Northwestern University

University of Chicago

Communications Manager at Johnson & Johnson

•	Plan, create and deliver compelling content to engage clients' internal and external stakeholders
•	Counsel leaders, guide brands, find stories, build editorial calendars, create effective messaging
•	Define content needs and craft strategic communications from concept to execution to connection  

My process:
•	Interview executives/subject matter experts to identify priorities, learn processes and devise plans
•	Source, report, write compelling news articles, presentations, videos, infographics, web content, etc.
•	Craft engaging social media posts and webinars to inform people and build communities
•	Partner with graphics/user experience designers and learning & development professionals to create clear, simple, engaging resources for employees, managers, customers, suppliers, communities 

My clients include: 
AdventHealth, Albemarle, Fruitbelt Tart Sparkling Tonics, Health Care Services Corporation (Blue Cross Blue Shield), Intelligent Generation, Lumen Technologies, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Wild Onion Market, etc.

Ground Floor Partners & Potter INK Communications

Communicator. Storyteller. Marketing Leader. Stakeholder Engagement Expert. 

Conceive, plan and create strategic content for a new, global Supply Chain organization responsible for data analysis, engineering and project delivery of capital investments and real estate portfolio management for 1,000+ J&J labs, manufacturing sites, distribution centers and other facilities worldwide.

Responsibilities included:
•	Design and deliver strategic communications to drive change initiatives
•	Guide leaders and interview experts to learn business requirements and develop plans
•	Build/manage editorial calendar and create content 
•	Create and deliver presentations, videos, webinars, news articles, infographics, social media posts, websites, etc.
•	Source, write and publish engaging news stories on ESG, renewable energy, manufacturing, facility resilience and recovery, and conservation issues for employees & stakeholders 
•	Update/enhance intranet site to serve as ‘single source of truth’ 

Accomplishments include:
•	Led communications campaigns that helped groups of technical experts become a single, global team 
•	Counseled leaders and orchestrated 24 webinars to brief employees on strategic changes, climate goals, renewable energy, CO2 reduction, water conservation, project delivery and other complex topics
•	Streamlined newsletters; sourced, researched and created 117 internal news articles  
•	Conceived/created videos, infographics, presentations to distill complex topics into compelling visuals 
•	Built/refreshed intranet portal to serve as always-updated resource for new organization 
•	Launched two-way internal channels on Yammer and J&J intranet; posted content to engage employees
•	Contributed news stories and infographics to J&J intranet and annual ESG reports
•       Advised Learning & Development leads to create core-competency learning guides for employees
•	Built guidance document and trained regional communicators on J&J brand standards 
•	Led global charitable campaign raising $35,546 for healthcare facility in Malawi UN refugee camp

Johnson & Johnson

Communications Manager / Employee & Stakeholder Engagement Lead

Strategic communications highlights include:
•	Directed 4-person communications team for 7 annual Diversity & Inclusion Summits (600 global attendees)
•	Increased employees’ engagement with diversity and inclusion initiatives 10-fold by transforming communications from executive video messages to employees’ inspiring life stories – Results: 100,000+ views/year (double average readership) & hundreds of positive comments from employees
•	Created messaging for groundbreaking internal social-media and video campaign, #MakeUsBetter
•	Led brand identity communications to revamp leadership/employee training and development curriculum 
•	Ran communications campaign to launch first grassroots, enterprise-wide employee-volunteer program 
•	Improved readership/relevance of newsletters for 14,000 managers and 2,400 HR pros above 90 percent
•	Built training communications for company’s top 300 executives on expectations to develop employees
•	Authored C-suite executive speeches/talking points
•	Guided cross-functional team to create simple and effective career-planning tool (won HR E-Award)
•	Planned and wrote communications for employee development benefits, tools and opportunities
•	Oversaw communications for Employee Engagement Survey including popular “Needle-Mover” manager profiles on company’s internal news publication that exceeded average readership 

