Masters Podcast Series Episode #106, Rich Jachetti and Joseph Franklyn McElroy interview Tejas Totade, Chief Technology Officer and Head of AI at Ruder Finn, about how artificial intelligence is transforming communications, marketing, and agency operations. Totade shares how Ruder Finn is integrating AI across workflows, content creation, analytics, governance, and client service while maintaining the human creativity and strategic thinking that drive successful communications. The conversation explores GEO, AI-powered workflows, leadership, data governance, and what communications professionals need to know to stay competitive in an AI-driven future.
In this episode of the PR Masters Series Podcast, host Rich Jachetti sits down with the founder and CEO of PAN for a candid and wide-ranging conversation about what it really takes to build a durable independent agency in today’s communications landscape.
In a wide-ranging and candid conversation with Rich Jachetti on the PR Masters Series podcast, Michael Kempner, Founder and CEO of MikeWorldWide, offers a clear-eyed view of how the communications industry is evolving and what it now demands of agency leaders, brands and CEOs.
In this episode of the PR Masters Podcast, Peter Finn, founder and CEO of FINN Partners, shares candid leadership lessons from building a purpose-driven, independent agency and explains why values, people and long-term thinking matter more than ever in a consolidating industry. The conversation is hosted by The Stevens/Jachetti Group and CommPRO.
When Raymond Crosby, President & CEO of Crosby Marketing, sat down with Art Stevens on the PR Masters Podcast, the conversation spanned five decades of communications wisdom and looked ahead to the industry’s future. From guiding his firm into the top tier of integrated agencies to championing purpose-driven campaigns for clients like the Peace Corps, DAV, and USDA, Crosby shares how adaptability, authenticity, and culture fuel long-term success.
With memorable insights like “You can’t thrive for half a century by doing the same thing the same way” and “Awareness without action is just noise”, Crosby offers a masterclass in leading with purpose and building an agency where both clients and talent thrive. Whether reflecting on the evolution from typewriters to TikTok or predicting the rise of purpose-led communications as the new norm, Crosby’s perspective is both timeless and timely.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about curiosity, culture, and the future of communications.
In this episode of the PR Masters Podcast, host Art Stevens welcomes Peter V. Stanton, founder and CEO of Stanton Communications, for a powerful conversation on the evolving role of regional PR firms in today’s global landscape. Stanton shares why culturally attuned, locally driven communications are not just a trend—but the future of effective brand storytelling.
In the 100th episode of the PR Masters Podcast, host Art Stevens marks this milestone with a deeply personal and inspiring conversation with one of the communications industry's most transformative figures: Jim Weiss, Chairman and Founder of Real Chemistry.
In this special episode of the PR Masters Series Podcast, host Art Stevens sits down with Dr. Rochelle Ford, CEO of the Page Society, for an in-depth conversation about her first year at the helm of the world’s leading community of senior communications leaders.
In the latest episode of the PR Masters Series Podcast, host Art Stevens welcomed a distinguished guest—and mentee—Troy Blackwell, an award-winning communicator and federally appointed official with an impressive record of public service. The conversation was a rich exploration of Troy’s career trajectory, his philosophy on public communication, and the leadership lessons he’s learned along the way.
In this episode of the PR Masters Podcast, Diana Littman, CEO of MSL U.S., shares her leadership philosophy and insights on the future of public relations. From emerging tech to mentoring the next generation, Diana offers valuable takeaways for communicators navigating today’s evolving landscape.
In this episode of the PR Masters Podcast, host Art Stevens interviews Helio Fred Garcia, a renowned public relations expert with over 40 years of experience in crisis management, reputation building, and ethical communications.
In this episode of the PR Masters Podcast, host Art Stevens interviews Seth Linden, president of Dukas Linden Public Relations (DLPR), to discuss his journey from journalism to leading one of New York’s top financial services PR firms, crafting communications strategies that deliver measurable business success.
In this episode of the PR Masters Podcast, host Art Stevens welcomes Dave Armon, executive vice chair at 3BL, a content distribution software platform and community that amplifies sustainability and social impact performance for hundreds of companies and NGOs
In this episode of the PR Masters Podcast, host Art Stevens interviews Amy Binder, Founder and CEO of RF|Binder Partners, a New York-based integrated communications firm with a national presence. Amy launched her career in Boston in 1980 and joined Ruder Finn in 1983, where she rose to President of Ruder Finn Americas. In 2001, she founded RF|Binder, initially part of the Ruder Finn Group, before establishing it as an independent, women-owned agency in 2014.
In this episode of the PR Masters Podcast, host Art Stevens interviews Maurice Lévy, a global marketing communications leader and honorary chairman of Publicis Groupe. They discuss Levy's journey in transforming Publicis into a global powerhouse, the importance of globalization in marketing, the future of global communications, and the role of AI in enhancing marketing strategies. Levy shares insights on the future of public relations, the impact of size in attracting global clients, and his reflections on mentorship and future aspirations.
Welcome to the PR Masters Podcast, where host Art Stevens engages with some of the most influential leaders in the communications and public relations industry. In episode #91, Art welcomes Susan Del Percio, a highly regarded crisis communications expert, political strategist, and media commentator. You may have seen Susan on NBC and MSNBC, where she provides political analysis and crisis management insights, but her behind-the-scenes work is just as impactful.
Welcome to the PR Masters Podcast, your premier destination for stories and insights from the trailblazers of the public relations industry. We're thrilled to kick off a brand-new season with a truly special episode, featuring the global leadership of one of the most iconic names in PR – Burson. Joining our host, Art Stevens, are Corey duBrowa, Global CEO, and AnnaMaria DeSalva, Global Chairman of Burson.
Welcome to the PR Masters Podcast, your go-to source for insights and stories from the forefront of the public relations industry. In today's episode our host, Art Stevens, managing partner of The Stevens Group talks with Tiffany Guarnaccia, Founder and CEO of Kite Hill PR and the Founder of Communications Week.
In this episode of the PR Masters Series podcast Art Stevens talks with James E. Lukaszewski (lew-ca-chev-ski), a well-known writer, author, teacher, scholar, ethicist, and lecturer in American Public Relations.
In this episode of the PR Masters Series podcast, Art Stevens talks with Jonathan Heit, a co-founder and the global CEO at Allison.
Welcome to the PR Masters Podcast, your go-to source for insights and stories from the forefront of the public relations industry. I'm your host, Art Stevens, managing partner of The Stevens Group, and in today's episode, we're honored to host Fraser P. Seitel, public relations counselor, author, teacher, and commentator.
Welcome to the PR Masters Podcast, your go-to source for insights and stories from the forefront of the public relations industry. I'm your host, Art Stevens, managing partner of The Stevens Group, and in today's episode, we're honored to host Peter Rush, Chairman of Kellen, one of the world’s largest providers of management and services to professional and trade organizations.
In this episode, we have the immense privilege of welcoming Muriel Fox, a trailblazing feminist activist and accomplished PR executive. With her unparalleled intellect and unwavering passion, Fox illuminates the pivotal role of PR in propelling the women's movement forward. From challenging societal norms to advocating fervently for gender equality, Fox's journey serves as an inspirational beacon for PR professionals and activists alike. Muriel shares highlights from her upcoming book, The Women’s Revolution: How We Changed Your Life.
Welcome to the PR Masters Podcast, your go-to source for insights and stories from the forefront of the public relations industry. I'm your host, Art Stevens, managing partner of The Stevens Group, and in today's episode, we're honored to host Phil Nardone, the driving force behind PAN Communications.
Nardone shares his journey into public relations and how he built a successful agency with a focus on shared values, exceptional work ethic, and work-life balance. He discusses the importance of entrepreneurship, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry. Nardone also talks about the evolving role of the CEO, the future of PR agencies, and the significance of leading by example.
Welcome to the PR Masters Podcast, your go-to source for insights and stories from the forefront of the public relations industry. I'm your host, Art Stevens, managing partner of The Stevens Group, and in today's episode, we're honored to host Rick French, the driving force behind French/West/Vaughn, an agency that's become a beacon of success and innovation in the PR world. Rick's journey from launching a dynamic agency to shaping it into a home for blue-chip clients and a nurturing environment for its team members is nothing less than inspiring.
We welcome a distinguished guest on episode #81 - Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder and Executive Chairman of S4 Capital plc.In this exclusive interview, Art Stevens delves into the mind of a marketing and advertising visionary, exploring Sir Martin's insights on the current state and future of public relations (PR). As a pioneer in the industry, Sir Martin's vast experience results in a captivating discussion that spans his journey from WPP to his current venture, S4 Capital.
Jon Iwata, a distinguished figure with a 35-year career at IBM, including roles as the global marketing and communications leader and chief brand officer, is the special guest on the PR Masters Series Podcast. Recognized for leading IBM's digital transformation and elevating its brand value to the second most valuable globally, Jon now serves as an Executive Fellow at the Yale Center for Customer Insights, directing the Data & Trust Alliance and contributing to various organizations in areas like responsible data and AI practices, governance, and innovation.
The Stevens Group is pleased to host this podcast, whose mission is to bring to PR, digital/interactive, and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
As a pioneer in the public relations field, Tom Coyne has established Coyne Public Relations as a powerhouse in the industry. Join us as we delve into his remarkable journey and gain valuable insights into the strategies that have propelled him to the summit of the PR profession.
The Stevens Group is pleased to host this podcast, whose mission is to bring to PR, digital/interactive, and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Tom Coyne, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Coyne Public Relations.
Paul Dyer is a visionary business-builder, a trusted advisor to the C-suite, and a champion of social media marketing.
The Stevens Group is pleased to host this podcast, whose mission is to bring to PR, digital/interactive, and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Paul Dyer, CEO of Lippe Taylor.
From our host, Art Stevens...“I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working with Fay Shapiro and CommPRO these past four years and hosting the PR Masters Podcast Series. We’ve had the unique opportunity to interview close to eighty leaders and legends in the PR industry and share their views on the state of the PR profession. Not to be outdone, the new season is starting off with a bang. We’re privileged to start it off with Jen Prosek whose firm Prosek Partners has grown dramatically over the past ten years.
--Art Stevens
Managing Partner
The Stevens Group
Liz Kaplow is a visionary entrepreneur, a trusted advisor to the C-suite, and a champion for communications practitioners across every industry.
The Stevens Group is pleased to host this podcast, whose mission is to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Liz Kaplow, Founder and CEO of Kaplow Communications.
Patrick Ford has earned recognition as a public relations leader, innovator and passionate advocate of diversity, equity and inclusion. In 2016, IPR chose Pat as the 19th recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Medal, its highest award, which “honors PR professionals who have made major contributions to the practice of public relations…. while living the values of integrity, humility, commitment and stewardship.” In 2014, he received the Plank Center’s Milestones in Mentoring Legacy Award, which“recognizes those who have touched the lives of countless public relations professionals over the course of their exceptional careers.”
The Stevens Group is pleased to host this podcast, whose mission is to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Patrick Ford, Professional in Residence at University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications
Valerie Di Maria has earned recognition as a communications and marketing leader and executive coach in both the corporate and agency worlds.
As an advocate for the public relations profession, she was influential in starting the PR Council, the industry’s trade association, and was a member of its Client Advisory Board. She is a member and former Trustee of the Page Society, the preeminent organization for CCOs, and co-led the task force that produced Page’s “The Authentic Enterprise,” a definitive report on the evolving role of communications and its strategic importance to CEOs and reputation.
The Stevens Group is pleased to host this podcast, whose mission is to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Valerie Di Maria, Principal, the10company.
Larry Parnell has played as much of a role as to how public relations is being taught on both the undergraduate and graduate levels in colleges and universities as anyone in the world of academia.
The Stevens Group is pleased to host this podcast, whose mission is to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Larry Parnell, Associate Professor & Program Director, Masters in Strategic Public Relations, The George Washington University.
The Stevens Group is pleased to host this podcast, whose mission is to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Rosanna Fiske.
Michael Steele is a game changer. His views on where our country is headed can be heard on various TV talk shows, including Meet the Press, Face the Nation and others. His candid observations on the state of our nation can now be heard on interview number 71 of the PR Masters Podcast series.
Michael Steele is a former Lt. Governor of Maryland and chairman of the Republican national Committee. He has been a visible force in helping to persuade the nation that some of our better days are behind us and that there’s work to be done in restoring traditional American values.
Art Stevens, managing partner of The Stevens Group conducted the interview, as usual, and helped bring out Michael’s candor, transparency and honesty. You must see this Zoom presentation. You’ll learn things about our country – and about Michael Steele – that you never knew.
About the PodcastThe Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for more than two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Stewart Hall, CEO & Managing Partner of Public Policy Holding Company Inc.
About Our GuestStewart Hall is CEO & Managing Partner of Public Policy Holding Company Inc., which he co-founded in 2014, and co-founder and Chairman of Crossroads Strategies, LLC (CRS).
Stewart began his career as Legislative Director to Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) from 1992-1996. During this time, Stewart acquired a substantial background in defense policy, appropriations, financial services, and Senate procedure. In 1999, he co-founded Federalist Group, LLC as his first private sector venture.
Under his guidance as CEO, Federalist Group was ultimately acquired by Ogilvy Public Relations, a WPP company, in 2005 and proceeded to double in size during the four years after the transaction under his continued leadership.
In 2010, Stewart co-founded CRS and in 2014, CRS was merged to form PPHC – the first full-service organization dedicated to synthesizing all disciplines of the public policy economy in a multi-brand, horizontally integrated company.
As Managing Partner of PPHC, Stewart has overseen an organization that has achieved a 30% plus compound annual growth rate each year through merger, acquisition, and organic growth and has grown to over 200 employees nationwide.
Stewart is a graduate of the University of Alabama and earned an MA and Ph.D. in Government from the University of Virginia.
About the PodcastThe Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for more than two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Eric Mower, Chairman, & Chief Executive Officer, Mower.
About Our GuestEric Mower has guided the privately-held Mower (formerly Eric Mower + Associates) over the past 54 years, growing it from a single location with a staff of four to one of the largest independent, digitally integrated, full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firms in the United States. Mower functions from ten US cities: Albany (New York), Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, New York City, Rochester (New York) and Syracuse.
Earlier this year Mower was named Midsize Agency of the Year for B2B by the Association of National Advertisers.
In the last decade, Ad Age magazine twice-named the agency one of the Top-10 “Best Places to Work.”
In addition to serving as Mower’s chairman and CEO, Eric served the Business Council of New York State as co-chair of the board for two years followed by two years as chair of the board. He and his firm joined the Business Council in 1986.
Eric is chair emeritus of the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council (ASRC) and a past director and secretary/treasurer of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s), and he continues to serve in his 30th year as chair of the 4A’s Government Relations Committee.
0ther board leadership positions include seven-years as president of the International Network of Advertising Agencies (IN); director of the International Council of Better Business Bureaus; director of the American Advertising Federation; eight years as the Founding Chair of the federal Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission.
In addition to being inducted into the Association of National Advertisers’ B2B Hall of Fame in 2019, Eric has been recognized by Ernst & Young as a Master Entrepreneur of the Year, and by City & State Reports, which bestowed on him the Lifetime Achievement Award and later named him to its “Responsible 100” list. In 2022 City & State Reports designated Mower as number 14 on “The 2022 Political PR Power 50 in New York.” Also in 2022, 100 Black Men of New York honored him with its J. Bruce Llewellyn Excellence in Philanthropy Award.
Over many years Eric provided leadership to, and was recognized by, numerous community philanthropic and civic organizations in Upstate New York, including the SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse, United Way, Community Foundation of CNY, Centerstate CEO, Syracuse Stage, Everson Museum, Boy Scouts, Junior Achievement, the Syracuse and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and others.
Eric earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences in 1966 and a master’s degree in public relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1968. And he serves as a Life Trustee of Syracuse University and sits on several of its committees (Academic Affairs, Advancement and External Affairs, Athletics, and Facilities). He is also a member of the university’s Subcommittee for Marketing and Communications. Mower joined SU’s board in 1990 and served as Vice Chair from 1997-2001. In 2018 he received the Dritz Life Trustee of the Year Award for outstanding Board service. His Syracuse University service includes ongoing membership on the Newhouse Advisory Council and he is a former member of the Whitman School of Business Advisory Council. Mower is a 2015 recipient of the George Arents Award, the University’s highest alumni honor, and a 2012 co-recipient with his wife, S.U. trustee Judith C. Mower, of the University’s Orange Circle Award. He also received the University’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 1995.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for more than two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Helen C. Shelton, Global Chief Diversity Officer at Finn Partners.
