American Business Awards 2016: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, and Public Relations Awards Judging Committee

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Mon, Apr 11, 2016 @ 03:34 PM

We invite you to meet The 2016 American Business Awards Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, and Public Realtions Awards judging chair and committee.

Now through the end of April, the professionals listed below will determine the Stevie Award winners in 24 categories for communications campaigns, professionals, innovations, and more. See the full list of categories they will be reviewing at the end of the post.

It's not too late to submit your 2016 American Business Awards nominations - the entry deadline was extended to April 19. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations -- public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. The 2016 awards honor achievements since the beginning of 2015.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

Meet the judging chair and committee:

Chair:

Jock Breitwieser, Head of Corporate Communications
TriNet, San Jose, California, USA

J16-ABA-PR-Chair-2.gifock Breitwieser runs corporate communications at TriNet, a strategic partner to small and medium-sized businesses for HR, payroll, employee benefits, employment law compliance, and risk mitigation. He drove the company’s communications during its IPO and is responsible for TriNet’s external communications and social media strategy.

Prior to TriNet, Jock spearheaded global public relations, customer references, and social media for Dell SonicWALL in 17 countries. He drove positioning and communications when the previously public company went private with Thoma Bravo in 2010 and during SonicWALL’s acquisition by Dell in 2012. Before that, he was global head of corporate communications and web marketing at CallidusCloud, a provider of cloud-based sales and marketing solutions.

Committee:

Zainab Ansari Zainab Ansari, Director & CEO
Xenith PR (Pvt.) Ltd, Karachi, Pakistan
A Corporate Image professional, Public Relations specialist with over forty years of high profile and successful career in large multinationals and reputable organizations; extensively exposed to Television, Radio and the literary circles; established writer, poet and a free lance journalist. In 1999, established Xenith PR in affiliation with Fleishman Hillard of USA.

Linda AshmoreLinda Ashmore, Vice President, Corporate Communications
Rambus Inc., Sunnyvale, California, USA
Linda Ashmore is the vice president of Corporate Communications at Rambus where she is responsible for developing and executing campaigns and strategies to clearly communicate value propositions across the company. At Rambus, Linda oversees global communications, public relations, digital marketing, global events, analyst relations, internal communications, and develops messaging in support of investor relations.

Norman Birnbach, President
Birnbach Communications, Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA

Deirdre BreakenridgeDeirdre Breakenridge, CEO
Pure Performance Communications, Marlboro, New Jersey, USA
Deirdre Breakenridge is an author, entrepreneur and the CEO of Pure Performance Communications. A 25+ year veteran in PR and marketing, she has five books published by Prentice Hall and FT Press including her latest title, Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the PR Professional. Breakenridge is also an adjunct professor at NYU and UMASS at Amherst. She blogs at PR Expanded and is the host of the podcast show, Women Worldwide.

Lauran Cacciatori Lauran Cacciatori, Senior Director, Corporate Marketing & Communications
Deltek, Herndon, Virginia, USA
Lauran is responsible for global PR, Social Media and Analyst Relations at Deltek. Since joining Deltek, she has launched its social media program and created training for her colleagues. She also led communications to media & analysts surrounding several acquisitions and earned numerous accolades through the company's awards program.

Cindy Campbell Cindy Campbell, Director of Communications
AARP Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Cindy Campbell has more than 25 years’ experience in communications and is Director of Communications for AARP Massachusetts. Campbell worked as the morning SmartRoutes TV traffic reporter for Channel 5’s “Eyeopener” newscast for 15 years and worked as an award-winning anchor, reporter and video producer in the cable industry prior to joining Smartroutes. After Smartroutes, Campbell managed communications efforts for various federal and state highway safety initiatives. Campbell has a Bachelors’ degree in Journalism from Suffolk University and a Masters degree in Communications from Emerson College.

Brian Cronkhite Brian Cronkhite, Managing Director
Burson-Marsteller, San Francisco, CA, USA
Brian Cronkhite is a senior communications counselor with two decades of experience building teams and advising clients in the US and across Asia, on brand development, positioning, reputation management and media strategy.