Editor: 
•	Wrote and edited weekly newsletters for company’s 2,400 HR professionals and 14,000 managers (boosting reader satisfaction above 90 percent) and edited HR section of Frontiers magazine
•	Revamped layout and content of online management-skills resource, Leader’s Toolkit

The Boeing Company

Senior Communications Specialist

Developed and executed strategic communications plans, devised messaging and created press materials to support and promote State agency's policy, service and advocacy goals; position and prepare leaders as experts to engage citizens, legislators, business groups and reporters via innovative media relations and speaking engagements
•	Generated positive local, state, regional and national news media coverage (including The Wall Street Journal) of agency’s environmental initiatives, policies, innovations, energy- and cost-savings, IT transformation, service improvements, etc.
•	Conceived and executed grassroots communications campaign for Sell2Illinois supplier-diversity advocacy initiative (including website, brochure, ads, newsletter, news stories, speaking engagements, etc.) that doubled state business registrations and boosted value of set-aside contracts by 306%
•	Led 5-person team of writer, designer and production staff to create agency’s first annual report and series of one-page updates for policymakers, businesses, community leaders and other stakeholders; then produced the next report – from concept to writing to layout to production – in just 17 days
•	Created and implemented campaign that boosted employee charitable contributions by 27%

Illinois Department of Central Management Services

Deputy Director - Strategic Communications and Public Information Officer

Responsible for improving Chicago-based agency's competitive position within advertising industry by driving thought-leadership efforts including executive, external and internal communications. 
* Increased agency's participation in significant account reviews by elevating presence and enhancing reputation within industry and among potential clients and new business consultants.
* Prepared executives for interviews with Wall Street Journal, ABC, Fox News, NPR, etc.
* Wrote presentations and prepared executives for panel discussions; ghostwrote bylined pieces.
* Improved internal communications process with fewer people to create fresh news content. 
* Created substantial presence for Leo Burnett at first-ever Advertising Week in NYC; led team to develop dynamic advertising exhibit at Museum of Television & Radio which drew rave reviews from more than 4,000 visitors including industry analysts and new business consultants.

Leo Burnett USA

VP Corporate Affairs

Created public relations function and communications programs to enhance national law firm's reputation among potential clients.
* Helped firm achieve record revenues by communicating firm's capabilities to stakeholders.
* Led design of and created content for new website (jenner.com) and first annual reports.
* Built and ran internal news and email programs to distribute relevant news to stakeholders.
* Created, wrote and edited nationally-recognized public service, diversity and practice newsletters.
* Enhanced firm's local and national reputation by generating business and trade news coverage.

Jenner & Block

Public Relations Manager

Responsible for building and leading marketing efforts to improve competitive position of global commercial real estate services firm dedicated exclusively to business space users. Managed staff of five and PR agency to direct marketing, media relations, advertising and internal communications.
* Built marketing function and hired personnel to create and implement integrated campaign that led to 16% jump in annual revenues.
* Improved companys competitive position by developing, creating and overseeing production of all marketing and communications materials including:
o Company website (equiscorp.com): directed overall design, brand messages and content 
development; wrote and edited website content and launch materials.
o Integrated brochure with updatable sections for each firm service. 
o Marketing materials to help launch new offices in Singapore and Budapest.

Equis Corporation

VP Marketing and Communications

Wrote news releases, backgrounders and talking points, produced video reports and engaged news media to help build nation’s largest competitive cable TV provider by promoting service launches, content and value
•	Earned positive news coverage for consumer and business telecommunications services in local, national and global news media including CNN, NPR, New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, etc. 
•	Led crisis communications during floods, outages and other breaking news events & served as primary spokesperson in live and taped interviews for TV, radio and print news media
•	Conducted media training, coached executives for interviews, authored thought leadership pieces
•	Developed marketing communications materials – wrote announcement of service’s first-ever price increase which measurably improved customer satisfaction

Geoff Potter