About Our Guest Helen C. Shelton is the Global Chief Diversity Officer at Finn Partners. She created the firm’s award-winning Actions Speak Louder program in service to its 1,300 employees and strategic partners around the world to advance DEI at Finn Partners and for its clients across multiple business sectors. At FINN, Helen leads a 100-person DEI Committee, managing four strategic pillars: Inclusion and Employee Engagement; Volunteerism and Civic Engagement; Recruitment and Higher Education; and Thought Leadership. In addition, Helen is head of multicultural marketing and is responsible for consumer engaging programs for a variety of sectors, with a particular expertise in health, technology and consumer goods. Helen is a passionate and dedicated DEI strategist, serving as a trusted point of counsel for corporations and brands facing DEI challenges and crises both internally and externally. She works tirelessly in the industry not only to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in both the corporate and non-profit sectors, but also to advance important causes, ranging from health and education disparities, domestic violence, voter education and access to the arts and culture for underserved communities. , disparate unemployment, health disparities and disease awareness initiatives. Named one of the 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business by The Network Journal magazine, Helen is a 2021 inductee into the PR Week Hall of Femme, Trustee of the PRSA Foundation and a Director of the New York Urban League. She is a member of the social service women’s organization, The Links, and a Charter Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Helen is a graduate of Dartmouth College and holds an M.S. degree from Boston University. She is featured in the seminal book, Diverse Voices and regularly writes about DEI in industry trades, most recently PR News and Triple Pundit. Helen is a native New Yorker, and in her spare time enjoys Italian cinema, museums, reading and cooking.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for more than two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Jeffrey Sharlach, Founder and Chairman of JeffreyGroup
About Our Guest Jeffrey Sharlach is Chairman of JeffreyGroup, the Latin America public relations, marketing communications and public affairs agency he founded in 1993. Prior to moving to Miami to launch JeffreyGroup in 1993, Jeffrey held senior management positions during a 15-year career in New York at top international agencies. He was Executive Vice President for International Operations at the Rowland Worldwide division of Saatchi & Saatchi, Vice President and Client Service Manager for Burson-Marsteller, and Vice President and Worldwide Creative Director for Carl Byoir & Associates. Trained as both a journalist (B.S.J., Northwestern) and an attorney (J.D., New York University) Jeffrey has developed and managed marketing and communications programs for global clients throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Since 2007 he has also been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Management Communication teaching in the MBA program at the New York University Stern School of Business specializing in corporate communication.
About JeffreyGroup JeffreyGroup is the leading marketing, corporate communications, and public affairs consulting firm in Latin America, with a successful 30-yeartrack record advising multinational companies across a broad range of industry sectors. With more than 330 employees, JeffreyGroup has offices in Mexico City, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires, supported by a network of local agency partners across the region. JeffreyGroup is proud to serve some of the world’s largest companies and best-known brands, including Airbus, Amazon, American Airlines, BlackRock, BMW, Citi, Marriott International, Mastercard, PepsiCo, Salesforce, and Walt Disney World Resorts, among others. In 2022, the firm was acquired by WPP. For further information visit www.jeffreygroup.com.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for more than two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Robert L. Dilenschneider, Founder and Principal of The Dilenschneider Group.
About Our Guest Robert L. Dilenschneider formed The Dilenschneider Group in October, 1991. Headquartered in New York and Chicago, the Firm provides strategic advice and counsel to Fortune 500 companies and leading families and individuals around the world, with experience in fields ranging from mergers and acquisitions and crisis communications to marketing, government affairs and international media. Prior to forming his own firm, Mr. Dilenschneider served as president and chief executive officer of Hill and Knowlton, Inc. from 1986 to 1991, tripling that Firm's revenues to nearly $200 million and delivering more than $30 million in profit. Mr. Dilenschneider was with that organization for nearly 25 years. Mr. Dilenschneider started in public relations in 1967 in New York, shortly after receiving an M.A. in journalism from Ohio State University, and a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. Experienced in a number of communications disciplines, Mr. Dilenschneider is frequently called upon by the media to provide commentary and strategic public relations insights on major news stories. He has counseled major corporations, professional groups, trade associations and educational institutions, and has assisted clients in dealings with regulatory agencies, labor unions, and consumer groups, among others. In 2001 he established The Borromean Lecture at St. Charles Preparatory School of Columbus, Ohio. The annual event attracts a nationally renowned speaker to talk on the topic of morals and ethics in business and government. In 2012 The Dilenschneider Group established the Civility in America Lecture Series, which features many of the nation’s leading thinkers from a wide variety of professions and provides a perspective on what must be done to restore civility in our Country. Mr. Dilenschneider serves as a Trustee of the Institute of International Education and is a member of the North American Advisory Board of The Michael Smurfit School of University College Dublin. He serves as a judge for The Olin Award, a program of the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Economic Clubs of New York and Chicago, Mr. Dilenschneider has also served on numerous corporate boards. A former member of the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross, Mr. Dilenschneider also served on the advisory board of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Board of Governors of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and The Bretton Woods Committee. He is a former member of the U.S. Japan Business Council and the Florida Council of 100. In 2001, he received an honorary Doctorate of Public Service degree from Muskingum College, and in 2012 he received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of New Haven. Mr. Dilenschneider is a Knight of Malta. Mr. Dilenschneider has been called the “Dean of American Public Relations Executives” and is widely published, having authored 18 books, including Power & Influence, A Briefing for Leaders, On Power, The Critical 14 Years of Your Professional Life, Moses: C.E.O, The Critical 2nd Phase of your Professional Life, 50 Plus!—Critical Career Decisions for the Rest of Your Life, A Time for Heroes, Power and Influence: The Rules Have Changed, The AMA Handbook of Public Relations, Decisions, Nailing It: How History’s Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together, and the Fifth Edition of The Public Relations Handbook.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for more than two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Ben Chodor, pioneer of online communications resources.
About Our Guest Entrepreneur, Author, Founder of Stream57 acquired by West Corp, Happtique acquired by SocialWealth, Fmr President of Notified and current Advisory Board Member, Selected to PR Weeks 25 Leaders of PR Tech 2022. Always one to think outside of the box, Ben Chodor has established himself as a pioneer of online communications Through PR, IR, interactive & streaming content. He is a leader with 20+ years of experience in enterprise communications, social video, and digital health. As President of Notified, he ran the world’s only communications cloud for events, public relations, and investor relations, Ben continues to transform the way people connect and share information. Ben has always worked to consistently raise the bar when it comes to virtual, hybrid or in-person events as well as public relations, investor relations and digital health. Previously, Ben served as Co-Founder & CEO of Happtique, the first digital health mobile application marketplace. He was also Founder & CEO for digital media and webcasting company Stream57, and the former Global Head of Streaming & Virtual Events at InterCall. Ben acts as a mentor for startup accelerator Blueprint Health, is an active investor and board member for digital startups, hosts the podcast Insights with Ben Chodor, and is a member of the Forbes Communications Council he is also a frequent speaker on digital media and technology. Ben is the author of Transitioning to Virtual and Hybrid Events: How to Create, Adapt, and Market an Engaging Online Experience, a new book that provides expert advice and real-world instructions for delivering engaging hybrid, virtual, and streaming events and webinars for companies of all sizes. When not working in one of his many business roles, Ben enjoys spending time with his family, boxing, yoga, traveling and training for his first triathlon.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman. If the word “legend” applies to anyone at all in the world of public relations, it truly applies to Richard Edelman. His agency has taken the world of public relations by storm during the past thirty or so years, and has led the way in growth, innovation, a vision for the future and extraordinary results for its long list of global clients. Under Richard’s leadership the agency now does more than one billion dollars a year in revenues, the first ever PR agency to do so. It has set the standard for the PR agency business and the bar is exceedingly high. Richard is the son of Daniel J. Edelman who founded the firm in 1952. Richard was named CEO in 1996 taking over for his father, who remained Chairman until he passed away in 2013. Now in his 26th year as CEO, Richard is one of the longest tenured agency leaders in the marketing services industry. About Our Guest Richard Edelman is the CEO of Edelman, a global communications firm, and Chairman of Daniel J. Edelman Holdings, the firm’s holding company. Founded in 1952 by his father Dan, Edelman remains independent and family owned with more than 6,000 employees in 66 offices across 28 countries.
The firm was named to Advertising Age’s A-List in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2019 and was honored as “PR Agency of the Decade” by both Advertising Age and PRovoke. At the 2021 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Edelman became the first PR Agency to win a Grand Prix as lead agency in the Entertainment Lions for Sport and was named Independent Agency of the Year in the Entertainment Track.
Richard was named CEO in 1996 taking over for his father, who remained Chairman until he passed away in 2013. Now in his 26th year as CEO, Richard is one of the longest tenured agency leaders in the marketing services industry. During that time, he’s guided the firm’s entry into Digital, Creative, Performance Marketing and Advisory. Under Richard’s leadership, Edelman’s revenue increased 11.5 times enabling it to become the largest communications firm in the world surpassing $1 billion in revenue. DJE Holdings’ revenue increased 14 times during that same period making it the largest independent communications holding company. He also serves as Chair of Edelman’s sister agency Zeno, which was named large agency of the year in 2021 and 2022 by PRWeek. Zeno employs 730+ people across 18 offices.
Richard has extensive experience in marketing and reputation management, having led assignments with major corporations, NGOs and family businesses. He has advised senior executives through significant disruptions within their organizations, including Samsung, Starbucks and United Airlines, and worked on the largest professional services merger in history of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co. Richard works with numerous clients including Unilever, Dairy Management Inc. and Chobani. He has counseled countries in every region of the world on economic development programs. As the creator of the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, Richard has become one of the foremost authorities on trust in business, government, media and NGOs. Now in its 22nd year, the Edelman Trust Barometer is widely recognized as the leading piece of research on trust with its cross-cultural insights regularly cited in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, Fortune, Forbes and other media. The survey also informs academic studies on trust and provides insights to thought-leaders and opinion-shapers around the world.
In 2022, Richard was inducted into the American Advertising Hall of Fame...
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Barbara Way Hunter, Founder of Hunter Public Relations.
About Our Guest Barbara Way Hunter was founder of Hunter Public Relations, a New York firm, from March 1989 to December 2000. She is now retired, but the firm continues as Hunter:, currently with more than 200 staff members.
Ms. Hunter was formerly president of Dudley-Anderson-Yutzy, one of the earliest PR firms, founded in 1908. She joined D-A-Y as an account executive in February 1956 after earlier experience as as a staff member of Food Field Reporter, a trade publication for the food industry, publicist for Sealtest products at National Dairy Products Corp. and account executive at Sally Dickson Associates. In 1969, after two of D-A-Y’s partners died, Ms. Hunter and her sister, Jean Schoonover, bought out the remaining partner and grew the business 500% in the next 12 years. When D-A-Y was acquired by the advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather, in 1983, she became vice-chairman of its public relations department.
She left O&M at the end of 1988 and, joined by two partners, formed Hunter MacKenzie Cooper in March 1989. McIlhenny Company, maker of Tabasco Sauce, was its first client. When the two partners departed, she continued the firm as Hunter Public Relations until 2000 when she sold it to five of her top staff members
Ms Hunter. Graduated from the College of Arts & Sciences at Cornell University in 1949. While there she was women’s editor of the Cornell Daily Sun, president of her sorority (Kappa Kappa Gamma), and was elected to Mortar Board, a senior honorary society. A trustee of the university from 1980 to 1985, she also served on the advisory council of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences :,d is a lifetime member of the Cornell Council. For five years she was president of her alumni class. She is a former director of the YMCA of Greater New York. After retirement and relocation to Walpole, NH, from 2004 to 2008 she served as president of the Point O’Woods Association, a community on Fire Island, NY, and president of the Walpole Historical Society.
Ms. Hunter was the 1984 national president of the Public Relations Society of America and prior to that president of the New York Chapter. She is a member of the PRSA College of Fellows and is a former trustee of The Institute for Public Relations Research and Education. She is the recipient of numerous presidential citations from the Society, the John Hill award from the New York Chapter and the 1993 Gold Anvil from the national society. She was chairman of the 1989 PRSA national conference in Dallas, and founded the PRSA Food and Beverage Section in 1992, She served on the boards of The Advertising Women of New York and the Women Executives in Public Relations.
Ms. Hunter received the Matrix Award from the New York Women in Communications in 1980, the Entrepreneurial Woman Award from the Women Business Owners of New York in 1981, and the national Headliner Award from Women in Communications in 1984, She was a charter member of the Committee of 200 and is a member of the YMCA Academy of Women Achievers. In 1976 Business Week named her as one of the 100 outstanding women in business.
Ms. Hunter was born in Westport, New York, on July 14, 1927, the daughter of Dr. Walter and Hilda Way. She attended The Westport Central School and was valedictorian of her graduating class in 1945. After graduation from Cornell, she moved to Manhattan where she lived for the next 50 years. In 1953 she married Austin Hunter, and they subsequently had two daughters, Kimberley and Victoria. Their marriage lasted 60 years.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Grace Leong, CEO & Partner, HUNTER.
About Our Guest Grace Leong is a passionate advocate for the modern practice of integrated marketing communications. Recently named a “Champion of PR” by PRWeek magazine, Grace elevates the role of PR in the marketing mix among Hunter’s best in class clients in consumer products and services by infusing programs with new technologies, resources and solutions that drive business results. In a career spanning 30 more than years, Grace has conceived and led of dozens award winning communications programs and initiatives for Fortune 100 consumer products companies including 3M, Johnson & Johnson, Church & Dwight and Pompeian. Classically educated and credentialed as both a public relations professional and marketer, Grace embraces her role as the female lead of a diverse communications consultancy which is driven by creativity, exceptional client service and a dedication to achieving measurable business results. Inspired by a foundation in earned media, Grace has driven the evolution of HUNTER into new services, new territories, and new industries through her ability to recognize the sweet spot between her client’s evolving communications needs and staff’s talents, and funneling investment into their development, while delivering best in class results for the clients that partner with Hunter. Not a fan of the spotlight herself, Grace believes doing great work every day sets the best leadership example, and is most often found in the “brainstorm room” driving the next big idea or and at the IMC table contributing best-in-class PR strategy. Her skills as a communications expert come in handy at home as well, as the mother of four young adults who enjoying challenging their parents with their own academic and athletic objectives. An accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the Arthur W. Page Society, Grace has served the public relations and marketing industry in numerous leadership positions. In 2016, she was awarded the PRSA-NY John W. Hill Award for lifetime achievement in public relations. Grace earned a BA from the University of Delaware and an MBA from Rutgers University. She was named the Delaware’s outstanding alumni in 2013 and inducted in to the University’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2016 for lifetime professional achievement and service to the Blue Hen Community.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Jim Weiss, Chairman + Founder, Real Chemistry. When Art Stevens headed LobsenzStevens, a top independent New York PR agency in the nineties, his firm selected an up and coming young man as an intern. That young man was Jim Weiss. Jim was assigned to work on a healthcare account and that started his career in healthcare. The rest is history. About Our Guest Jim Weiss is the Chairman and Founder of Real Chemistry, a global health innovation company that uses real-world data, proprietary technologies and analytical insights to solve the health care industry’s most significant challenges. He also serves as an Executive Advisor to New Mountain Capital, Real Chemistry’s investment partner. Jim evolved Real Chemistry from a one-person consultancy to a team of 1,800+ people who partner with clients at the highest levels of organizational decision-making. A pioneer in the application of analytics, data and precision targeting, Jim learned early in his career to follow the data to get to the right outcome. He is also passionate about improving diversity, inclusion and health equity to make the world a healthier place for all.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is John D. (Jack) Bergen Managing Partner, The Bergen Partnership.
About Our Guest Jack Bergen is an executive coach to leaders of public relations and public affairs firms. He also guides the development of managerial talent for firms seeking to enhance strategic growth or prepare for potential sale. He draws on a combination of corporate, agency and government leadership experiences. As a corporate executive, Jack served at Alcoa, Siemens, Westinghouse, CBS and GE. He led Alcoa’s Communications, Government Affairs and Human Resources operations. At Siemens, he directed US communications and global advertising. At Westinghouse and CBS Corporation, he was responsible for communications, government affairs and investor relations. In his first communications position, he was responsible for working with GE CEO Jack Welch to handle the communications for the integration of RCA, which was the largest corporate merger of that time. During Jack’s 12 years in the PR agency world, he was President of Hill and Knowlton US, CEO of GCI Group, and founding President of the PR Council. In those roles, and as the Chair of the Institute for PR (IPR) and a member of the Arthur Page Society, he instituted measures to promote collaboration among corporate and agency leaders to enhance the impact and respect of communications by business leaders and by those considering a career. PRSA honored Jack with the Atlas Award for Lifetime Achievement in International Public Relations. He was also the recipient of the Marsteller Marketer of the Year award from the Business Marketing Association. Jack graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was an Army Ranger and paratrooper and is a Vietnam veteran. After receiving an MA in English from Indiana University, he taught English, Philosophy, and Black Studies at West Point. During the Reagan Administration, he was Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger’s speechwriter. He is the author of Test for Technology, a Vietnam War history.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Margery Kraus, Founder & Executive Chairman, APCO Worldwide. Ms. Kraus has deep expertise in providing strategic counsel on issue based communication, crisis management, market entry, and corporate reputation across diverse industry groups. The range of her experience is reflected in APCO’s industry practice groups. In addition, she pioneered one of the industry’s earliest practices in corporate responsibility and the development of public/private partnerships. Ms. Kraus is a true PR master and business pioneer.
