CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
A senior corporate communications and public relations executive with 30 years experience as a leader and change agent in high profile, capital-intensive organizations. Respected as a knowledgeable and effective spokesperson and experienced crisis manager. Quickly able to evaluate organizational challenges and develop the talent to rebuild troubled communications teams.
Areas of expertise include media and public relations, crisis communication and reputation management, issues management, public outreach and grassroots efforts, internal communication, brand and marketing communication, shareholder communication, and team leadership and development.
A $4.5B ENERGY COMPANY 1997-present
Recruited to help the company restore its reputation as a solid, forward-looking and well managed organization following the failure to successfully complete a controversial merger. Responsible for an $8.7M budget and a staff of 28. Report to the CEO
VICE PRESIDENT-CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS 1997-present
Media Relations, Relationship Management & Crisis Communications
• Developed and led a reputation management plan that mended broken relationships with key thought leaders, allowing the company to regain lost trust with this critical audience.
• Re-energized and re-directed a stalled media relations program, bringing about measurable improvement in the tone and balance of news coverage.
• Led crisis communications efforts that protected the company’s reputation following a number of significant events, each with the potential to damage the company’s reputation, including explosions, floods and fires at major facilities, customer and employee fatalities and major service interruptions.
• Served as the company’s spokesperson for sensitive policy issues and other issues requiring officer level response.
Public Affairs & Community Outreach
• Created and managed the company’s strategy to gain support from customers, thought leaders, key interest groups and the media for the successful permitting and construction of two large electric generating plants in the face of well-funded opposition groups.
• Planned and implemented a multi-faceted strategic communications and outreach program to support the proposed acquisition of another large energy company, enabling regulatory agencies to approve the transaction as proposed.
Integrated Marketing, Branding & Advertising
• Developed the business case for and led the successful re-branding of the company’s principal subsidiary, establishing a stronger brand position in the marketplace.
• Restructured the company’s approach to advertising, achieving a 15 percent reduction in costs while measurably increasing recall and awareness.
• Initiated and oversaw the re-design of the principal subsidiary’s web site. Following the re-design, the site was named one of the top 15 industry web sites out of 105 sites reviewed by an influential trade publication.
Internal Communications
• Established a three-year internal communications improvement plan that resulted in measured change in employee understanding of corporate objectives and perception of company leadership after the first year.
• Developed communications curricula for first-time supervisors training, giving new supervisors increased confidence in their interactions with customers and employees.
Operational Leadership
• Re-built an under-performing communications staff with low morale into a high-performing, self-confident team that has the support and confidence of the company’s senior leaders.
• Initiated a restructuring of the communications function to meet the changing business needs of the company, improved response time and reduced costs by 25 percent.
Confidential Resume Page Two
A $3B ELECTRIC UTILITY WITH OVER ONE MILLION CUSTOMERS 1983-1996
Initially recruited to the company as a potential successor to the Vice President-Corporate Communications; held a variety of responsibilities before assuming that position. Left the company when a new CEO replaced the incumbent leadership team with individuals from his previous organization.
VICE PRESIDENT-COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS 1989-1996
Media Relations & Crisis Communications
• Spearheaded proactive crisis communications activities following the largest natural disaster in the state’s history resulting in heightened customer and media awareness and satisfaction with the company’s response compared to other affected utilities in the region.
• Repositioned the company as a consistent and reliable source of information on industry issues with national media during a time of extreme regulatory and legislative change.
• Developed and led the company’s response to unfavorable regulatory findings at its nuclear power plants and acted as the company’s primary spokesperson on the issue, garnering balanced coverage and editorial support for the company by being open, honest and willing to address tough issues.
Grassroots & Community Relations
• Created an outside third-party interest group that eventually grew to over 10,000 members, providing an independent voice to support company initiatives.
• Led the effort to establish the company’s charitable foundation.
Shareholder Communications
• Improved shareholder communications by initiating electronic communications with shareholders and re-thinking the annual report, moving it from the lower third to the top 10 percent among 850 reports evaluated by nationally recognized expert Sid Cato.
MANAGER-MEDIA AND EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS 1988-1989
MANAGER-NEWS SERVICES 1987-1988
Managed day-to-day relationships with over 200 news media, later adding responsibilities for all employee communications initiatives. Served as the primary spokesperson for the company. Reported to the Vice President-Corporate Communications.
Communications Leadership & Relationship Management
• Developed personal relationships with key editorial policymakers, resulting in a greater openness toward company practices and initiatives on the part of the news media.
• Developed the media relations staff into a team that was cited by the AP as “best to work with.”
• Created an executive presence program to position company executives as both industry leaders and as broad based opinion leaders in the states served by the company.
Operational Leadership
• Established a streamlined nuclear emergency preparedness communications plan that consistently received high marks from federal and state evaluation teams.
