The College of New Jersey

Corporate Communications Executive / Early Stage Startup PR Consultant

Lead communications strategist for CDN pioneer’s cloud computing business.

Led two of the largest and most strategic announcements in the company’s 25 year history. Crafted storylines to launch Akamai’s bold entry into the cloud computing market, followed by its role as a key driver in the shift to the distributed cloud. Both announcements generated widespread global media and analyst coverage, as well as commentary on the impact of Akamai’s vision on the future of the industry.

Akamai Technologies

PR Strategist

Built and led the cloud pioneer’s first formal corporate communications function, encompassing messaging, media relations, analyst relations, executive communications, and crisis/issues communications.

Created a new industry category through strategic use of strategic messaging, third-party research, thought leadership, and aggressive media and influencer engagement. Category creation was cited as a contributing factor when Akamai acquired Linode for $900 million in 2022.

Linode

Head Of Corporate Communications

Tapped by organization’s first CEO to establish the communications function for this independent non-profit organization which had grown from an open source project into the industry standard platform for cloud applications.

Created policies and processes to orchestrate strategic external and internal communications among foundation members — 55 of the biggest brands in cloud computing, Internet of Things, government, automotive and financial services.

Led the successful development and launch of the foundation’s brand, including a new global visual identity, comprehensive brand guidelines, and overarching narrative, as well as a re-architecting of the organization's website and social strategy.

Worked directly with newly-appointed CEO to communicate the foundation’s mission through keynote speeches at industry conferences.

Cloud Foundry Foundation

Vice President, Brand and Communications

Successful, oversubscribed consulting and advisory practice that provided fractional, senior level communications support to early stage companies by working alongside CEOs, founders, and marketing teams to design effective messaging and efficient communications strategies.

ManeyDigital

Communications Consultant

Member of senior leadership team recruited by CEO to build a technology platform for the next generation of telecommunications. Served as Chief of Staff to division's Senior Vice President. Team was simultaneously tasked by CEO to spearhead culture change across the company. 

Led overall media and communications strategy for two significant acquisitions.

Leveraged industry relationships to create traffic-driving conference partnership with Rovio (Angry Birds). Created and organized “Flight Club” influencer roundtable to advise key Fortune 500 customer on the pilot of an innovative new business model.

Created innovative community underwriter role with top industry influencer conference to establish relevance in emerging cloud computing and big data markets.

Led external communications strategy for Alcatel-Lucent’s $4.5 billion software, services and solutions division, one of the company’s two strategic revenue drivers.

Provided external communications support for the division’s President, including strategic, proactive engagement with traditional and social media influencers.

Member of cross-company, cross-discipline social media team responsible for increasing employee and executive engagement with influencers and communities outside the company’s traditional telecommunications market.

Alcatel-Lucent

Director, Influencer Management

Senior member of 20-person integrated marketing communications firm.

Drove $250,000 in new business through an aggressive engagement strategy with external influencers in targeted enterprise collaboration and Internet infrastructure markets.

Introduced social media technologies and best practices to agency. Designed agency’s first social media services practice.

Zer0 to 5ive

Principal

Member of top open source industry agency's senior leadership team.

Ran $600,000 book of business. Clients included companies in open source, high-volume transaction middleware, and application development tools. Responsible for overall budget and staff planning for a team of four.

Drove business media coverage in the Christian Science Monitor for Sourceforge, expanding the client’s visibility beyond technology; BusinessWeek for Atlassian on the growth of wikis, including a follow-on profile naming the company’s co-founders as two of tech’s best entrepreneurs; Barron’s for Synopsys, which profiled the company on its 20th anniversary and was one of the first to highlight Synopsys’ role in the electronics industry; and Investor’s Business Daily for Synopsys, which highlighted the CEO’s background and efforts on immigration/H1-B.

Set strategy and delivered strategic media coverage for Aria Systems’ Series A funding and competitive wins for Krugle with IBM and Amazon.

Page One Public Relations

Senior Counselor

Managed media relations for company’s strategic high performance and open source computing initiatives. Served as senior communications leader for company’s vertical industry business units.

Managed a remote staff of three professionals and $800,000 agency relationship.

Led multi-country media initiative to establish category and support for the launch of a global RFID-based supply chain solution (company’s largest, most successful announcement of the year). Secured more than 450 stories/mentions.

Tapped as interim writer for newly-appointed CEO. Written materials included CEO’s first all-employee broadcast, client video introduction, opening/closing panel remarks, and various human resources communications.

Launched cross-company editorial board to identify and develop proactive media pitches. Initial board discussion resulted in story placement in The New York Times.

Unisys Corporation

Vice President/Director of Communications

Drove communications for multi-billion dollar, cross-company pervasive computing division.

Two programs nominated for the Holmes’ Report Gold Sabre (Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation) award for business-to-business campaigns of the year.

Led media campaign to wrestle mindshare from top competitor. Awarded “Best Competitive PR Program” by IBM leadership.

Served as publicist for IBM's top Internet visionary. Successes included page one stories in LA Times and millennium edition of The New York Times; cover story in Fast Company; half-page feature in USA Today; numerous Q&A profiles; and bylined article co-written with the “father of the Internet” in Financial Times. Developed messaging for major speeches, including keynotes at ETRE, Internet Summit and 3GSM.

Created first global, company-wide PR measurement system through executive stretch assignment.

Managed a team of 5 and $1.2 million agency relationship.

Drove global, multi-company launches for industry-wide electronic check and DVD watermarking initiatives.

Director of Communications

Primary media relations manager for AT&T’s business data services, including Web hosting, Internet access and IP backbone.

AT&T

Manager, Media Relations

Led a four-person team to build and execute the first communications programs for early Internet start-ups PSINet, Monster.com, and Tripod..

Primary media relations contact for AT&T’s Software Solutions Group. Successes include widespread coverage for the launch of the Plan 9 distributed operating system created by the AT&T Bell Labs researchers behind UNIX.

Generated significant national and regional print and broadcast coverage for the launch of NJ’s first compressed natural gas fueling station.

Represented public relations division on cross-agency new business pitches.

Poppe Tyson

Account Supervisor

Drove media coverage for the Hong Kong Economic Trade Organization, Remington and Panasonic.

GCI Group (PR arm of Grey Advertising)

Account Executive

Part of a small, rapid response crisis communications and media training team serving the agency's client base.

The Rowland Company

Senior Account Executive

Junior member of agency’s corporate and public affairs team.

Executed a proactive national media relations program for Shell Oil’s “Answer Book” public awareness program that generated significant coverage in national daily media outlets. Supported outreach efforts through the proactive identification and creation of alliances with large-scale and complementary distribution channels.

Mike Maney