CV
Summary
Accomplished marketing communications professional with unique mix of corporate, agency, academic, non-profit and philanthropy experience. Big picture thinker and skilled strategist adept at cultivating relationships and designing initiatives that influence policy, increase awareness and brand equity; and build social capital among diverse audiences. Success metrics for all have relied on big-picture thinking, effective relationship building, an eye for compelling stories and delivering tangible results.
Key Strengths
Developing brand positioning and messaging, digital strategy and research and analysis that provide actionable recommendations that map to organizational objectives. Particularly skilled at complex problem solving and “operationalizing” a vision to deliver measurable outcomes.
Working with NGOs, public agencies and major consumer brands such as Estee Lauder, Intel, Kraft, MasterCard and Microsoft to advance CSR objectives, influence policy and/or increase non-profit fundraising opportunities.
Shaping complex ideas and raw content into compelling stories that support organizational objectives, enhance perception of thought leadership and foster emotional connection with diverse audiences. Developed curriculum and taught seminar entitled Strategic Storytelling: For Business, Leadership and Social Change at Ashesi University in Ghana.
Building high-functioning teams (large and small). Extensive experience managing teams via direct and in-direct authority.
Sector experience includes environmental stewardship, corporate social responsibility, supply chain sustainability, global health and development, education and technology (B2B and B2C). Proven communication and leadership skills. Entrepreneurial, collaborative and results-oriented.
History
Manage all communications and advocacy initiatives for family foundation with the mission to improve lives through invention.
Strategic communications. Overhauled communications and digital channel strategy to increase storytelling and audience engagement opportunities. Deliverables include new messaging architecture; new website; updated collateral; more strategic approach to social media and introduction of the Invention Notebook on Medium. Lead executive communications including writing bylined articles, keynote speeches and panel presentation remarks. Serve as strategic advisor to grantees to maximize their own strategic communications and marketing resources and outcomes. Directly manage team of five.
Brand platform development. Managed brand identity design and development of new websites, messaging platforms, strategic communications plans and visual assets to support Foundation communities of practice strategy. Results can be found at inventioneducation.org and engineeringforoneplanet.org
Partnership management. Manage partnerships with high-profile media outlets, including PBS NewsHour, National Public Radio (NPR) and The Conversation, and advocacy organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Society for Science & the Public.
Cross-divisional team leadership. Collaborate with leadership team on Board communications and outreach to advisory committee members. Member of the Foundation’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee.
Managed all fundraising, marketing and communications activities for global women’s health NGO working in East Africa and Latin America.
Strategic communications. Established strategic communications platform to more effectively position mission in the context of supply chain sustainability investments, an imperative for growing corporate partner support. Developed new positioning and messaging architecture, executive presentation, digital channel strategy and annual strategic marketing communications plan. Managed all agency resources.
Fundraising. Diversified funding from single channel to multi-channel model. Expanded corporate giving program, implemented foundation grants and major gifts programs and established cause-marketing and digital initiatives that resulted in a more sustainable funding model and 30% income increase over two years.
Results: Within first six weeks successfully completed $200K fundraising campaign, matched by PEPFAR and Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon for a total of $400K to support Ethiopia program; increased annual appeal income by 300% from previous year; secured first six-figure major gift; and within first half of FY16 exceeded full-year income projections for corporate partnerships, cause-marketing, individual giving and annual appeal campaign.
Brand Platform Development. Led rebranding initiative including design and execution of brand audit, creative resource selection/management and decision facilitation with key stakeholders including Board of Directors. Results included: new brand identity, updated website design and content and new collateral.
Event Management. Led planning and execution for presence at major industry tradeshows. Included booth design and coordination, signage and collateral development, hosting relationship-building gatherings and securing donor meetings.
Pipeline Development. Established valuable new relationships with Starbucks, World Vision, Marie Stopes International, Merck and Ideo.org (among others) to advance impact goals and fundraising opportunities.
Executive Leadership. Partnered with CEO on organizational leadership and engagement with Board of Directors
Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers
Director of Marketing & Communications
January 2012 – January 2014
Managed marketing communications and CSR-driven activity for a social enterprise that re-defined supply chain dynamics in the specialty coffee industry.