Adam Dalezman Adam Dalezman, Communications Manager
Synthesio, New York, New York, USA
Adam Dalezman is the Communications Manager at Synthesio, the leading global Social Intelligence platform. There he runs the day-to-day for external communications, including PR, AR, content marketing, social media and much more. Born and raised in Natick, MA, Adam currently resides in Teaneck, NJ with his wife, son and daughter.

Miles Daniels, Director of Communications
Everwise, San Francisco, California, USA

Saraida De Marchena Kaluche Saraida De Marchena Kaluche, President & CEO
Markatel, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, has a degree in Advertising and Media and a minor in Public Relations. Outstanding professional with extensive experience in both Dominican Republic and international markets (US, Latin America and Europe), with 30 years of practice in communications and wide recognition as a consultant and strategist. Founder and President of Markatel, firm Strategic Corporate Communications, Public Relations and Event Management, seminars, conferences and conventions, both nationally and internationally, founded in 1999.

Sarah DudleySarah Dudley, Marketing Strategist
IBM, Austin, Texas, USA
With an MBA in Marketing, I have found my passion in the digital landscape: social media, blogging, content creation, & infusing personality into products and services online. There is no such thing as a boring topic if you are creative enough and understand your audience! Experience in varied industries including IT, Aerospace, Toys, & Hospitality and currently based in Austin, TX working as a Marketing Strategist for IBM Cloud.

Jennifer EdelstonJennifer Edelston, Vice President
Ruder Finn, New York, New York USA
Jenny Edelston has more than 7 years of experience developing, managing and executing effective communications programs for clients within the consumer and technology industries, including McDonald's, PepsiCo, Mondelēz International and Infor, among others. She currently serves as Vice President at global communications firm Ruder Finn.

Joe EscobedoJoe Escobedo, Head of Communications
Happy Marketer; Future Marketer, Singapore
Joe has nearly of decade of marketing and communications experience in Asia (China and Singapore). He has been featured in Forbes and Chinese national television. Joe is proficient in spoken Mandarin Chinese and is an award-winning public speaker. He holds an MBA in International Business & Finance.

Jim Fanucchi Jim Fanucchi, Managing Director
Darrow Associates, Los Gatos, California, USA
For nearly 20 years I have managed the day-to-day investor relations activities for micro- to large-cap companies as an investor relations consultant, focusing primarily in the technology area. My experience includes guiding companies for their IPO, working with debt ratings agencies through the ratings review process and acting as the day-to-day investor relations lead for several companies.

Lise FengLise Feng, Director, Corporate Communications
CipherCloud, San Jose, California, USA
As CipherCloud's first director of corporate communications, Lise Feng built the program strategy and oversees execution for all things PR and AR. During her three year tenure, she helped CipherCloud establish its leadership in the cloud access security broker (CASB) space. At Weber Shandwick, Feng helped launch the tech media team, which provided media strategy and support to the agency's national Technology Practice.

Venancio FigueroaVenancio Figueroa III, Director of Communications
Schneider Electric, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, China
A communications veteran experienced in developing, implementing and measuring strategic internal communications programs. Capable of designing and orchestrating global leadership and employee communications initiatives related to organizational and cultural transformation, turning employees into brand evangelists, and supporting mergers & acquisitions and consolidations. Skilled at media relations and the use of social media to advance business agendas that achieve desired results with multiple stakeholders.

James FogulJames Fogal, Professor of Business Administration
Notre Dame de Namur University, School of Business Management, Belmont, California, USA
James Fogal PhD is a professor specializing in graduate courses covering the spectrum of management in regards to technology, organizational behavior, systems and decision sciences. Professional background with 25 years managing supply chain and systems integration development projects and internationally recognized scholar. 2014 recipient of the national TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD by Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs.