About Our Guest Margery Kraus is founder and executive chairman of APCO Worldwide, a global advisory and advocacy communications consultancy headquartered in Washington, D.C. She specializes in public affairs, communication, and business consulting for major multinationals. Ms. Kraus founded APCO in 1984 and transformed it from a company with one small Washington office to a multinational consulting firm in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In September 2004, Ms. Kraus led a management buyout of her firm, making APCO one of the largest privately owned consulting firms in its field in the world and the largest that is majority women owned. APCO was built almost entirely through organic growth. Throughout the years, Ms. Kraus achieved this by fusing the best local talent and experience with a global perspective and best practices, resulting in an international firm with a unique culture based on seamless teamwork and common values. Ms. Kraus’s achievements have been recognized over the years through a number of prestigious awards, including the 2021 IWEC Foundation Award, PRWeek U.S. Power List (2021, 2020); Enterprising Women of the Year Award (2019); PRWeek Top 20 Most Influential Communicator (2018) award, recognizing leaders who have shaped the PR industry over the past two decades; PRWeek Hall of Femme (2017); PR News PR People Hall of Fame (2015); C200 Foundation Entrepreneurial Champion Award (2015); PRWeek Hall of Fame (2014); U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress Corporate Statesmanship Award (2013); Volunteers of America (Greater New York) Spirit of the Founders (2012); the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations Agency Mentorship (2012); Global Thinkers Forum Excellence in Leadership (2012); Arthur W. Page Society Hall of Fame (2011); Institute for Public Relations Alexander Hamilton Medal for lifetime contributions to professional public relations (2010); Washington Business Hall of Fame (2009); Enterprising Women Hall of Fame (2009); Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year in the services category in Greater Washington (2006); Washington PR Woman of the Year (2006); and PR News Lifetime Achievement (2005). Ms. Kraus has deep expertise in providing strategic counsel on issue based communication, crisis management, market entry, and corporate reputation across diverse industry groups. The range of her experience is reflected in APCO’s industry practice groups. In addition, she pioneered one of the industry’s earliest practices in corporate responsibility and the development of public/private partnerships. Prior to starting APCO, Ms. Kraus assisted in the creation and development of the Close Up Foundation, a multimillion-dollar educational foundation sponsored in part by the United States Congress. Ms. Kraus continues to be involved with the foundation by serving on its board of directors. Ms. Kraus is active on other institutional and corporate boards and committees. She is chairman of the board of the Women Presidents’ Organization;...
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Brad MacAfee, Founder & CEO, Mission + Cause.
About Our Guest Brad MacAfee is the strategist and pioneer of people-first transformation. He builds profitable, socially-responsible brands to maximize positive impact on the world. At MAC Talent, he is committed to immersing himself in the client perspective for each search. As the former CEO of Porter Novelli, Brad has a long history of hiring and retaining the best people in the industry. His passion is attracting, growing and retaining talent, and has been involved in the hiring of hundreds of executives in both agency and corporate environments.Brad has received a long list of awards for which he credits the talented practitioners who always seem to surround him. From PR Week Best Purpose Agency to PR News Best CSR Agency, from PR Week Best Place to Work to CR Magazine CEO of the Year, Brad is no stranger to accolades and recognition for his bold and transparent approach. Driving purpose and growth, Brad looks for talent that delivers greatness through empathy, imagination and engagement. They are the qualities that drive him personally and make him a trustworthy partner. An early champion of diversity and inclusion, Brad embeds diversity principles and practices into all leadership, talent, business and philanthropic initiatives to foster creativity and inclusivity. It’s a founding tenet of Mission + Cause, and one that he credits with broadening his worldview and critical thought foundation. Brad holds numerous board roles, including Board President of the Global Impact Relations Network, Executive Committee Member & Former President of the Board of Trustees of the University of Georgia Grady College, Board of Trust Member of the LAGRANT Foundation and additional roles with Junior Achievement of Georgia, PR Council, Center for the Visually Impaired, and Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation. Brad grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and relocated to Atlanta after graduating from Indiana University. He and his wife, Nicole, and their two daughters share their time between Atlanta and New York City.
Editor's Note... Mark Weiner Joins PublicRelay as Chief Insights Officer Communications Analytics and Advisory Company Expands Leadership Team PublicRelay, the leading communications analytics and advisory company, announced the addition of industry veteran and thought leader Mark Weiner as its Chief Insights Officer. In this newly-created role, Weiner will be responsible for enhancing and growing PublicRelay’s insights and consulting practice and accelerating delivery of advanced, data-informed analysis, insights, and guidance.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Mark Weiner, Chief Insights Officer at PublicRelay.
About Our Guest Mark Weiner is the Chief Insights Officer at PublicRelay, the communications analytics and advisory firm. Mark provides research-based strategic communications advice and provides clients with data, analysis, insights, and guidance to enhance the return on their communications investments. In this way, he helps communications teams to set better objectives, develop smarter strategies, execute more explosive tactics, and evaluate performance for continuous improvement.
Mark is one of the leading and most respected experts in the world on public relations research, measurement, and evaluation. He has over four decades of experience conducting high quality, actionable research for scores of Fortune 1000 companies with deep expertise in the technology, automotive, financial services, healthcare, and professional services sectors.
Since 1993, Mark has devoted his career to helping many of the world’s most respected organizations and brands to demonstrate and generate a positive return on their investment in corporate and brand communications. His new book, “Public Relations Technology, Data and Insights: Igniting your Communications Return on Investment,” was published by Kogan Page 2021 and was named by BookAuthority as one of the 100 most important PR books in history. He is the author of “Unleashing the Power of PR: A Contrarian’s Guide to Marketing and Communication” from John Wiley & Sons as well as chapters in four additional texts.
Mark Weiner received the 2018 Jack Felton Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) for whom he serves as a board member.
Weiner served as a visiting professor for The Executive Education Programs, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He has lectured at many of the world’s leading public relations programs, including The University of Florida, Columbia University, The University of Texas at Austin, UNC-Chapel Hill, New York University and more.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Jano Cabrera Vice President, Chief Communications Officer, General Mills.
About Our Guest Jano Cabrera is a triathlete in the world of communications, combining a senior background in politics, global consulting and in-house corporate relations. He has held senior strategic and operational roles in both the private and public sectors.
In 2018, he was named among the 10 most influential leaders in Public Relations today by PR Week in their annual Power List. Prior to joining General Mills to serve as Chief Communications Officer, Jano served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations for the McDonald’s Corporation where he led global media relations, financial communications, brand reputation, consumer engagement and internal communications for the 9th most globally recognized brand.
Prior to that, Jano served as Worldwide Vice President of Burson Cohn and Wolfe, the third largest global strategic communications firm.
Before turning to corporate consulting, Jano volunteered to travel to Baghdad, Iraq in 2005 to serve as a National Democratic Institute advisor to the transitional national assembly as they developed their constitution and later as an election observer during their historic elections.
Jano also spent a decade working in politics. He headed communications for various Presidential campaigns, worked in the Clinton White House and started his political career as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill and a federal budget analyst at a Washington DC think tank.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Joe Cohen, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, AXIS.
About Our Guest Joe Cohen serves as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at AXIS (NYSE: AXS), a global provider of specialty insurance and reinsurance with a presence that spans North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Bermuda. Mr. Cohen leads the Company’s global in-house marketing and communications team. He is responsible for guiding brand reputation, marketing and advertising, digital, financial communications, and internal/change management communications. Mr. Cohen is a member of the Company's Strategy Office, Digital Transformation Office, and its Corporate Citizenship Steering Committee. In 2016, he joined AXIS as the Company’s Chief Communications Officer, where he led global external and internal communications. Prior to joining AXIS, Mr. Cohen served for two years as SVP of Communications for KIND Healthy Snacks. Previously, he spent 15 years at MWW where he rose to become a senior leader in the agency’s brand marketing and corporate communications practices. Mr. Cohen has received numerous industry honors and awards including the PRWeek Awards “Outstanding In-House Team” (AXIS); PRWeek Global Power Book; Harold Burson Award (inaugural recipient) from PRSA-NY; “PR Team Leader of the Year" at the PR News PR People Awards; and inclusion in PRWeek’s “40 Under 40.” He is a past National Chair of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the largest member association for the communications profession. Mr. Cohen is also Past President of the PRSA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion in the communications industry.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Michelle Olson, APR, Managing Director/Partner for Lambert.
About Our Guest Michelle Olson, APR, is the managing director and head of the Phoenix office for Lambert, a Michigan-based public relations firm with offices in three states. The nationally-recognized firm works with clients ranging from global brands to emerging leaders in a variety of industries including automotive and mobility, consumer, education, financial and business, food and beverage and healthcare and biotech. With more than 30 years in public relations and integrated marketing, Michelle has served clients across the U.S. and internationally, and has significant experience in corporate communications and issues management across industries. She is a notable business leader and entrepreneur, having founded and led her own company prior to its acquisition in 2014.
Michelle’s work for clients involved in the U.S. opioid crisis has drawn attention from top tier media across the country and has received recognition from industry trade associations. She routinely integrates content marketing, social media, brand journalism and other online initiatives into public relations strategies, reaching audiences efficiently and quickly to impact change. She currently leads non-traditional communications strategy for two distinct projects for Bell – its bid to win a Future Vertical Lift contract from the U.S. Army and its entry into the future of mobility through a VTOL air taxi and an Autonomous Pod Transport (APT).
In 2018 Michelle was named one of Arizona’s Most Influential Women in Business by BizAZ Magazine and her firm ranked #3 largest PR firm in Arizona by the Phoenix Business Journal. She is a past chair of Arizona Forward, a 50-year old statewide advocacy organization convening dialogue on sustainability and quality of life issues. Michelle is a member of the Urban Land Institute (and a founding board member of its Women in Leadership subset), Experience Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce and Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. She has served as a judge for the prestigious Environmental Excellence Awards, the ATHENA Awards (recognizing outstanding women leaders) and the IMPACT Awards (recognizing Arizona’s most impactful companies).
Nationally, Michelle was recently elected to be chair-elect of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), a 21,000-member trade organization for which she has served as a leader at the chapter and regional levels as well. She was honored with the PERCY Award for her career achievements in Arizona in 2003 and previously chaired Counselors Academy, PRSA’s national section for agency owners and leaders. She currently serves as an advisor to the organization’s 10,000-member student body, PRSSA, mentoring its national committee and assisting at its governing assembly and leadership rally.
Michelle launched her career in Minneapolis but has made her mark in Arizona for 27 years, building relationships with business leaders, government staff and officials, influencers and media throughout the state. She is an avid mentor to students and young people interested in public relations as a career choice and a frequent guest lecturer at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Lynn Appelbaum. Lynn is one of the great PR educators of our times. As head of the City College of New York Ad/PR program, which she largely built as its head for more than twenty years, she has spawned a generation of diverse PR professionals entering our industry. In this PR Masters Podcast, Lynn shares her views on diversity, the threat of burn out, the way PR has changed and grown – and above all how the training of our aspiring professionals has helped shape the PR profession. Lynn was PR director of “The Today Show” before joining CCNY as its first professor of public relations and brings the perspective of both a practitioner as well as an educator. Lynn is a familiar face in PRSA, PRSA-NY and the PRSA Foundation. You won’t want to miss what she has to say. About Our Guest Lynn Appelbaum, APR, Fellow PRSA, has over 30 years’ experience as a public relations professional and educator, working in public and private sectors in media relations, strategic planning and communications. Through her research and advocacy for her students, she is a long- time proponent of fostering diversity within the PR profession.
Lynn joined the City College of New York faculty in 1993 as professor in the Advertising and Public Relations in the Department of Media & Communication Arts. As Ad/PR program director (2001-2016), she built a highly competitive program with 200 majors. She created significant scholarship opportunities for talented students, in addition to building strong relationships with leading agencies for student internships and entry-level hires. She is a founding faculty member of CCNY’s master’s degree program in Branding and Integrated Communications (BIC), which launched in 2013. Lynn organized CCNY’s first PRSSA chapter in 1996 and served as faculty advisor for 20 years. In 2008, she received The City College Alumni Association’s Faculty Service Award and CCNY honored her in 2014 by creating a scholarship in her name. Lynn retired from CCNY in January 2021. She continues to mentor students and young professionals independently, and through the CO OP Apprentice Program.
A strong advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in PR, Lynn co-authored a national study in 2014 (with Dr. Frank Walton) on the experiences of young black and Hispanic PR professionals in the workplace, funded by a PRSA Foundation grant. The study updates her 2004 research (with Dr. Rochelle Ford) on diversity in the PR profession. She has written about mentoring and crisis communications for PRSA’s Strategist and Tactics and is co-author of a textbook chapter on global corporate reputation.
Prior to coming to City College, Lynn was Press Manager for NBC News Today show, Director of Public Affairs for The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and Marketing Director of Merkin Concert Hall. Other clients have included MSNBC, The New York Public Library, Lighthouse International, New York Road Runners Club and Hudson Guild Settlement House.
Lynn served on the PRSA Foundation Board of Directors (2014-17) and has held director posts for PRSA’s national board (2008-10), and on PRSA NY’s Board of Directors, where she chaired the committee for New York metro-area PRSSA chapters.
In 2015, she was honored by PRSA as Outstanding Educator of the Year and with PRSA-NY’s President’s Award. Lynn is the recipient of the 2016 HPRA BRAVO Award for her contributions as an educator to promote inclusivity in the PR profession and is the recipient of PRSA-NY’s 1999 Dorf Mentoring Award. She holds a BM from Ithaca College and MA in Arts Administration from Indiana U...
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Doug Simon, CEO of D S Simon Media.
About Our Guest Doug Simon is the CEO of award-winning firm D S Simon Media. His firm helps clients get their stories on television, through satellite media tours and by producing and distributing video content to the media. It also produces virtual press conferences and events for fundraising, panel discussions and awards programs. He has pioneered multiple new services during his career and earned more than 100 industry awards.
Since the start of the pandemic, his firm has produced and placed thousands of segments on TV stations. This includes featuring CEOs and other organization leaders in satellite media tours produced from the spokesperson's home and transmitted to media through the company's state-of-the-art control room. Doug also oversees the creation of proprietary research of local TV news trends and how they impact communicators.
In addition to heading D S Simon Media, Doug is the host of the award-winning “PR’s Top Pro’s Talk…” video and podcast series. He’s dedicated to serving the industry with numerous leadership roles within PRSA-NY and served as President of the Publicity Club of New York for three years during a time of record growth for the organization.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Doug began his broadcast career at NBC Sports, where he served as Talent Assistant to Bob Costas. His hobbies include performing stand-up comedy at New York’s top clubs and optimistically rooting for the Jets and the Knicks.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Mathew Evins, Chairman and Co-Founder of EVINS Communications
About Our Guest Mathew Evins is the Chairman and Co-Founder of EVINS Communications, an award-winning brand marketing communications and public relations firm specializing in the premium, prestige and luxury sectors. The Agency encompasses four practice areas; Brand Essence & Content Curation; Digital & Social Insights & Implementation; Food, Spirits & Wine; Lifestyle; and Travel & Hospitality. EVINS Communications has an established reputation for providing consummate business strategic counsel, as well as for transforming brand potential into brand performance. The Agency utilizes business, market and digital analytics and insights to create strategies and programs that engender exponential brand benefit and quantifiable business value. Well known for its exceptional creativity, strategies and tactics, the Agency utilizes compelling brand activations, immersive content and experiential programming, event embedding and brand placement, media and influencer engagement, thought leadership and authority positioning, strategic brand collaborations and partnerships, to catalyze and enhance brand resonance, brand engagement and brand advocacy. EVINS Communications provides clients with a demonstrable and exponential return on investment and builds enduring client partnerships, with an average tenure of more than eight years and several in excess of two decades. Since its founding in 1987, EVINS has played an invaluable role in the development and growth of such icons, innovators and pioneers as American Express Centurion and Platinum, Barney’s New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Bomber Ski, Cakebread Cellars, Chaumet, Colgin Cellars, CORE Club, Courvoisier Cognac, Departures Magazine, Duxiana, Ebel Watches, Exclusive Resorts, Glaceau Vitamin Water, Half Moon Resort, Hotels & Resorts of Halekulani, Inspirato, Jet Linx Aviation, Leica Camera, Louis Jadot Wines, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Marquis Jet, Neiman Marcus, Ocean Reef Club, Park Hyatt, National Limousine Association, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Rosewood Hotel & Resorts, SmartWater, South Sea Pearl Consortium, Swarovski, Tequila Avion, The Knickerbocker Hotel, The Lanesborough, The Lowell, Tourneau, Trinchero Family Estates, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Valentino, Vera Wang and Wheels Up, amongst many others. Prior to founding EVINS Communications, Mr. Evins previously served as CEO of Pain Therapeutics Corporation, a healthcare services and technology innovator, beforehand as President of Cardiff Consultants, a business and financial strategic consultancy and formerly as Vice President of Vector Petroleum Corporation, an oil and gas exploration business. While an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, from which he received a B.A. degree, Mr. Evins created and co-published “The Talisman Report,” which became the world’s leading investment advisory newsletter for the three years of its publication. While attending the University of Pennsylvania, and for more than six years beforehand, Mr. Evins served on the staff of Cornell Medical Center, initially as a Surgical Research Associate in the Cardiovascular Research Laboratory and, subsequently, as Associate Director of the Rogosin Organ Retrieval & Preservation Laboratory. Mr. Evins is one of the most respected authorities and thought leaders in luxury and luxury hospitality, has lectured at the Cornell Hotel School and NYU’s Graduate School of Business, and has authored numerous articles on luxury and luxury hospitality. Mr.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Bill Nielsen, a public relations and corporate communications authority.