Executive Marcom Lead. Established strategic communications plan, and managed execution. Results included increased quantity/quality of media coverage, launch of first-ever advertising campaign and updated digital strategy geared to grow business and reinforce industry thought leadership. Devised new staff structure to better align Sustainable Harvest sales and marketing against core business objectives. Directly managed team of three, indirect management for global team of five.
Global Program and Event Management. Led Roya Recovery Project, a disaster relief initiative to help Latin American coffee farmers recover from the social and economic impact of climate change-related crop disease. Secured corporate partnerships, engaged government agencies (USAID), launched communications program, managed development of bilingual farmer education materials and first-ever Let’s Talk Roya event held in El Salvador.
Corporate Social Responsibility. Led cross-functional business development program to engage customers in global CSR/sustainability projects. Resulted in $500K+ in additional funding and new relationship with major brand.
Relationship Management. Company liaison to Coffeelands Food Security Coalition, a working group of industry leaders dedicated to addressing critical supply chain sustainability issues and the relative social and economic impact on farmers.
A strategic communications firm dedicated to building awareness and social capital around world-changing ideas. Work has influenced perceptions on innovations in medical science, environmental stewardship, mobile technology and entertainment, global citizenship, corporate social responsibility, and global poverty
Client portfolio. Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Oregon Public Health Institute, International Lyme & Associated Diseases Society, University of Washington, Lewis & Clark College, CARE USA, Mercy Corps and Ashesi University (Ghana), among many others.
Professional Services. Design and implementation of strategic marketing communications initiatives, brand partnership and business development strategy, public relations, public affairs, writing/editing, digital strategy, content development, video production, event management, crisis communications, media training, executive counsel and public speaking.
Sample Results:
Influenced state health policy. Mobilized community advocacy groups to influence legislative decision-making. Resulted in national media coverage (CNN, Good Morning America, New York Times) and more favorable dialogue with healthcare influentials and lawmakers that ultimately factored into state-sponsored anti-trust investigation. Client: International Lyme & Associated Diseases Society
Achieved thought leadership through a focus on multi-cultural partnership and communications. Proactively identified opportunity to establish a thought leadership platform focused on increasing public libraries’ ability to engage underserved communities. Pursued a partnership with leading organization committed to increasing awareness of libraries and librarianship within the Latinx community. Results included notable media coverage and a spike in sales inquiries. Client: Boopsie for Libraries
Established credibility and grew demand for gap year education in U.S. Development and execution of strategic communications plan with the goal of changing perceptions of gap year programs in U.S. from an option for those less interested in pursuing university degrees to an important milestone in a student’s academic career. In the last 10 years the gap year industry in the U.S. has grown significantly in both demand and credibility. Leading institutions now recognize the value of a gap year experience and often encourage participation for incoming freshman as evidenced by academic credit offered for gap year experiences and findings that student achievement tends to be higher among gap year participants. Client: Carpe Diem Education
For more examples of results go to case studies.
WE Worldwide
Senior Vice President
July 1991 – January 2006
Business Development. Led Northwest new business initiative. Results included triple portfolio growth and revenue increase of approximately $500K in first year. Established best practices for evaluation, outreach and engagement of new clients. Included P&L responsibility.
Global Account Planning. Led cross-division planning for Microsoft account. Involved more than 10 business divisions worldwide and represented more than $50M in agency revenue. Established new methodologies and trained teams on new processes.Strategic Communications. Led numerous high-profile Microsoft product launches targeting consumer and enterprise audiences. Also led cross-divisional initiatives – Consumer Strategy, Secure Platforms and Corporate Top 10 Stories Program. Executive management for Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and others. Included P&L responsibility and management of client budgets of $25K to $5M.
Team Leadership. Built and managed award-winning teams. Identified and grew talent for teams up to twenty-five. Structured teams to efficiently meet client business objectives. Teams consistently demonstrated high productivity, enthusiasm, creativity and accountability. Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil Award winner.
Organizations