Cecelia Fresh Cecelia Fresh, Marketing Communications & PR Specialist
Trimble Navigation Ltd., Westminster, Colorado, USA
Cecelia Fresh works in the Geospatial Division at Trimble Navigation Ltd. – managing a global public relations strategy. She has over 15 years marketing and communications experience and possesses a Master of Arts degree in Applied Communications from the University of Denver.

Holly Gilthorpe Holly Gilthorpe, VP Communication and Public Affairs
Johnson and Johnson Medical Devices, New Brunswick, New Jersey USA
Holly Gilthorpe serves as vice president of communication and public affairs for Johnson & Johnsons Medical Devices business. In this role, Holly oversees global stakeholder engagement from media relations, issues management, and employee engagement, to brand reputation. Holly holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of California, Davis.

Melody Kean Haller Melody Kean Haller, Principal
Joule Strategic Communications, San Jose, California, USA
MKH has worked been a principle/owner in the public relations industry since 1990, focusing on emerging technology and entrepreneurial ventures. In 1993 she was CEO of the first firm to focus on the Internet. In 1996 she founded Antenna Group, Inc., which she sold in 2010.

Lisa Helfer ElghaziLisa Helfer Elghazi, President
Celesta Marketing and Public Relations, Needham, Massachusetts, USA
Lisa Helfer Elghazi is the President and Founder of Celesta Marketing & Public Relations. She has worked with numerous companies to develop content, branding initiatives, and public relations and social media strategies in the B2B and consumer sectors. Helfer Elghazi has expert-level team skills and works successfully in groups or independently.

Barbara Hernandez Barbara Hernandez, President
BCH OnPoint, Inc., Marshall, Wisconsin, USA
Barbara specializes in crisis management and public relations. With 35 years of experience in all aspects of public relations and crisis management, she has developed and implemented award-winning strategic communications campaigns for many challenging industries, including technology, healthcare, mining, chemicals, oil corporations, as well as non- service organizations and non-profits.

Anthony Herrling, Managing Director
Brainerd Communicators, Inc., New York, New York, USA

Talisha Holmes Talisha Holmes, Public Relations Associate
Fareportal, New York, New York, USA
Talisha Holmes possess 5 years of experience in Public Relations, most recently at travel tech company Fareportal and previously at Edelman Public Relations working on lifestyle brands AXE and Dove. as an Account Executive, Talishs clients included Consumer Marketing. Currently specializing in corporate communications and overall branding, Talisha holds a B.S. in Public Relations from North Carolina A&T State University.

Svein Inge Leirgul, Head of Global Media Relations
DNV-GL, Oslo, Norway

Aishwarya IyerAishwarya Iyer, Director of Communications
Whisper, Venice, California, USA
Aishwarya Iyer is the Director of Communications at Whisper, where she oversees all corporate and consumer communications, and media relations strategy. Aishwarya was previously at an early stage venture capital firm in New York City, and before that, was at SecondMarket and L'Oreal.

Vasu Jakkal, Vice President, Corporate Marketing
Brocade, San Jose, California, USA

Jenny Kassis Jenny Kassis, Strategic Communications and Content Manager
InBusiness.ae, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Jenny Kassis is a Lebanese journalist based in Dubai. She recently co-founded inbusiness.ae, an online media platform and is working towards developing strategic communications and contents. Previously, she occupied senior positions in leading publications in the UAE and Qatar. Jenny has a BA in journalism and a Maters1 degree in Mass Communication.

Robin Kim Robin Kim, Practice Head, Global Technology & Innovation
Ruder Finn, San Francisco, California, USA
Robin heads Ruder Finn’s global technology & innovation practice. She is a 20 year technology communications veteran with a track record for promoting and protecting brand and corporate reputation for high-growth startups and Fortune 50 leaders at all stages of their life cycle. She has lived and worked in nine markets across five countries in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.

Corey Kinger Corey Kinger, Managing Director
Brainerd Communicators, Inc., New York, New York, USA
Corey Kinger is a Managing Director at Brainerd Communicators, an independent full-service strategic communications consultancy. Her areas of expertise include best practice investor relations program development and implementation, strategic messaging, and crisis and issues management. She is an officer of the New York Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute.