About Our Guest Bill Nielsen, a public relations and corporate communications authority, is currently a consultant to management of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.
He retired as corporate vice president of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in December 2004, after serving l7 years with the company, where he was the chief public relations and corporate communications officer. He joined J&J in 1988, following l8 years as a public relations agency consultant with Carl Byoir & Associates and Hill and Knowlton. In addition to executive roles in agency management, he specialized in corporate communications and crisis management in such industries as consumer finance, insurance, defense, biotech, and airlines.
Nielsen was elected to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Board of Trustees in January 2011. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Advisors to the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communications at Penn State University.
Nielsen served two terms as president of the Arthur W. Page Society and was inducted into that organization’s Hall of Fame in September 2003. He served on its board of trustees for 17 years and continues as chair of the Society’s Honors Committee. He also chaired the boards of The Seminar and the Institute for Public Relations and continues as an emeritus director. He is a member of The Wisemen and the Public Relations Society of America.
In addition to his consulting work, Nielsen is a frequent guest lecturer at public relations and corporate communications graduate programs at universities across the country. He was inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame in December 2014, and was honored by The Plank Center with its Milestones in Mentoring Legacy award in 2017.
Following graduation from Oregon State University, Nielsen served in the U.S. Air Force as a public information officer in Washington, D.C., and Japan. He and his wife, Doris, reside in Maryland, where they are both active in community affairs.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
Today’s special guest is Art Stevens, Managing Partner of The Stevens Group. With today's episode, our "host" is our guest. Join Art as he's interviewed by Shelley Spector, Co-Founder of The Museum of Public Relations & President, Spector & Associates.
About Our Special Guest ART STEVENS is Managing Partner of The Stevens Group, a consulting organization that specializes in facilitating mergers and acquisitions in the public relations and related marketing communications industries. The firm also provides consulting in PR agency management, profitability and strategic planning. Mr. Stevens was the CEO of LobsenzStevens, one of the most prestigious independent public relations firms in the country for many years. Among the clients his firm served are American Express, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Pitney Bowes, The New York State Lottery, McKinsey & Company, Ernst & Young, Hertz and many others. In 1999 LobsenzStevens was acquired by Publicis and Mr. Stevens stayed on to manage what became the New York office of Publicis Dialog. In 2003 he began a new career in the public relations agency industry. Mr. Stevens has served as instructor of public relations and management case studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University and has lectured at the New School, New York University and many other colleges and associations. Listed in Who’s Who in America, Mr. Stevens has written numerous articles for financial, management, marketing and public relations publications. He is the author of the The Persuasion Explosion, a book published by Acropolis Books dealing with the role and influence of contemporary public relations practices. He is also the author of When and How -- Selling Your Public Relations Firm. A former president of the Publicity Club of New York and an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, Mr. Stevens was elected to PRSA’s College of Fellows, an honor given to a select group of public relations practitioners for meritorious professional lifetime achievements. As chairman of the Public Relations Committee of PRSA, he initiated a program to establish a closer relationship between the profession and national media. A former member of the executive committee of the Counselors Academy, Mr. Stevens founded the organization’s ethics committee and helped institute a new code of ethics and a grievance process. He was honored by the New York Chapter of PRSA with three awards: the annual John Hill Award for lifetime achievement; the President's Award for service to the chapter; and the Phil Dorf Award for mentoring and educational achievements.. He was also inducted into the City College of New York Communications Alumni Hall of Fame, which also includes David Finn, The Kalb Brothers and The New York Times’ A.M. Rosenthal. Mr. Stevens has remained active in the Public Relations Society of America. He served as president of the New York Chapter and on the national board as Secretary and board member. He is the recipient of the Patrick Jackson Award from PRSA for lifetime achievement to the organization and the profession. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for a weekly humor commentary on WINK-TV, the CBS television affiliate in Fort Myers, Florida. He has also written a humor column for the Sanibel Island Reporter, a weekly newspaper in Sanibel, Florida. Mr. Stevens presently serves on such boards as Crossroads Theatre Company, a regional African American theatre company; the City College of New York Communications Alumni Group, and the Laurie Strauss Leukemia Foundation. He created an annual student scholarship for a pu...
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Anthony P. Carter, Global Diversity and Social Justice Writer and Lecturer.
About Our Guest Anthony P. Carter is a writer, lecturer, social justice influencer and award-winning global diversity and inclusion expert. He retired in 2015 as the Chief Diversity Officer at Johnson & Johnson
His 40+ year career spans the corporate, government and not for profit sectors. He has the distinction of being recognized as a public relations legend. He is a highly sought after global diversity and inclusion speaker.
Anthony has held two government press secretary roles of prominence at the local and national levels...in the New York City Mayor’s Office and in the United States House of Representatives.
The recipient of numerous awards for his work in diversity and inclusion, including the distinguished Corporate Diversity Award from the New Brunswick-New Jersey Branch of the N.A.A.C.P., Anthony is currently a Member of the Board of Trustees for Fordham University; President of the Board of Trustees of the Crossroads Theatre Company in New Jersey; recently retired Trustee of the United Way – USA; and Board Member-Emeritus of the National Medical Fellowships.
As a writer, Anthony has national and global reach. His voice is heard in articles he’s written over the past few years, including “What Does it Mean to be a Black Catholic?”...”Social Justice: The New Diversity”...”Racism in Colleges and Universities Across America”...and “Social Separation and Social Injustice: Corporate America’s Accountability & Opportunity.”
Anthony has personal and enduring relationships with top civil rights leaders and educators across the United States.
In 2017, Anthony received a Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Fordham University for his work in global diversity and social justice.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Aaron Kwittken, Founder and CEO of PRophet.
About Our Guest Aaron Kwittken is founder and CEO of PRophet, an AI-driven PR SaaS platform backed by MDC Ventures. He is also founder and chairman of KWT Global, a highly acclaimed PR and brand strategy firm with offices in New York, London and Los Angeles. A proud George Washington University alum, Aaron serves on GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs advisory committee. He’s president-elect of PRSA-New York and past president of the Americas for the International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO); a former Board member of the PR Council; a former adjunct professor at NYU; writes for Forbes and The Drum; and is the creator and host of the popular Brand on Purpose podcast that features companies that do well by doing good. He has deep expertise in marketing technology, brand strategy, reputation management, crisis management and purpose-driven marketing. An endurance sports enthusiast, Aaron puts social impact at the center of everything he does personally and professionally.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Michael Nyman, Founder & CEO, Acceleration Community of Companies.
About Our Guest Michael Nyman has made a career by being on the leading edge of marketing trends. With this latest venture, Acceleration Community of Companies (ACC), he has created another new go to market strategy. After establishing a new marketing approach in the early 90s to merge the world of brands and entertainment, Nyman, the former longtime PMKBNC Co-Chairman & CEO, pivoted his firm in 2010 to focus on harnessing expertise with popular culture and entertainment as a way for their brand clients to differentiate themselves and better connect with their consumers. With ACC, Nyman is developing a new go-to market business approach with a series of strategic and complementary acquisitions, including MKG, a leading creative agency specializing in brand experiences, Pink Sparrow, a design and fabrication shop specializing in experiential environments and Stripe Theory, a data and analytics agency. Additionally, ACC has a Brand Advisory unit, a consultancy aimed at providing clients a central point for integration and customization. Acceleration is creating a unique community of specialized firms helping clients move quickly and efficiently with their branding, marketing and media decisions and action. ACC is built for clients looking for an alternative marketing solution partner not interested in or reliant on the old legacy marketing models. Current ACC clients include a range of Fortune 500 as well as DTC brands, from Amazon, Facebook, ABinBev, Canopy Growth, Fashion Nova and Google to Target, Pepsi, and T-Mobile. As Chairman and CEO of PMK●BNC, Nyman was the architect behind one of the world’s most influential communications and marketing firms and led the historic merger of his previous firm, Bragman Nyman Cafarelli (BNC), with the renowned entertainment publicity powerhouse PMK, in the fall of 2009. Nyman, a 30-year veteran, started his own firm, Bragman Nyman Cafarelli (along with founder Howard Bragman and co-founder Brad Cafarelli) in 1991, before selling it to Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG:NYSE) in the fall of 2000, and leading the firm through its transition to a public company and subsequent expansion. Along the way Nyman founded a Licensing company for IPG, as well as served as Vice-Chairman of IPG Sports & Entertainment (IPSEG). In the fall of 2009, Nyman was asked to lead the merger combining the talent powerhouse of PMK with BNC’s established leadership in not only communications, but also marketing services and expertise in merging brands with entertainment. Within five years PMKBNC had doubled its revenue and built up to 300 employees representing nearly 1,000 entertainment and Fortune 500 clients and projects across their Los Angeles, New York and London offices. Michael Nyman is a leading authority with keen cultural insights in bridging the worlds of entertainment and consumer brand marketing and has achieved numerous accolades. Nyman was named to The Holmes Report’s inaugural Innovator 25 list in 2013 for strategically positioning PMK●BNC as the experts on pop culture. Under his leadership, PMKBNC was named both PR and Marketing Agency of the Year by the 2016 American Business Awards, ranked #1 on Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2016 PR firms List, ranked #17 on Advertising Age’s 2016 Largest PR firms in the U.S., and ranked #29 on PRWeek’s 2016 Global Agency Report, among many other prestigious recognitions, rankings and awards. From 21013-2018 PMKBNC garnered nearly 100 awards, including the Cannes Lions, The Clios, Holmes Report,
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Ronn Torossian, CEO, 5WPR.
About Our Guest Ronn Torossian is the founder and CEO of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently-owned PR firms in the United States. With over 20 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America’s most prolific and well-respected Public Relations professionals.
Throughout his career, Torossian has worked with some of the world’s most visible companies, brands and organizations. His strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, Metropolitan Magazine’s Most Influential New Yorker, and a 2020 Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider.
Torossian is known as one of the country’s foremost experts on crisis communications, and is called on to counsel blue chip companies, top business executives and entrepreneurs both in the United States and worldwide. Torossian has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly on CNN & CNBC, was named to PR Week’s “40 under Forty” list, is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer, and his book, “For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations” is an industry best-seller.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Alexis Davis Smith, President and CEO, PRecise Communications, Co-Founder, The Change Agencies.
About Our Guest Alexis Davis Smith President and CEO, PRecise Communications Co-Founder, The Change Agencies Building on nearly 30 years of experience and reputation as a trusted communications strategist, Alexis Davis Smith is a leader in Atlanta’s public relations industry and a national voice for multicultural marketing. She is responsible for creating breakthrough and strategic communications programs for major consumer brands.
Alexis has provided public relations counsel for leading global companies such as Coca-Cola, Toyota and Pfizer. For Coca-Cola, she has directed nearly 100 PR programs including the launch of the innovative Coca-Cola Fridge Pack and the award-winning Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program. Her work with the world’s No. 1 automaker, Toyota, has enhanced its brand reputation among multicultural audiences via media relations, experiential marketing, community and philanthropic activities and strategic partnerships.
Alexis maximizes her influence and position to help make a difference in the community. As a result of her recommendations, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store established a scholarship for history students at Spelman College, which continues to assist deserving young people today. In addition, Toyota has donated $20,000 the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help save endangered sites representing important moments and icons in Black history.
Prior to establishing PRecise Communications in 2000, Alexis was an account supervisor at Ketchum, a top 10 global public relations firm, where she traveled the world supporting several key consumer accounts. In 1998, she co-founded the agency’s African American Markets Group, the first-ever in-house ethnic marketing team created by an international PR agency. Her work since that time has established her as a nationally recognized multicultural communications expert.
That expertise earned her the position of one of the six co-founders of The Change Agencies (TCA). TCA is the PR industry’s first national collective of firms to offer inclusive communications services to represent, engage and connect with African American, Asian American, Latinx and LGBTQ communities. The group was launched in the summer of 2019 with the objective of changing how marketing communications professionals reach diverse audiences.
Alexis has received a number of industry awards including a Silver Anvil, “the Oscar of PR” from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and seven Phoenix Awards from PRSA of Georgia. She is immediate past president of the Black Public Relations Society of Atlanta and a board of director for HOPE Atlanta. The Atlanta Business League has recognized Alexis as one of Atlanta’s leading female entrepreneurs and a top 100 black women of influence. She served on its board for two terms. She is also on the executive committee for PRSA’s Counselors Academy section.
Alexis considers herself an advocate for multicultural consumers, helping companies recognize and tap into the viability and business opportunities ethnic groups offer. Her opinion has been featured in the popular industry trades, PR Week and O’Dwyers as well as Vanity Fair. She has also appeared on a number of PR and entrepreneurship-focused podcasts. Black Enterprise profiled her professional journey in a 2017 online article. In addition, she has served as a speaker at various local and industry events including the 2015 Insurers Public Relations Council Fall Meeting,
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Christine M. Barney, APR, CEO & Managing Partner, rbb Communications.
About Our Guest Christine M. Barney, APR CEO & Managing Partner rbb Communications Christine M. Barney is CEO and managing partner of rbb Communications. rbb is a triple threat repeatedly recognized as champions in the field of PR, Digital/Marketing and Creative Services. In 2020 alone, rbb was among Top Five Global Creative Agencies of the Year, the PRovoke US Small Agency of the Year, named to the Forbes Top PR Firms and took home campaign honors in every competition entered. rbb is a certified women-owned business with a diverse team across a broad spectrum of crafts including healthcare, consumer services/products, luxury lifestyle, B2B/professional services, real estate and travel.
Barney is the author of “The Breakout Brand ™ Strategy: An Evolutionary Approach to Creating Customer Passion” and her firm, headquartered in Miami, with a presence in Los Angeles and New York is known as the Champion of Breakout Brands ™.
Barney’s innovative management style and “employee-driven workplace” philosophy makes the firm a repeated winner in “best place to work” rankings. She is active in her home state having served as founding chair of the South Florida Business Council, past chair of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, a board member of the Orange Bowl Committee, board member of the Beacon Council, member of the International Women’s Forum, Leadership Florida, 2020 Florida Influencers Series and the Florida 500.
She is a member of The Page Society and is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) where she received the 2016 Bill Adams PRSA Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a married mother of three and new grandmother. www.rbbcommunications.com https://twitter.com/cmbarney @cmbarney https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmbarney
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today's special guest is Cheryl I. Procter-Rogers.
About Our Guest Cheryl I. Procter-Rogers, APR, PCC, Fellow, MBA, MA Senior Consultant and Executive Coach A Step Ahead Consulting and Coaching With more than 40 years of experience as a communications and business strategist, Cheryl is a high-energy, dynamic, professional with a track record of success working with senior executives in a variety of business, government and nonprofit sectors around the world. She is currently senior consultant and executive coach, A Step Ahead PR Consulting and Coaching, a Chicago-based, global practice. She is a subject matter expert and develops and implements strategies in crisis communications, strategic planning, change management, internal communications and media relations. She is an expert in executive communications and is a certified master coach, an International Coach Federation credentialed coach and is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America in public relations.
She draws on her years of experience leading accelerated change and proactive communications efforts for both global, complex organizations as well as local, regional and national entities. As a trusted advisor and coach, she helps leaders navigate ambiguous and volatile environments to achieve their leadership effectiveness. Through her coaching approach, executives focus on their leadership development, corporate presence, personal branding, effective communications, work-life balance, career transitions, or time management challenges through action plans co-created to benefit themselves and their organizations.
She has worked with a variety of corporations and organizations in a number of business sectors. She served in management and executive positions for DePaul University, HBO, Nielsen Marketing Research and Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company. As a consultant, she has implemented strategies and designed training for clients such as Coca-Cola, Nissan, Allstate, McDonald’s, Sears, McCain Foods, Academy of General Dentistry, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, and Magellan Corporation, to name a few.
She was the 2006 national president and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). In 2000, she was the youngest inducted into the PRSA’s College of Fellows. She is the 2011 PRSA Gold Anvil recipient, the Society’s highest individual award presented to an individual whose work significantly advanced the profession and set high standards for the practice of public relations. She was the 2016 president of the International Coach Federation Chicago Chapter.