• Planned and implemented a multi-faceted communications program to support the company’s first ever company-wide restructuring.
DIRECTOR-COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING 1983-1987
Developed strategic communications plans and managed communications programs and projects that were of a special or critical nature. Reported to the Vice President-Corporate Communications.
External Relations & Outreach
• Conceived and implemented a one-to-one, door-to-door outreach program to 11,000 households near a newly constructed nuclear power plant, resulting in overwhelming public support for final regulatory approval for the plant’s start-up and operation just six months following the Chernobyl accident.
Confidential Resume Page Three
Strategic Planning
• Created the company’s first formal policy for charitable contributions resulting in more efficient and focused use of corporate resources.
• Developed the company’s first strategic communications plan, aligning all components of the company’s communications efforts and greatly improving effectiveness of communications.
A STATE OPERATING DIVISION OF A LARGE TELEPHONE COMPANY 1977-1983
Joined the company’s fastest growing division following the discovery of falsified customer service records and the loss of confidence in the company by state regulators, customers and thought leaders. Reported to the division manager.
DIVISION PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGER 1979-1983 (Same responsibilities but with direct reports)
DIVISION PUBLICE AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATOR 1977-1979
This newly created position was responsible for all public affairs activities in the division, including media relations, community relations, charitable contributions and regulatory interface.
Relationship Management
• Repositioned the company in the eyes of civic leaders and local media, moving it from a position as an uncaring and aloof organization that was an easy target for criticism in public forums, to a position as a trusted community partner and service provider with the support of media, elected officials and regulatory agencies.
Program Planning and Implementation
• Developed the division’s first internal communications program.
• Created the division’s highly successful community relations and corporate giving plans.
Professional Affiliations and Industry/Civic Involvement
Arthur W. Page Society
Public Relations Seminar
Public Relations Society of America
Advisory committees of five industry trade groups (Chair or Past Chair)
Board of Visitors of a large public university (Past Chair, Executive Committee)
A regional public policy research group (Past Chair, Executive Committee)
Three community-based non-profit organizations (Board Member, Executive Committee)
United Way (Past chair, Board Member, Executive Committee and Campaign Chair in two previous communities)
Military Service
US Air Force
Squadron Commander and Public Affairs Officer
Education
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, B.A.
Confidential Resume Page Four
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Re-established critical relationships with key thought leaders and local, state and national media following a failed merger and a period of intense public criticism of company actions. The result was a significant improvement in the tone and balance of local news coverage, renewed coverage of the company by national media, and public support of the company by community and political leadership.
• Planned and implemented a strategic communications and outreach program to support the proposed acquisition of another energy company, resulting in editorial, community and key decision maker support for the acquisition, and enabling regulatory agencies to approve the transaction as proposed.
• Conceived and implemented a one-to-one outreach program to 11,000 households near a newly completed nuclear power plant to generate support for approval of the plant’s operating license immediately following the Chernobyl accident. Overwhelming public support for the plant was made visible by this effort and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the operating license within six months.
• Directed and managed the creation of an outside third-party interest group to support company positions on industry issues. When activated, the 10,000 members of this organization can be counted on to express their views to policymakers and provide critical input to their decisions.
• Created and managed the strategy to gain support for the construction of four large electric generating plants, including two fueled by coal, by building awareness of looming capacity shortages, the state’s frail energy infrastructure, and the environmental benefits of the new plants. The result was overwhelming editorial, community and political support for the company’s proposal.
• Spearheaded crisis communications activities following the largest natural disaster in the state’s history. Ensured that the crisis communications plan was followed throughout the company and addressed resource allocation issues. The result was positive media coverage of the company’s service restoration efforts, compared with criticism leveled at other affected companies, and increased customer satisfaction.
• Developed the business case for and led the successful re-branding of the company’s principal subsidiary. The new brand unified employees following an acquisition, eliminated customer confusion that resulted from the acquisition, and put the company in a stronger brand position in the marketplace.
• Restructured the company’s approach to advertising resulting in a 15 percent reduction in costs while measurably increasing recall and awareness.
• Re-designed the company’s web site to make it more customer friendly and appealing, resulting in the new site being named one of the top 15 industry web sites out of 105 evaluated by an influential trade publication.
• Led the successful effort to establish the company’s charitable foundation.
• Initiated a plan to improve shareholder communications that generated favorable comments from shareholders and moved the company’s annual report from the lower third to the top 10 percent among 850 reports evaluated by nationally recognized expert Sid Cato.
• Established a three-year internal communications improvement plan to help the company better align employees with corporate goals. After the first year, there was a measured improvement in employee understanding of corporate objectives and perception of company leadership.
• Re-built an under-performing staff with low morale into a high-performing, self-confident team that now has the support and confidence of the company’s senior leadership team and is respected throughout the organization. |