She has authored many articles, contributed to several books, been featured in many publications and is frequently quoted in the media. Her awards and honors are too numerous to mention here. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, International Coach Federation, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Board Source and the Television Academy (Emmys®).
Procter-Rogers earned her bachelor's degree from Bradley University, an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management, and a master’s degree in Leadership and Change Management from DePaul University. Visit: www.AStepAheadPR.com
Special Episode Joe Lockhart knows the White House through and through. His responses to my questions during our recent PR Masters Series podcast reflects that. Joe described to our listeners how an effective and experienced White House press secretary prepares for a press briefing and maintains trust, integrity and transparency. Judging from my interview with Joe, it’s clear to me that President Clinton was well served during Joe’s tenure as White House press secretary. Being a White House press secretary isn’t for sissies. It’s a difficult job being in front of an information ravishing group of reporters. If you’re not good at your job you will be torn to shreds by the media. And if you engage in half-truths, innuendo, gossip, rumors and fake news, you’ll be overwhelmed. Joe Lockhart is the epitome of what a White House press secretary ought to be. In fact, I would urge him to tutor all future White House press secretaries wanna be’s. If so, the American public would be served up with the truth, which is good for our country.
About the Podcast The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. About Our Guest Joe Lockhart, White House Press Secretary under President Bill Clinton Joe Lockhart is perhaps best known for his service as White House Press Secretary under President Bill Clinton from 1998 to 2000, during which time he managed daily press briefings, provided senior counsel to the President, and managed communications through the President’s impeachment proceedings. Long-time White House correspondent Helen Thomas called him “a straight shooter,” and “one of the best it’s been my honor to work with;” Susan Page at USA Today found Lockhart “direct, well-informed and trusted;” and former CBS White House correspondent Peter Maer said “if Joe Lockhart knows anything, it’s how to control a narrative.”
Lockhart developed his knack for steering the conversation during his early career as an award-winning journalist, political strategist and public-relations consultant. Lockhart held posts as Assignment Editor at ABC News, Deputy Assignment Manager for CNN, and foreign producer reporting on the Gulf War for Skye News. He served as a press secretary for the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis, an aide to Senator Paul Simon, a senior advisor to the John Kerry campaign, and an Executive Vice President at Bozell Sawyer Miller, where he advised a range of high-profile corporations and institutions on media relations and political strategy.
Lockhart is the founding partner and managing director of the Glover Park Group (GPG), a Washington, D.C. communications strategy firm. Under Lockhart’s leadership, GPG earned a reputation for providing its wide range of corporate and non-profit clients (including Microsoft, Visa and the National Football League) with agile crisis management, astute public affairs, policy, advertising and marketing counsel, and cutting-edge opinion research.
In 2011 Lockhart was named Vice President of Global Communications at Facebook, just as the rapidly-expanding enterprise was preparing to go public. Lockhart helped the company mitigate initial public backlash to its IPO, take ownership of its story, and refortify its brand.
In 2013, Lockhart returned to GPG, where that vision payed immediate dividends, in the form of a major expansion and move to a new headquarters. At GPG, he spearheaded the National Football League’s response to a series of public challenges. In 2016 the NFL named Lockhart Executive Vice President overseeing Communications, Government Affairs, Social Responsibility and Philanthropy. A graduate of Georgetown University, Joe is a native of New York City, New York.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Fred Cook, Chairman, Golin & Director, USC Center For Public Relations (Los Angeles, CA).
About Our Guest Fred Cook has worked at Golin for over 30 years. He started as an account supervisor in the Los Angeles office and moved to Chicago 15 years ago to become Golin’s third CEO. Fred credits the company culture for his long tenure with the firm.
During his time with Golin, Cook has had the privilege to work with a variety of high-profile CEOs, including Herb Kelleher, Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs. He has also managed a wide scope of crises for his clients, including airline crashes, product recalls, and sexual harassment.
Fred is proud of the firm’s accomplishments, but he is even more excited about the future. The world is experiencing profound changes in demographics, globalization, multiculturalism and technology which are impacting the way people communicate with each other. To stay ahead of their changes, five years ago, Golin completely redesigned the agency by adopting a proprietary business model called g4, to deliver deeper insights, bigger ideas and broader engagement to their clients. Since that time, Golin has been named ‘Agency of the Year’ more than a dozen times.
In 2014, Cook published “Improvise – Unconventional Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO,” which shares the wisdom he gained as a cabin boy on a Norwegian tanker, doorman at a 5-star hotel and chauffeur for drunks. In 2015, after speaking on college campuses around the world, Fred accepted an additional position with the University of Southern California as the Director of the USC Center for Public Relations at the Annenberg School whose mission is to shape the future of public relations and those who will lead it - through research, education and thought leadership.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Peter Finn, Founding Partner at Finn Partners.
About Our Guest Peter Finn plays the central role in the creation and ongoing initiatives of Finn Partners and the development of the practices and offices that now make up the global agency. Over the years his contributions as Founding Managing Partner have included the recruitment of key executives, and the orchestration of domestic and global acquisitions of agencies specializing in technology, health, consumer marketing, tourism, education, professional and financial services, branding, public affairs and social and digital practices. He’s developed a powerful team, acquiring top notch agencies and integrating them into the firm, building what began as a small agency in 2011 into one of the top independent agencies in the world.
Under Peter’s direction, Finn Partners was selected by the prestigious Holmes Report as “Best New Agency” in 2012 and later was “Midsize Agency of the Year” by PR News and Holmes Report, and was named Health Agency of the Year by the Holmes Report in 2018 and was named one of the top Health agencies in the world in 2020. Finn continues to grow rapidly and is currently ranked by the O’Dwyer’s report as the 4h largest US based independent PR firm. Through Finn’s efforts, the firm has more than quadrupled in size over the past eight years and now has 20 offices around the world with almost 800 employees internationally.
Prior to launching Finn Partners, Peter was Co-CEO of Ruder Finn, Inc., He first joined Ruder Finn in 1976 and played a key role since the 1980s in turning the firm into one of the largest independently owned public relations firms in the world.
Peter is co-founder, with his wife Sarah, and Chairman of the Catskill Mountain Foundation, one of the largest arts organizations in the upstate New York, where he continues to work with many public officials at the local, state and federal level, impacting the region’s economic development. He is the recipient of the 2017 Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts award.
Peter has a B.A. from Brown University and an M.A. from Columbia University.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest on this Thanksgiving eve is Michael Kempner, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MWWPR.
About Our Guest Michael Kempner is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MWWPR, one of the nation’s largest independent public relations firms. He is a nationally recognized authority on reputation management, crisis management, public affairs, business to business, consumer marketing and corporate social responsibility, and has counseled some of the world’s most prominent executives, organizations and companies. Michael is known for his candor, commitment to community service and personal attention to client needs. He is an author and speaker on a variety of public relations, management, entrepreneurship, and marketing topics.
An active member of his community, Michael serves as the chairman of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, in addition to a current member of the PR Council Board of Directors, a board member of the New York Coalition for the Homeless, Fulbright-Canada Scholarship Board and a founding Board Member of ConnectOne Bank, one of the nation’s most successful community banks (NASDAQ: CNOB). He is also active in progressive politics and issues, having played major roles in the campaigns of President Barack Obama, Secretary Hillary Clinton and currently Joe Biden.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Margi Booth, Chairman, M Booth.
About Our Guest Margi founded M Booth in 1985 to create innovative communications programs for highly respected consumer, lifestyle, and corporate brands. Under her leadership, the agency’s client roster has grown to include American Express, Unilever, Google, GE, Mercedes Benz, and Godiva, among others. In addition, her agency has been recognized by the Holmes Report as Creative Agency of the Year, and is one of nine companies cited in 2014 as the Best Place To Work by PR Week.
In 2009, Margi sold her firm to Next Fifteen Communications and assumed the role of M Booth’s AWC (Active Working Chairman). In her new role, she is involved in setting the firm’s strategic direction, client counseling and new business. Margi is also working with Next Fifteen to manage its talent and acquisition strategies.
She is a New York Women in Communications Matrix Award recipient for career advancement in public relations and was awarded the New York Public Relations Society prestigious John W. Hill Award for her demonstration of leadership in the practice of public relations. She is a founding member of the Council of Public Relations Firms, and serves as a board member of the Center To Advance Palliative Care, and the Community Resource Exchange.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Catherine Hernandez-Blades is senior vice president, chief ESG and Communications officer at Aflac.
About Our Guest Catherine Hernandez-Blades is senior vice president, chief ESG and Communications officer at Aflac. She served in the CMO and CCO roles simultaneously at two Fortune 500 companies. She is in the inaugural class of the Women in Communications Hall of Fame and the first recipient of the PR Week’s Most Purposeful CCO award. A PR News Hall of Famer, Forbes Top 50 Most Influential Global CMO, inducted into the PR Week Hall of Femme in 2017, she is the first American to win the Relations 4 the Future Medal at the Communications 4 the Future awards at Davos. The 2019 Latina Style Corporate Executive of the Year, and on The Holmes Report’s 100, she is the 2018 Innovation SABRE recipient for Most Innovative Marketing/Communications Professional – Brand, and PR Week’s 2018 Outstanding In-house Professional of the Year. She is a four-time Top Woman in PR, and four-time Bulldog Star of PR.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR,digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Scott Allison, Co-Founder, Global Chairman & CEO, Allison + Partners.
About Our Guest Scott is global chairman and CEO of one of the fastest-growing global communications firms in the industry. Known for its unique culture, Scott founded Allison+Partners with a vision to build a positive and entrepreneurial environment where talented people at all levels could do great work and thrive. Scott oversees the firm’s Global Board, while continuing to provide communications counsel to many high-profile executives and clients. He is an expert in issues management and crisis communications; presentation and media training; and is regularly called upon to speak about issues facing the public relations industry. Prior to founding Allison+Partners, Scott was the West Coast president of Connors Communications and a senior vice president and partner at The Gable Group.
Scott is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society and serves on the advisory board for ISOThrive, The Fraternity and the Church of the Resurrection. He is a recipient of the Monty Award given to San Diego State University alumni and was a finalist for both the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® and the American Business Award’s Communications Executive of the Year. A patron of San Diego State University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies, Scott provided a founding gift to the Glen M. Broom Center for Professional Development in Public Relations and funds a scholarship that supports internship opportunities for students.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR,digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Ron Culp, PRAD Professional in Residence, Instructor and Professional Director, Graduate Professional Program Director - Public Relations and Advertising at DePaul.
About Our Guest Prior to joining DePaul and becoming an independent public relations consultant, Ron Culp held senior public relations positions at four Fortune 500 corporations and two major agencies. Ron’s career spans a broad range of communications responsibilities in government and industry sectors including business-to-business, consumer products, pharmaceutical and retailing.
Ron’s two agency stints include being partner and managing director of Ketchum’s Midwest offices and head of the agency’s North American Corporate Practice. Prior to Ketchum, he opened and served as managing director of the Chicago office of Sard Verbinnen and Company, a leading financial communications firm.
Previously, Ron was a corporate officer and senior vice president, public relations and government affairs, at Sears. During his Sears career, Ron managed internal and external communications, marketing public relations support, state and federal government affairs, community relations and the Sears-Roebuck Foundation. Earlier in his corporate career, he held senior communications positions at Sara Lee Corporation, Pitney Bowes and Eli Lilly.
Following graduation from Indiana State, Ron began his career as a reporter for The Columbus (Ind.) Republic before moving to the New York State Assembly where he served as director of member services (the public relations support unit) under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Ron is active in several civic organizations including the Economic Club of Chicago where he is a former board member and past vice chair. Culp serves on the board of Gilda’s Club Chicago, Public Relations Museum and Library, PRSA Foundation, Indiana State Foundation and the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, which he also chaired for five years. He was listed in Crain's "Who in Chicago Business" from 2009 to 2017.
Culp is the only individual to receive both the Distinguished Service Award and the Hall of Fame Award from the Arthur W. Page Society, which is comprised of senior communication professionals, agency heads and leading academics. In 2011 he was honored with the John W. Hill Award by the New York Chapter of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and a year later he received the PR Professional of the Year from the Chicago chapter of PRSA. He also is featured in the PRSSA book, “Legacies from Legends in Public Relations” (2007) and was named to the PR News Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2012, Ron received the David Ferguson Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Relations Education by a Practitioner, and in 2017 he received PRSA's Gold Anvil, the organization's lifetime achievement award.
Ron and his DePaul colleague Matt Ragas are co-authors of a business basics book for PR professionals entitled “Business Essentials for Strategic Communicators” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) and they jointly edited "Mastering Business for Strategic Communicators" (Emerald, 2018). Also in 2018, Ron compiled and edited an eBook entitled, "The New Rules of Crisis Management."
Ron and his wife, Sandra, fund a scholarship at their alma mater, Indiana State, for first-generation college students. In addition, Ron sponsors an annual PRSSA scholarship for student mentors.
Visit Ron's career blog, Culpwrit, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR,digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Dick Martin, Author, "Marilyn: A Woman In Charge."
About Our Guest Dick Martin writes about public relations, marketing, and ethics. He has authored four books for the American Management Association and articles for such publications as the Harvard Business Review, Chief Executive, and the Journal of Business Strategy. Capping a 33-year career with AT&T, from 1997 to 2003, he was Chairman of the AT&T Foundation and executive vice president responsible for the company’s public relations, employee communications and brand management worldwide. The Holmes Report called his first book, Tough Calls, one of the 5 best PR books published in the first decade of the 21st century and “by far the best book about the realities of working in corporate communications for a large American corporation.”
He is a frequent speaker to business groups and has conducted ethics workshops for the Institute of Public Relations, the Arthur Page Society, Rutgers University, and other organizations. He co-authored Public Relations Ethics: How To Practice PR Without Losing Your Soul, with Donald K. Wright, chair of the public relations department of Boston University’s College of Communications.
Most recently he wrote a biography of Marilyn Laurie, his predecessor at AT&T and the first woman to become a policy-making officer at a Fortune 10 company. Marilyn: A Woman In Charge will be published by the PR Museum Press on September 8, 2020. Martin was one of the first recipients of the Arthur W. Page Center’s Award for Integrity in Public Communication.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR,digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Denise Hill, Ph.D., APR Assistant Professor Elon University School of Communications.
About Our Guest Denise Hill is an assistant professor at Elon University’s School of Communications, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in strategic communications. Dr. Hill is a former chief communications officer with more than 30 years of corporate communications and public relations agency experience. Before joining Elon University, Dr. Hill was vice president of corporate communications and public relations at Delhaize America, the U.S. operation of global Fortune 500 grocery retailer Delhaize Group. She previously held chief communication officer positions at Quest Diagnostics and a business unit of Wyndham Worldwide. In addition, she served as a vice president of communication at Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Cigna. She started her career at a Carl Byoir/Hill+Knowlton public relations agency in Philadelphia. In addition to her Elon University teaching experience, Dr. Hill was an adjunct instructor of corporate communications and public relations at New York University. She also taught communications at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in communications from Temple University, and a Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her academic research focuses on public relations and social change, how public relations was used to help marginalized groups in the United States gain civil rights, and African American public relations pioneers. Dr. Hill is a member of the board of directors of the Public Relations Society of America. In addition, she is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society, where she serves on the new member liaison subcommittee. Dr. Hill is a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the American Journalism Historians Association, and an advisory board member of The Museum of Public Relations. She also serves on APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council as a member of its Corporate Communications Strategies subgroup. Dr. Hill serves on the board of directors of Easterseals of North Carolina and Virginia, and she chairs the organization’s development and communications committee. She is a former member of The Seminar, the premier organization of chief communication officers. She also is a former member of The Executive Leadership Council, the preeminent organization of African American business executives.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR,digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Jeff Winton, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Winton Associates.
About Our Guest Jeff Winton established Jeff Winton Associates, a full-service communications agency, in February 2020 after a four-decade communications and corporate affairs career with leading corporations and respected public relations and advertising agencies. Jeff’s global experience spans highly diverse and dynamic industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, animal health, agricultural, consumer healthcare and consumer products.
Jeff previously served as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Alkermes plc, where he created and led a new function that encompassed corporate brand and reputation; corporate, product, internal, sales and R&D communications; patient advocacy; corporate social responsibility; and corporate events. Prior to this role, Jeff was Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Astellas Pharma and responsible for building and evolving the company’s corporate affairs function to better support its strategic priorities.
Earlier in his career, Jeff held global communications leadership positions at Eli Lilly and Company, Pharmacia Corporation (until it was acquired by Pfizer Inc.) and Schering-Plough Corporation (until it was acquired by Merck & Co, Inc.).
Jeff has received several prestigious industry awards throughout his career, including the 2017 Plank Center John Koten Corporate Mentor Award, the first annual Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Health Academy Excellence in Public Relations Award and the 2015 Chicago Skyline PRSA Professional of the Year Award. He is active in several professional organizations, including PRSA, The Seminar and Arthur W. Page Society. Jeff also serves on the board of advisors for The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations.
Jeff graduated with distinction from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, with a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and currently serves on its Dean’s Advisory Council. Additionally, Jeff completed graduate level courses at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.
An avid equestrian who competes in several competitions across the country each year, Jeff belongs to several professional equestrian organizations.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR,digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Michael C. Lasky, Partner / Co-Chair Litigation; Public Relations Law at Davis & Gilbert LLP.
About Our Guest Michael C. Lasky is a partner at the New York City law firm of Davis & Gilbert LLP. Mr. Lasky is founder and chair of the firm’s Public Relations Law Practice Group, the only practice group in the country devoted to meeting the legal needs of public relations and marketing communications firms. The practice includes attorneys with deep industry and legal expertise needed to run a successful firm -- employment, executive benefits, intellectual property, new media, and marketing law, corporate, M&A, real estate and litigation. Mr. Lasky is proud to represent many of the fastest growing independent public relations firms. Mr. Lasky and his colleagues work closely with their clients to design strategies, programs, and agreements to enhance profitability and growth. He prides himself on his ability to counsel clients to help them achieve their business objectives and implement best practices in legal and risk management. Mr. Lasky is also co-chair of Davis & Gilbert’s litigation department, where he devotes a significant portion of his practice to advising executives and owners of service sector companies on their employment, shareholder and incentive compensation arrangements and disputes. He also is regarded as an expert in the areas of restrictive covenants and the movement of talent between competitive organizations. Mr. Lasky often collaborates with leading industry trade associations, including The Arthur Page Society (for which he serves as legal counsel), the American Marketing Association and the Public Relations Society of America. He serves as legal counsel to the PR Council (formerly known as the Council of PR Firms) and has done so since its inception in 1998. In addition, Mr. Lasky is widely recognized as a thought leader in the marketing communications and public relations industry, working with clients to implement best practices throughout their organizations, both anticipating and responding to the legal and business changes affecting the industry. Mr. Lasky is an honors graduate of Rutgers College and Rutgers University School of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of Rutgers University Law Review. He is a member of the Law School’s Alumni Board of Trustees, the Dean’s Advisory Council. He also serves on boards of a host of other professional, educational and charitable organizations, including Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, the leading legal aid and education organization dedicated to New York artists, and cultural institutions.
Overview The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR,digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s special guest is Lynn Casey.
About Our Guest Lynn retired from Padilla at the end of 2019 following 18 years leading the employee-owned firm through multiple acquisitions and, in 2018, a sale to Canadian-based AVENIR GLOBAL. Prior to joining a predecessor agency in 1983, she was marketing communications manager for Burlington Northern (now BNSF) and developed Minnesota’s first public relations campaign for foster care home recruitment.
Active in the communication sector at a national level, she has chaired PRSA’s Counselors Academy, served on the board of the Council of Public Relations Firms, and serves on the board of the Arthur Page Society. She has served on and chaired numerous nonprofit boards in Padilla’s headquarters community of Minneapolis. Corporate board service includes a Fortune 300 electric utility and two private companies.
Lynn was named Woman Business Executive of the Year by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal in 2011, was inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame in 2011 and into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame in 2014, and was named to the PR Week Hall of Fame in 2018.
Overview
The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today's special guest is Dr. Kathy Bloomgarden, Chief Executive Officer of Ruder Finn Inc.
About Our Guest Dr. Kathy Bloomgarden, Chief Executive Officer of Ruder Finn Inc. Dr. Kathy Bloomgarden is Chief Executive Officer of Ruder Finn Inc., one of the world's largest independent public relations agencies. She is known for her work positioning companies, CEOs and senior management as leaders and changemakers in an era of disruption and accelerated transformation. Dr. Bloomgarden is also the author of Trust: The Secret Weapon of Effective Business Leaders. Drawing from her more than 30 years of experience with dozens of top CEOs and business leaders across Technology, Healthcare and Corporate sectors, Trust brings into vivid focus the characteristics that make today's leaders successful, and the principles and techniques they use to earn the confidence of employees, colleagues, customers and the public. Dr. Bloomgarden’s work spans a wide range of multinational companies, including Novartis, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, GE, PepsiCo, Barclays, McKinsey, Cisco, Nokia and Alibaba.
Dr. Bloomgarden’s specialties include:
Corporate reputation and CEO leadership positioning: Bloomgarden advises the executive leadership of leading multinational corporations on their communications strategies during moments of change. She creates thought leadership narratives and platforms that build reputation for companies and recognition for leaders, creating a sense of urgency around market transitions and evolving business portfolios, and presenting a new vision to internal and external stakeholders as the company redefines itself and sets a new path.
Policy and community building: Bloomgarden counsels clients on stakeholder and influencer strategies, creating engagement around business-related policy agendas. Using data analytics and social channels, Bloomgarden helps companies build communities around shared interests. Active listening, influencer mapping and predictive analytics help guide content development and decision making.
Internal engagement and talent transformation: Bloomgarden helps business leaders create large-scale internal engagement programs aimed at enhancing motivation, dedication to values, and commitment to stretched targets. Her internal engagement campaigns focus on building emotional connections with company purpose, cross-enterprise collaboration and innovation, and individual talent development, aiming for greater performance and global competitiveness.
Reinforcing emerging technology connections: Dr. Bloomgarden advises companies and startups on collaboration and how to foster connections that accelerate innovation, enable adoption and scale up for technologies that reshape business models, and meet new customer demands.
Dr. Bloomgarden is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a board member of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, the Partnership for New York City, the China Institute, and sits on the advisory board of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Dr. Bloomgarden holds a B.A. from Brown University, an M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University in Political Science, as well as a certificate from the East Asian Institute. She is fluent in French, and has a working knowledge of Chinese, Italian, and basic German and Russian.
Overview
The Stevens Group has been presenting the PR Masters Series Podcast for almost two years now. But never has a subject been explored as thoroughly as the role that the coronavirus plays in the present and future of public relations. We've invited Gil Bashe back to steer us to our collective future as public relations professionals. Gil's medical and healthcare background prepares him well to make observations that the rest of us haven't thought of. You won't want to miss this special edition of PR Masters and learn from the consummate PR healthcare professional, Gil Bashe. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Gil Bashe, Chair, Global Health, Finn Partners
Champion for health innovation to sustain life and improve patient care, Gil has been tapped by PharmaVOICE “as one of the 100 most inspiring people in healthcare;” included in the Fast Company “50 People to Watch in the New World of Work”; chosen as a MM&M Top 10 Innovation Catalyst; by PRWeek/MM&M as a Top 50 Health Influencer;” recognized by the PRSA Health Academy with its “Excellence in Public Relations” award, and selected for the PRNews “Hall of Fame.” American Heart Association and Marfan Foundation advocate for patient engagement and access to care. Gil has led three top agencies cited by The Holmes Report as “Healthcare PR Agency of the Year” winners.
Gil is associated with 40+ product launch campaigns for global med/tech and biopharma blockbusters in cancer, diabetes, heart, respiratory, women’s health and non-communicable and orphan disease therapies. His background in payer, provider, policy, pharma marketing and patient-advocacy communications enables him to integrate ideas that impact patient access to care. He enables client messages and ideas to navigate successfully through the complex health ecosystem.
Dedicated to inspiring colleagues to succeed for clients and their customers, he was Group Company CEO, CommonHealth, and at WPP Group sister-company Hill + Knowlton, EVP, Worldwide Health Practice Director – its first Global Practice Head. He served as CEO of Health!Quest Global Communication Partners, funded by GTCR Golder Rauner, a private-equity firm, now with $10 billion in active assets.
Gil held leadership positions with New York agency Makovsky, Medicus, a global health-marketing company (today part of Publicis Healthcare), and at the pioneering integrated health-marketing agency Sutton Healthcare Group. As a health lobbyist, he was a director with the New Jersey Health Products Council. He serves on the advisory boards of Lets Win for Pancreatic Cancer, Marfan Foundation and Galien Foundation. He is also a member of the CNS Summit organizing committee and was honored by the Summit for his leadership role in the life science community. He completed his military service as a paratrooper combat medic and staff sergeant.@Gil_Bashe
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present the podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s guest is Carol Cone, internationally recognized for her work in social purpose and CSR.
About Our Guest Carole Cone On Purpose, Founder & CEO Carol is internationally recognized for her work in social purpose and CSR. Carol Cone ON PURPOSE is her return to her entrepreneurial roots and life’s passion: to educate, inspire and accelerate social purpose programs and impacts for organizations and nonprofits around the globe.
For more than 25 years, Cone has embraced a steadfast commitment to building lasting partnerships between companies, brands and social issues for deep business and societal impact. She adamantly feels that today, companies and brands must have a deeper meaning beyond the bottom line.
In her work, she continually brings breakthrough and lasting big ideas to clients to build their business and societal impacts. Early in her career, Cone launched the walking movement with Rockport as its leader, which grew the company three times over in the span of 4 years and led to its acquisition by Reebok. She created the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which grew to 50 countries around the globe and raised $1 billion. For PNC Financial Services, she identified early childhood education as a key aligned issue, which the company has supported nearly 15 years, uniting them with nonprofit partners including Head Start, Sesame, Donors Choose and tens of local grantees to advance this critical issue.
Most recently, Cone conceptualized My Special Aflac Duck, a social robot developed from extensive child centered design to comfort children going through an average of 1,000 days of chemotherapy. The robot evolved Aflac’s iconic mascot, the Aflac Duck, to deepen the company’s engagement with society. With Aflac underwriting its development and donating the Ducks to all children newly diagnosed with pediatric cancer, this innovative idea has been heralded around the globe, from the Tech for a Better World Award and Most Unexpected Product at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, to Time Magazine’s list of Best Inventions of 2018.
Other organizations Cone has worked with include: Action Against Hunger, Adobe, The American Lung Association, Bezos Family Foundation, ConAgra Foods, the Everglades Foundation, Girl Scouts of the USA, LG, Microsoft, P&G, Reebok, Southwest Airlines, Unilever (Dove, Vaseline, Dirt is Good) and Western Union, among others.
She is also a recognized thought leader in purpose, having conducted the world’s first research, then dozens of studies with business executives, citizens, employees and nonprofits, to gain critical insights to inspire organizations to engage with society as wise business strategy. She is a sought-after speaker and media expert, sharing her insights on purpose branding, corporate citizenship, sustainability and CSR.
She was the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Cone, Inc., recognized as the nation’s leading Cause Branding consultancy. PRWeek called her "arguably the most powerful and visible figure in the world of Cause Branding." Overall, Cone’s signature programs have raised more than $2.5 billion for various social causes.
In 2009, she was one of two US judges for the first PR Lions Awards at the Cannes Festival of Creativity. Her book, Breakthrough NonProfit Branding, was published in 2010.
Other career highlights include: creating and hosting Purpose 360, a podcast showcasing the most innovative leaders in social purpose; creating Purposeful Connections, a bi-weekly newsletter; hosting more than 200 interns during her leadership of Cone; bui...
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Larry Weber, CEO & Chairman, Racepoint Global Larry is a globally known expert on public relations and marketing services, founder of several successful public relations and interactive marketing agencies and author of six forward-thinking marketing books. Recognized as a thought leader on the convergence of technology, the Web, and communications, Larry has helped both enterprise and emerging companies become powerhouse brands; his client experience includes ARM, AT&T, Boston Scientific, Coca-Cola, General Electric, General Motors, IBM, John Deere, Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft, PTC, Panasonic, the Pittsburgh Steelers, SAP, and Verizon Wireless.
Larry has nearly 40 years of experience as CEO of both mid- and large-scale companies. He is co-founder and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX), the largest interactive advocacy organization in the world. Additionally, he sits on the Board of Directors for Pegasystems, Inc. (PEGA) in Cambridge, Mass. and Macromill Group (TYO:3730) in Japan. In January 2019, Larry released his latest book, Authentic Marketing: How to Capture Hearts and Minds Through the Power of Purpose, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Authentic Marketing discusses the need for all companies to have a corporate purpose in order to capture the hearts and minds of today’s audiences.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present the podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s guest is Kim Sample, president of the PR Council. Kim and PR Masters Series host Art Stevens discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the PR agency world.
About Our Guest Kim Sample focuses on helping the PR Council’s 100-plus member agencies thrive and elevating the PR profession overall. Prior to joining the PRC in August 2018, Kim was the founder/CEO of Emanate, a $35 million, 100+ person international marketing communications agency. During her tenure Emanate was named PR WEEK Agency of the Year and CRAIN’S Best Places to Work in NYC, and the team’s work for clients was recognized with numerous industry awards. Kim also worked at Ketchum, Marina Maher Communications and Golin earlier in her career, and has served Fortune 500 clients across a number of industries, including financial services, travel and hospitality, CPG and consumer electronics.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present the podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s guest is Alan Taylor, founder of Alan Taylor Communications.
About Our Guest Alan has spent more than 45 years in the marketing/communications profession, half of those years as the founder of Alan Taylor Communications, the No. 1 ranked public relations agency in sports/leisure activities.
His agency won numerous awards for various client activities for the programs the agency developed. Through his leadership, the agency became known for its strategic problem solving. While active in the agency through 2004, he managed a budget of more than $20,000,000 with a staff of 75 people. PR Week, named him one of the Top 100 Public Relations Executives of the 20th Century.
Since selling the agency, Alan has worked with a number of clients in Florida. He now concentrates his efforts in the marketing of the Club at Boca Pointe, a private residential community in which he lives and continues to serve on the Board of Governors.
In sports marketing, he has handled major events and programs in golf, auto racing, baseball, basketball, boxing, tennis and other racquet sports. On the product side he has worked in the cosmetic, tobacco, toys/games, distilled spirits, footwear and fashion apparel industries as well as numerous programs for the United States Mint and USPS.
Through the years of serving corporate clients, he has developed strong, credible relationships with some of the top brand-marketing executives in the country as well as with major media. Through his ties with the corporate world, he developed a keen sense on how to promote/market products and image. He developed communications strategies and tactical plans for product introductions in the financial services, consumer products and leisure industries, featuring some of the most well known, every day names.
Mr. Taylor began his career as a sports writer in Miami and Los Angeles before entering the public relations profession in 1961. He was an award-winning sports writer in Los Angeles.
His first major public relations assignment was handing, with his wife, the promotion of the first Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston heavyweight championship in 1964 where Ali won the title in Miami Beach.
Mr. Taylor has also been an associate professor at New York University, teaching event/sports publicity, and served initially on the Board of Advisors at Florida Atlantic University for its graduate program in sports management.
In 2004, he sold the agency to a team of six partners. He and his senior partner are owners of the Syracuse Crunch Hockey Team in the American Hockey League.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present the podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s guest is Kenneth D. Makovsky, President, Makovsky.
About Our Guest Kenneth D. Makovsky President Makovsky Kenneth D. Makovsky is President of Makovsky (www.makovsky.com), one of the leading global independent integrated communications firms and one of the largest independents in New York. The company, founded in 1979, is headquartered in New York City, with divisions in financial + professional services, health, technology, energy and digital + innovation.
Ken has been named top business-to-business counselor in the public relations industry, a PR All-Star, PR Professional of the Year, PR Executive of the Year and PR Blogger of the Year. He was selected to receive the “SABRE Individual Achievement Award,” NY PRSA’s John Hill Award for Outstanding Achievement and was named “Communications Executive of the Year” by the American Business Awards. Ken was also selected as one of the “Top Ten CEO Bloggers” in the country by Chief Executive magazine.
Ken’s blog, “My Three Cents,” was carried for 5 years by Forbes, and it was also carried by Businessweek and various industry publications. Ken’s articles have been published by leading magazines, and he has addressed business organizations and universities.
Mr. Makovsky is the founder and past president of IPREX, the second largest global corporation of independent public relations firms, in 56 cities and 32 countries.
Ken is a member of the College of Fellows, the honorary organization of the Public Relations Society of America; the Arthur W. Page Society, a public relations leadership organization; former co-chairman of the Board of the Institute for Public Relations Firms, the advisory committee of the Newhouse School of Communications (Syracuse University) Public Relations Executive Distant Learning Program; the Advisory Board of PR News, and was formerly a member of the board of trustees of the Post Graduate Center for Mental Health. He is former president of the Washington University Alumni Club in New York and currently is a member of the university’s National Council for Arts & Sciences.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present the podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s guest is Sheryl Y. Battles, Vice President, Global Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement, Pitney Bowes, Inc.
About Our Guest Sheryl Y. Battles Vice President, Global Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement Pitney Bowes Inc. Sheryl Y. Battles is currently Vice President, Global Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement for Pitney Bowes Inc. In this role, she combines her extensive communications expertise, her deep understanding of the company’s strategy, and her passion for leveraging the intersection of diversity, inclusion and engagement to help drive business results and individual growth. She leads the company’s strategies; communications and storytelling related to these areas and provides strategic counsel to the CHRO and the senior team.
Sheryl is a seasoned professional that has held a range of increasing responsibilities within corporate communications at the Company including speech writing for 3 previous CEOs, investor communications, media relations, internal publishing and community relations/strategic investments. In her immediate past position as VP, Communications and Diversity Strategy Sheryl provided strategic communications counsel to the COO, the CFO and other senior executives and led financial communications, corporate thought leadership, and crisis communications as well as the company’s global diversity and inclusion strategy. Pitney Bowes has recognized her exceptional contributions with several awards, including the company’s highest employee honor – the Walter H. Wheeler, Jr. Award. She is a three-time winner of the Pitney Bowes One Standard Excellence Award for outstanding team accomplishments.
Sheryl graduated from Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA with a degree in Human Biology.
In 2018, Sheryl received the Public Relations Society of America’s national D. Parke Gibson award, which is its highest individual honor in diversity to recognize her work within the public relations industry and in her organization. She is also one of the professionals featured in the book “Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership” designed to help communications leaders and professionals better understand the challenges faced by minorities in the field.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present the podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today’s guest is Barbara Bates, the Group CEO of Hotwire, and the former founder and CEO of Eastwick Communications, which was acquired by Hotwire in 2016.
About Our Guest Barbara Bates Hotwire’s Limitless Leader Barbara started her career as an on-air journalist, then transitioned into the Benjamin Group – a leader in tech communications at the time. Soon after, she joined forces with her two best friends, who had been working with Regis McKenna, to create Eastwick – the first independent, fully tech-focused agency in Silicon Valley.
Barbara has guided clients to new levels of visibility and success. Her ability to understand market direction and product potential helps companies’ move toward their vision and live out their purpose. Her leadership of Hotwire (and formerly Eastwick) has helped create hundreds of millions of dollars in value for top technology companies by directing their messaging and positioning, as well as building their brand profiles. Under Barbara's leadership, clients have included Facebook, BMC, Seagate, Dell Software, HP, Adobe and Fujitsu, to name a few.
After 25 years of building her own agency, Eastwick, into one of the most preeminent technology-focused communications firms in the country, Barbara’s agency was acquired by Hotwire in late September 2016. She served just eight months as the CEO of North America, before being appointed to the role of Global CEO – responsible for driving the strategic direction of the business for all Hotwire offices around the world. She now leads a staff of nearly 300 people globally in 12 offices and 16 countries on a relentless mission to be the best agency clients and employees will ever work with.
Furthermore, Barbara has shifted Hotwire from a largely traditional PR firm to an established integrated communications agency to meet the new demands of today’s C-Suite (including enhanced digital and social media capabilities, content and advocacy marketing, as well as visual storytelling, web services, and analytics).
Barbara's a redhead with a big personality, big ideas and a penchant for pushing the envelope with clients and staff. She's been innovating the art and science of strategic communications and marketing since leaving a journalism career as a television reporter—adding social media, content strategy, analytics, measurement and visual storytelling to the Hotwire suite of public relations services. Barbara's commitment to her clients is second to none and she is equally passionate about building a strong positive culture that attracts the best and the brightest talent.
Barbara’s most recent personal awards and accolades include:
2019 ICCO Global PR Leader 2020 PRWeek Outstanding Agency Professional Finalist 2020 Holmes SABRE Innovative Agency Professional Finalist 2018 SF Biz Times Most Influential Women in Business 2014 Top 5 Women in PR 2013 Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Women of Influence and was listed as of Business Insider’s 50 Best Public Relations People in Tech 2011 Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for her impact on Silicon Valley.
Under Barbara's leadership, Hotwire (and formerly Eastwick) has received a number of impressive accolades in recent years, including:
PRWeek U.S. Best Places to Work 2020 Crane’s NY Best Places to Work 2019 PR News Best Places to Work in PR 2019 Best Tech Agency - Holmes Report Digital Consultancy of the Year - Holmes Report Technology Agency of the Year - Bulldog Reporter Integrated Agency of the Year - PR Moment (UK...
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present the podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession. Today's guest is James E. Lukaszewski,(Loo-ka-shev-ski), America’s Crisis Guru® and president of The Lukaszewski Group. He has an international practice devoted to helping organizations and their leaders respond to extremely serious trouble they are in or have caused; recover from the damage they suffer and cause; manage the victims they create and must care for; repair reputational damage thru constructive, workable ethical approaches.
About Our Guest A Personal Profile This is Jim Lukaszewski: Powerful Speaker, Important Author, Inspiring Teacher, Trusted Advisor Purpose: Through helping resolve the significant troubles of others, find and do what will be the most important things I will ever do in my career and life.
Vision/Aspiration: To be an authentic trusted Communicator, Coach, Counselor and Strategic Thinker; to be the first call when leaders and managers face their toughest, touchiest, most sensitive and devastating situations.
Mission: To be the table, truly strategic; promptly finding those exceptionally achievable, ethical, honorable, powerful, and sensible ingredients for solutions to the most challenging leadership, management and organizational problems.
Disciplines: Trustability; Verbal clarity; Management Perspective/sensitivity; Findable, Gettable, Doable, Achievable, Knowable approaches; Tomorrow focused; Thoughtful, incremental advice; Intuition-Pattern Sensitivity; lifelong learning; Teach, Coach, Counsel to inspire and expand Management and leadership influence and success;
Values: Compassion; Constructive approaches; Curiosity; Honesty; Inconsistency; Positivity; Pragmatism; Promptness; Truthfulness.
Principles: Candor; Communicate Promptly-Intentionally; Destiny Management; Empathy/Compassion/Apology; Engagement; Openness; Responsiveness; Transparency; Truthfulness.
Passion: Help all staff functions i.e. PR, HR, Law, Security, Strategic planning, etc. be more important, have more access and influence, be sought after earlier and have happier, more productive successful professional careers.
Corporate legal times listed Jim as,” one of 28 counselors to call when all-hell breaks loose.” Google James E. Lukaszewski and you’ll see more than 70,000 entries. Visit his www.e911.com web site. Preorder Jim’ next book: The Decency Code; The Leader’s Path to Building Integrity and Trust Release March 17, 2020. Available for preorder NOW on Amazon.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Gil Bashe, Managing Partner, Finn Partners Global Health Practice
Champion for health innovation to sustain life and improve patient care, Gil has been tapped by PharmaVOICE "as one of the 100 most inspiring people in healthcare;" included in the Fast Company “50 People to Watch in the New World of Work”; chosen as a MM&M Top 10 Innovation Catalyst; by PRWeek/MM&M as a Top 50 Health Influencer;" recognized by the PRSA Health Academy with its "Excellence in Public Relations" award, and selected for the PRNews "Hall of Fame." American Heart Association and Marfan Foundation advocate for patient engagement and access to care. Gil has led three top agencies cited by The Holmes Report as "Healthcare PR Agency of the Year" winners.
Gil is associated with 40+ product launch campaigns for global med/tech and biopharma blockbusters in cancer, diabetes, heart, respiratory, women's health and non-communicable and orphan disease therapies. His background in payer, provider, policy, pharma marketing and patient-advocacy communications enables him to integrate ideas that impact patient access to care. He enables client messages and ideas to navigate successfully through the complex health ecosystem.
Dedicated to inspiring colleagues to succeed for clients and their customers, he was Group Company CEO, CommonHealth, and at WPP Group sister-company Hill + Knowlton, EVP, Worldwide Health Practice Director - its first Global Practice Head. He served as CEO of Health!Quest Global Communication Partners, funded by GTCR Golder Rauner, a private-equity firm, now with $10 billion in active assets.
Gil held leadership positions with New York agency Makovsky, Medicus, a global health-marketing company (today part of Publicis Healthcare), and at the pioneering integrated health-marketing agency Sutton Healthcare Group. As a health lobbyist, he was a director with the New Jersey Health Products Council. He serves on the advisory boards of Lets Win for Pancreatic Cancer, Marfan Foundation and Galien Foundation. He is also a member of the CNS Summit organizing committee and was honored by the Summit for his leadership role in the life science community. He completed his military service as a paratrooper combat medic and staff sergeant.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Maureen Lippe, CEO, Lippe Taylor Maureen is obsessed with cracking the code on what makes women buy one brand and not another. A former beauty editor, brand spokesperson and TV personality, she’s always been fascinated with understanding the total woman -- physically, emotionally and spiritually. Maureen is dedicated to discovering the most impactful ways to connect brands with women, their families, and their health and wellness.
Maureen began her career in beauty editorial and left a lasting impression; at Harper’s Bazaar she was the first editor to incorporate health content into beauty pages, and at Vogue she forecasted trends to America’s top fashion designers. She also made her mark in the beauty industry; at Shiseido she led new product development, packaging and studying how trends effect purchase decisions.
Maureen went on to become a spokesperson for major beauty brands including Clairol, Dove, and P&G, and an on-air personality for ABC-TV’s “Live with Regis Philbin.” Maureen not only performed the first televised makeover, she also completed over 2,000 transformations around the country. And her weekly segment wasn’t simply focused on the external -- she worked with women on exercise and diet, body image and self-esteem. Throughout her career, Maureen has been a trailblazer in studying women, inside and out.
Maureen founded Lippe Taylor in the early 1990’s, motivated by the lack of PR/marketing innovation she witnessed as an editor. By developing creative strategies for connecting with consumers, Maureen has successfully launched more than 100 brands. She has provided high-level, brand-building solutions for global leaders including Procter & Gamble, Clairol, IKEA, Johnson & Johnson, Allergan, Galderma, Revlon, Elizabeth Arden, The Gap, Kmart, Sears and Nordstrom. From product development and consumer product marketing, digital communications and issues management, Maureen has helped her clients decode the female consumer to build brands and grow sales. Most recently, Lippe Taylor partnered with a leading social influencer platform to introduce the “Lippe Taylor She Speaks Women’s Buying Behavior Index,” which continues as ongoing research. With this proprietary research, Maureen continues to study women’s purchasing habits and anticipate trends.
Maureen is deeply committed to cause-related marketing and providing brands with charitable connections. In addition, she was the only non-physician member of the Skin Cancer Foundation, former board member of Fashion Group International, Cosmetic Executive Women, and the Women’s Venture Fund, and was honored by the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation as a Woman Who Cares. Maureen also sits on the board of the PR Council and is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society.
Maureen is also a supporter of multiple women-focused charities such as Save The Children, UNICEF, Look Good / Feel Better Sand Step Up Network for Girls which she has aligned with brands like Elizabeth Arden, P&G, RB, and IKEA. Maureen has worked for many years with Women in Need where she spearheaded multiple inner city initiatives aimed at elevating women and their children out of poverty and into private housing. Maureen also launched The SHEQUALITY Project, which she designed to help women executives rise in the ranks of PR agencies.
Maureen wants her colleagues and clients to walk into Lippe Taylor and feel like they’ve stepped into their second homes. To do so, she has considered every detail of her unexpected and innovative loft offices...
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Beth Monaghan, CEO & Co-Founder, Inkhouse Beth is the CEO of InkHouse, which she co-founded in 2007 and has grown into one of the top ranked agencies in the country. Beth’s been recognized as one of the Top Women in PR by PR News, the Top 25 Innovators by The Holmes Report and as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. A contributor to Thrive, Forbes and Fortune, Beth is also widely cited in outlets ranging from NPR, to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Huffington Post, Bloomberg and The Boston Globe.
Beth believes that shared values, and the freedom to create are the foundations of all meaningful work. She brings this philosophy to building a culture of creative progress at InkHouse. In the past year, she introduced GoodInk to support companies that believe in the tight link between doing well and doing good, and a team that is spearheading the firm’s integrated PR services. Outside of the office, Beth has been part of the successful efforts to pass the paid family leave, equal pay and transgender rights laws in Massachusetts, and has testified in support of these rights at the U.S. Capitol, before the U.S. Department of Labor, and at the Massachusetts State House. In 2014, she was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to a task force that studied women’s equality in the state of Massachusetts. She currently chairs the board of directors for The Alliance for Business Leadership, a group of progressive leaders; on Eastern Bank’s Board of Corporators; and on the Advisory Council for the ERA Coalition, which is working to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Beth studied PR, creative writing, music, and journalism at Syracuse University and graduated from its S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and two young daughters.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Shelley Spector, Co-Founder of The Museum of Public Relations & President, Spector & Associates Named as one of the “most innovative” professionals in the field, Spector has produced award-winning campaigns for some of the world’s top corporations, including AT&T, Bayer, ITT Corporation, Forest Laboratories, Harris Corporation, and Philips. Spector co-founded the firm in 1991. Within the first year of operation the firm was awarded the Gold Creativity in Public Relations Award for client Embassy Suites. Since then, the firm has won more than 50 national awards for a variety of Fortune 100 companies. In June 2018, she was presented with the Phil Dorf award for leadership and mentorship at the PRSA New York Big Apple Awards. Prior to co-founding the firm, Spector worked in financial relations for Hill & Knowlton, RuderFinn and Lobsenz-Stevens. She also served as press director for the American Stock Exchange. In 1997, she co-founded the Museum of Public Relations, the world’s first and only museum dedicated to preserving and exhibiting the history of the field. It is a 501(c)(3) educational institution, chartered by the New York State Department of Education. Spector serves as an adjunct professor for the graduate Corporate Communications graduate programs at both Baruch College and NYU. She is a frequent guest speaker at academic, industry and corporate events, talking on subjects ranging from “PR in History” to “The Diversity Imperative,” to “Developing Big Ideas.” She is author of “Public Relations for the Public Good” and co-editor of the upcoming book, “Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership,” with the PRSA Foundation. A graduate of the Journalism program at the University of Rhode Island, Spector earned an M.S. in Radio/TV/Film at the Newhouse School, Syracuse University.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Marian Salzman, SVP, Global Communications, Philip Morris International (PMI) Marian Salzman, senior vice president, global communications at Philip Morris International (PMI), has been named one of the world’s top five trendspotters and is among the world’s most-awarded public relations executives. In recent years, she has been listed in PRWeek’s Global Power Book and as a PR News Top Woman in PR. She is also the recipient of the She Runs It 2017 Changing the Game Award, has been inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Femme and Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, and was on the Holmes Report Top Innovators List and on Business Insider’s 25 Most Powerful PR People.
In April 2018, Marian moved to Switzerland and embarked on her greatest challenge to date, heading global communications at Philip Morris International (PMI) as it embarks on its journey to build a smoke-free future. Charged with developing a proactive, multilayered communications program to accelerate PMI’s vision, Marian is forging active and productive alliances with NGOs, advocacy groups, regulators and other parties involved in shaping the environment in which a smoke-free future can be realized.
Since Marian took charge of global communications at PMI, she has made bold strategic moves to transform the function itself and how it sits within the company. Her goal: reintroduce PMI into, as she puts it, “civilized society” and engage that society in meaningful conversations about the future of tobacco. Reporting directly to Global CEO André Calantzopoulos, she is remaking the group—including directly overseeing a staff of almost 100 communications professionals based on three continents who are responsible for media relations, scientific engagement, content development, crisis management, internal communications, sponsorships and more. She is ensuring that PMI is positioned at the forefront of a new discussion about tobacco and the reduced-risk products (RRPs) available today and in development.
Marian Salzman—A Globally Recognized Trendspotter
Before joining PMI, Marian was CEO of Havas PR North America for nearly a decade, and chaired its global PR assets known as its PR Collective (networked but not a network). There, she reshaped the creative output, creating one of the most buzzed-about boutique agencies in North America and achieving top-five status at key U.S. and global awards shows. Marian also served on the Havas Worldwide general managers group and as co-chairman of the company’s first international steering committee for its social media assets. In recognition of these efforts, she was named PRWeek’s PR Professional of the Year for 2011.
Prior to Havas PR, Marian was the chief marketing officer at both Porter Novelli and JWT Worldwide and the chief strategic officer at Euro RSCG Worldwide (Havas Creative). Her first international assignment was in the 1990s, as the Amsterdam-based lead of TBWA’s Department of the Future. Marian was also an entrepreneur who launched American Dialogue (Cyberdialogue) focus groups in cyberspace back in the early 1990s, when the online world was seen as a place for geeks and oddballs, ultimately selling the company a few years later. Her business partner then was advertising agency legend Jay Chiat; ultimately, he appointed her Chiat/Day’s first head of emerging media and consumer insights ahead of Chiat/Day merging with TBWA International. Among her most famous consumer campaigns are the launch of “metrosexual” to create a marketplace for SABMiller’s Peroni (metrosex...
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Steve Cody, Founder / CEO, Peppercomm I’m a comedian, climber and dog lover, but not necessarily in that order.
I am also the founder and CEO of Peppercomm, a fully-integrated strategic communications firm headquartered in NYC, with offices located in San Francisco and London. In that role I’m responsible for everything from implementing strategy and counseling clients to leading business development and bringing new products and services to market. In short, I do everything but clean windows.
My biggest passion is helping others. I derive immense satisfaction from mentoring students, guest lecturing at the universities who are brave enough to invite me to speak, and helping fellow mid-life marketing communications professionals who have lost their way in life. There may be hope for us yet.
I am the current chairman of the Institute for Public Relations, a longtime member of the Arthur W. Page Society, a member of the advisory councils of the College of Charleston and the University of Florida, and was named one of Northeastern University’s 100 most successful alumni. I have also co-authored “What’s keeping your customers up at night?” which was published by McGraw-Hill in 2003 and has put thousands of readers to sleep over the years.
I’m proud to say that I’ve used my love of stand-up comedy to raise more than $100,000 for countless charities. I’m just as proud to see Chris and Catharine, my two children, grow up to become successful professionals. I’m confident the family tradition will continue with my grandson, Adrian Joseph “A.J.” Cody. May he outperform us all.
A sense of humor means:
A person has the resiliency to deal with the realities of the modern world while maintaining his energy, drive, enthusiasm and smile. Life’s far too short. Loosen up
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Jim Joseph, President, McCann Health North America Marketing is a spectator sport and Jim Joseph is one of the industry’s most engaging, enthralling, and entertaining commentators.
Jim’s list of brand experience spans virtually every industry and is a who’s who list of the most impressive brands on the planet including Johnson & Johnson, Ford, Cadillac, Procter & Gamble, Walmart, American Express, Microsoft, Hyatt, Astra Zeneca, and McDonald’s. Jim is also an award-winning author of The Experience Effect series and an adjunct instructor at New York University where he teaches a graduate class in integrated marketing. He has a new marketing book coming out in the fall titled The Conscious Marketer.
Jim started his career client-side at Johnson & Johnson in Brand Management where he learned the power of an integrated brand. Through his experiences, he has managed agencies of virtually every discipline: advertising, branding, promotion, retail, digital, crm, and of course communications.
Jim is the proud father of two (now) adult children who have embarked on careers of their own. He splits his time between New York City and Palm Springs, CA, along with many airplanes. Jim chronicled his journey as a single, gay father in the award-winning book Out and About Dad, and continues to blog on issues related to branding, parenthood, and pop culture.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Andy Polansky, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Constituency Management Group (CMG) Andy Polansky is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Constituency Management Group (CMG), and oversees IPG’s specialty marketing firms across a variety of disciplines, including public relations, sports marketing, experiential marketing, brand consulting and digital and social media marketing. Global brands within CMG include Weber Shandwick, Golin, Octagon, Jack Morton, Current Global, DeVries Global and FutureBrand, among others.
Andy also serves as Executive Chairman of Weber Shandwick, and was its CEO from 2012-2019.
A leader in the public relations and marketing service industries, Andy has delivered outstanding results for hundreds of companies around the globe. Under his direction as CEO, Weber Shandwick was a “Standout” Agency on the prestigious Ad Age Agency A-List in 2017 and 2018, and was named to Ad Age’s Best Places to Work list in 2019. Weber Shandwick was also PRWeek’s Global Agency of the Year four years in a row (2015 to 2018) and The Holmes Report‘s Global Agency of the Year in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Andy has a deep passion for client service and collaboration. He led the development of Weber Shandwick’s Client Relationship Leader program, which was featured as a Harvard Business School case study.
Andy sits on the Board of Directors for The Ad Council and the Board of Trustees for the VNA Health Group, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit independent providers of home health, hospice and community-based care.
Prior to his roles with IPG, Andy was a municipal reporter for the Bucks County Courier Times in Levittown, PA, a business and feature writer for the Princeton Packet in Princeton, NJ, and a sportswriter at The Trentonian in Trenton, NJ.
Andy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and sits on the TCNJ Foundation Board of Directors.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Barby K. Siegel, CEO, Zeno Group Under Barby’s leadership, Zeno Group has experienced unprecedented growth and industry recognition for its creativity, highly-collaborative culture and defining its north star — Fearless Pursuit of the Unexpected. Step into any Zeno office and you immediately feel the high energy and special spirit that imbues the “Green Machine” every day.
Barby has represented clients in myriad categories, including personal care, packaged goods, food, beauty, health, automotive, fashion, retail, financial services and technology. She is passionate about the power of a ‘big idea’ to work across channels to influence behavior, impact the intersection of brand and corporate reputation and drive real business value for the clients that trust Zeno with their business.
Zeno was named 2019 Agency of the Year and Midsize Agency of the Year by PRWeek as well as 2019 Agency of the Year and Midsize Agency of the Year at the SABRE Awards North America. Zeno also received high commendation as 2017 PRWeek International Agency of the Year, was named a Best Place to Work by PRWeek in 2016 and 2017 and received the distinguished Platinum SABRE Award for ‘Best in Show’ at the 2017 SABRE Awards North America. The agency was recognized at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity in 2018, winning a Bronze PR Cannes Lion, and in 2016, winning a Gold Cannes Lion and a Bronze PR Cannes Lion.
In 2018, The Holmes Report honored Barby with their Individual Achievement Award. In 2017, Barby was named Global Agency Professional of the Year by PRWeek and inducted into their Hall of Femme. For the past six years, Barby has been named to PRWeek’s ‘Power List’ (2013-2019). Additionally, Barby is a Director on the Board for Year Up and the PRSA Foundation as well as a member of the Arthur Page Society.
But, Barby is most proud of the title “Mommy” to her two daughters, Matty and Mallory have put their own stamp on ‘fearless’.
The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Patrice Tanaka, Founder & Chief Joy Officer, Joyful Planet LLC After an award-winning PR & Marketing career and co-founding three agencies, Patrice Tanaka started Joyful Planet, working with individuals and organizations to discover and actively live their purpose and unleash greater success, fulfillment and joy in their personal lives, in their workplaces and in their communities. Life and organizational purpose are the subjects of Patrice’s best-selling books, Beat the Curve and Performance360. Patrice has been honored by PRWeek (Hall of Fame inductee), PRSA Foundation (Paladin Award), PRSA (“Paul M. Lund Award for Public Service”), among others. Reach Patrice via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Bob Pearson, Strategic Advisor, W2O Group Bob played a key role in building the 800-person firm, W2O Group, which is centered on algorithms, machine-learning and innovative media models that lead to insights-driven marketing communications campaigns. He has served as Chief Technology Officer, President, Vice-Chairman and now Strategic Advisor.
Prior to W2O Group, Bob worked as VP of Communities and Conversations at Dell to develop the Fortune 500’s first global social media function—an industry-leading approach to the use of social media, as highlighted in the best seller, GroundSwell. Before Dell, Bob was Head of Global Corporate Communications and Head of Global Pharma Communications at Novartis Pharmaceuticals in Basel, Switzerland, where he served on the Pharma Executive Committee and he held the role of Vice President of Media and Public Affairs for Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (now Sanofi).
He is an author, frequent speaker and blogger on digital marketing, as well as an adjunct professor at Syracuse University and The University of Texas McCombs School, where he is teaching a new course on digital media models. He is a Visiting Scholar at The University of Southern California, where he will teach in the Fall of 2019. Bob is also a guest lecturer at the U.S. State Department’s Marketing College with a focus on digital media and how to counter disinformation and extremism. He works in a digital media capacity as a contractor for OTI/USAID and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
He has written two digital media books (PreCommerce and Storytizing) based on key learning’s from the firm’s work with innovative companies and individuals. Bob’s third book, Countering Hate, co-authored with Haroon K. Ullah, explores how bias, hate and extremism forms, how we can counter it and what we can learn from extremist groups. His fourth book with Kip Knight & Ed Tazzia, Crafting Persuasion, became available July 1, 2019. Bob is now working on his first novel.
Bob currently serves on the boards of Vetted.org (vice-chair), The Advertising Research Foundation, Genprex, Inc., and as CEO of the MedicAlert Foundation. He is on the KPMG digital advisory board and is a member of the Defense Science Board for the Department of Defense. Bob resides in Austin, Texas.
The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Ronn Torossian, CEO, 5WPR Ronn Torossian is the founder and CEO of 5W Public Relations, one of the 10 largest independently-owned PR firms in the United States. With over 20 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America’s most prolific and well-respected Public Relations professionals.
Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has overseen the company’s dynamic growth, expanding the company to more than 175 professionals in the company’s headquarters in the iconic Helmsley Building in Manhattan. With clients spanning the corporate, technology, and consumer sectors, in addition to a robust crisis, digital marketing and public affairs offerings, 5WPR is regularly recognized as an industry leader and has been named “PR Agency of the Year” by the American Business Awards on multiple occasions.
Throughout his career, Torossian has worked with some of the world’s most visible companies, brands and organizations. His roster of client experience includes work forL’Oréal, Unilever, Walgreens, SAP NS2, Sparkling Ice, KRUPS, Zeta Global, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Wendy Williams, and others. He also has represented top global brands including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Microsoft.
His strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie’s American Business Awards 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year, the ABA PR Executive of the Year and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist. Torossian is known as one of the country’s foremost experts on crisis communications, and is called on to counsel blue chip companies, top business executives and entrepreneurs both in the United States and worldwide.
Torossian has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, has appeared on CNN & CNBC, was named to PR Week’s “40 under Forty” list, is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer, and his book, “For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations” is an industry best-seller.
A NYC native, Torossian lives in Manhattan with his children. He is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), and active in numerous charities.
The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Kass Sells, Global Chief Operating Officer / President of International, WE Communications As WE Communications’ global chief operating officer and president of international, Kass Sells oversees the agency’s EMEA and APAC regions, the global development of WE’s Integrated Services and Insights & Analytics efforts, along with Global Marketing, PLUS and WE company partners. In short, Sells brings together the teams and the resources necessary to deliver great campaigns across the entire media ecosystem, building enduring brand equity and business impact. A member of WE’s Global Leadership Team, Sells is an agency operator who drives impressive growth across the agency and increases collaboration across international markets.
Throughout his 25+ year agency career, Sells has focused on three things: clients, people, and delivering work that changes perceptions. At TBWA Chiat/Day he created national campaigns for the nation's largest savings bank. As SVP/director of business development at DDB, he led multiple client's integrated campaigns with a mix of advertising, PR and media. At FCB, where he led the agency’s Seattle and West Coast operations, he grew his advertising, digital, direct and CRM skills, leading the team that built HP’s largest B2B loyalty marketing program. Before joining WE in 2015, he grew Wunderman’s Seattle office into one of the agency’s largest and most successful. He then brought numerous cross-functional WPP agencies together on Team Microsoft to create and land campaigns in more than 40 countries. Along the way, he led the rollout of McDonald’s premium coffee, the global launch of Microsoft Surface and Xbox One, and T-Mobile’s first customer loyalty program. In his time at WE, Sells has overseen teams driving integrated communications and marketing work with Volvo, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, McDonald’s, iRobot, Honeywell and driven a return to growth in North America during his three years as NA president. Throughout his career, he’s overseen teams that have won Cannes Lions, Effies, ADDYs, Webby, DMA and PR Awards.
Sells serves on the board of The LAGRANT Foundation, helping to bring greater diversity to the PR, advertising and marketing industry. And as a member of the WAC 101 Club, he raises money to support amateur athletics in the Pacific Northwest. Kass spends his spare time with family and friends outside on the waters of Puget Sound, hiking Washington’s Olympic Mountains, and traveling the world.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Richard S. Levick, Esq., Chairman & CEO, LEVICK | @richardlevick Under his leadership, LEVICK has set new standards in global communications and brand protection for corporations, countries, and major institutions. Mr. Levick is one of the communications industry’s most important spokespersons and thought leaders.
A powerful advocate for the strategic initiatives that companies must pursue in today’s perilous environment, he regularly addresses corporate boards as well as industry and government leaders around the world, providing guidance on their most complex communications and reputation management challenges. He is featured in, and authors, countless articles, and is a frequent guest on prime time national and international television programs.
Mr. Levick is a much-sought after keynote and graduation speaker and is a columnist for the top business blogs including Forbes.
Mr. Levick has co-authored five books including, The Communicators: Leadership in the Age of Crisis; Stop the Presses; The Crisis and Litigation PR Desk Reference; 365 Marketing Meditations; and Lessons for Absent Children.
The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Barri Rafferty, Global CEO & President, Ketchum (Today Rafferty is the EVP, Chief of Communications at Wells Fargo.)
Barri Rafferty is CEO of Ketchum, one of the world’s top communication firms, with offices and affiliates in 130 markets in more than 70 countries.
Outside of Ketchum, she participates in a number of groups including the sustainability task-force for the World Economic Forum and is a member of Arthur W. Page Society Page Up program. Rafferty sits on the board of StepUp, an organization with the mission of empowering girls from under-resourced communities to become confident, college-bound, and career focused and she is also a member of the governing body of OmniWomen, Omnicom’s Leading Women’s Network, for which she holds quarterly panel discussions featuring prominent women. She is the recipient of the Plank Center Milestones in Mentoring Award.
Barri is a graduate of Boston University (M.A) and Tulane University and enjoys watching soccer, volleyball, and dance – especially when her son and daughter are involved! Connect with her on Twitter: @barrirafferty
The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Mark Penn, Chairman & CEO, MDC Partners, Managing Partner & President, The Stagwell Group Mark Penn is the President and Managing Partner of The Stagwell Group, a private equity fund focused on the marketing services industry. In this role, Penn directs the acquisition process and oversees the Group’s portfolio companies.
Penn has been in research, advertising, public relations, polling and consulting for nearly 40 years. Before founding The Stagwell Group, he served in senior executive positions at Microsoft where as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, he was responsible for working on core strategic issues across Microsoft's products, value propositions and investments and leading the company's competitive research and analysis.
Penn's experience in growing, building and managing agencies is well-documented. As the co-founder and CEO of Penn Schoen Berland, a global market research firm that he built and sold to WPP, he demonstrated value creation in a crowded industry serving clients with innovative techniques from being first with overnight polling to pioneering unique ad testing methods used by Presidents and Fortune 100 corporations. At WPP, he also became CEO of Burson-Marsteller, and managed the two companies to record profit growth during that period.
He is also known as the strategist for and creator of well-known campaigns and ads, helping reelect President Bill Clinton and his move to the political center, devising then Senator Hillary Clinton’s successful “Upstate strategy,” creating Tony Blair's "Forward not Back" campaign in 2005 and the “3AM” ad in the 2008 Presidential primaries, and led the team on Microsoft's hugely successful 2014 Super Bowl ad when he headed advertising there.
Penn has been a senior adviser to global corporate and political leaders including Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, Bill Ford, U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Bill Clinton. He has helped elect over 25 heads of state around the world.
Penn is also a globally recognized thought leader. He authored the Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling book “Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes”; and was a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Time.com, POLITICO, and The Huffington Post. In a cover story, Time Magazine called him “Master of the Message.”
Penn earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and attended Columbia Law School. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Holocaust Museum’s Committee on Conscience, and serves on the board of Meridian International Center. Penn is also a Visiting Lecturer at Harvard College and a Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University.
Overview The Stevens Group is pleased to present a new podcast series that salutes the masters of public relations and revels in their observations, insights and advice to PR professionals. This new series is part of the ongoing partnership between The Stevens Group and CommPRO to bring to PR, digital/interactive and marketing communications agencies the wisdom of those who have reached the top of the PR profession.
About Our Guest Andrea Johnston, President, W2O Pure W2O Group acquired Pure Communications in September 2016, merging its BrewLife operating company with Pure and appointing Andrea as the president of the new, combined entity. Andrea founded Pure Communications in 2004 after more than a decade in communications where she led PR firms and life science companies with the intent of building a boutique healthcare agency. Over 12 years, she grew Pure from a one woman consultancy to an organization with more than 30 people on staff and a client roster of leading companies from the biotech, medtech, diagnostic, pharmaceutical, and venture capital sectors. Pure has an exceptional track record of media, investor relations, and brand communications success.
Now, with more than 24 years of entrepreneurial, public relations, issues management, marketing communications, and investor relations experience, Andrea brings a wealth of strategic communications expertise to Pure/BrewLife’s clients and team members. Andrea is focused on building high performance teams to deliver creativity, strategic thinking, and quality results to clients. She serves as a coach and sounding board to both account teams and clients for plan development and implementation of not only key campaigns but also transaction-related communications.
Prior to founding Pure, Andrea’s career included roles with DeVries Public Relations in NYC, DuPont Merck Pharmaceuticals and Medical Imaging, Bayer Diagnostics, and Ketchum Public Relations in DC. She has been very active in organizations devoted to youth and wellness causes and currently serves as a board member and communications chair for the JDRF Coastal Carolina branch.
A graduate of American University in Washington, DC, Andrea possesses an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree in communications, law, economics and government. Her marketing and communications work comprises programs throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and South America. A native of Massachusetts, Andrea is married with two children and two dogs and considers Wilmington, North Carolina, home.