Jennifer Leonard, Professor, Public Relations Advanced Diploma Program
Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Kristina Levsky Kristina Levsky, Director of Public Relations
Dollar Shave Club, Venice, California, USA
Kristina heads up Corporate and Consumer Communications at Dollar Shave Club which also includes Trade, Internal, and Issues Management. She has been in the industry for over 16 years, previously leading Comms internally for brands like Match.com, ShoeDazzle and Comcast's G4 network, and on the agency side working on accounts like Best Buy, Red Bull, TurboTax and others.

Melanie LombardiMelanie Lombardi, Senior Communications Manager
Intermedia, Mountain View, California, USA
Melanie Lombardi is a seasoned public relations professional with 12+ years of experience, both in-house and agency-side, leading B2B and consumer brands in growing their profile and elevate their media message. She currently drives outbound communications and corporate strategy at cloud IT company, Intermedia.

Anne McCarthy Anne McCarthy, President and Founder
Westmeath Global Communications, Denver, Colorado, USA
Most of Annes career has been spent communicating the business of business. From restructuring announcements to CEO succession plans, from thought leadership platforms to issues management initiatives, Anne has a passion for business and a mandate for crisp and clear communications.In 2010, she founded Westmeath Global Communications, a virtual consulting firm, which offers services that help organizations accelerate performance.

Eric McKeeby Eric McKeeby, Director of Community Engagement
American Board of Internal Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
As Director of Community Engagement at the American Board of Internal Medicine, Eric brings more than 15 years of communications, engagement, public affairs, marketing and grassroots action experience with an emphasis on education, health, science and urban renewal.

Chris McKie Chris McKie, Director of Public Relations
Gigamon, Sunnyvale, California, USA
Leveraging more than 20 years in-house and agency experience, Chris McKie has consistently crafted award winning thought leadership and awareness campaigns that have propelled start-ups to industry standouts.

Dana Mellecker Dana Mellecker, Principal
Mellecker Communications, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Dana Mellecker is a senior communications professional with more than 15 years of experience in communications and marketing. He has provided strategic public relations and communications training to Fortune 500 companies & start-ups, politicians, and even astronauts. Before launching Mellecker Communications, Dana directed global public relations for iCrossing, a unit of Hearst Magazines. For his work at iCrossing, Dana received the Stevie Award for Best Corporate Communicator.

Kathy Menzie Kathy Menzie, Chair, Washburn Mass Media Dept. and Chair, Communication Studies Dept.
Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, USA
Kathy Menzie is an associate professor at Washburn University. She has been Chair of the Mass Media Dept. for five years and Chair of the Communication Dept. for two years. This is her 18th year at Washburn and she primarily teaches writing, PR and advertising. Before coming to Washburn, Kathy held jobs as: public relations director for Midland Hospice in Topeka, assistant editor for the Topeka Metro News, and senior information specialist for the Learning Research Network in Manhattan. She has a bachelors degree from Baker University, masters from Kansas State University and a PhD from The University of Kansas.

Jessica Moskowitz Jessica Moskowitz, Freelance Writer & Communications Specialist
Self-Employed, Greater NYC Area, Hudson Valley, New York USA
Writer, journalist, and communications specialist with 10+ years of achievements in corporate communications, public relations/outreach, and award-winning content creation. NY native with coast-to-coast experience (NYC, San Francisco, Boston) currently freelancing and living in New York's historic Hudson River Valley. M.S. in Media from The New School. B.S. in Communications and Journalism from SUNY Fredonia.

Ann MurphyAnn Murphy, Senior Vice President
O’Neill & Associates, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Ann Murphy is a senior vice president in the communications practice at O’Neill and Associates. She brings to her role more than 25 years of experience with the media including professional roles in print and broadcast media as well as government, political and corporate public relations.

Rowen Nadia Rowen Nadia, Account Director
Andarakis Advisory Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Rowen is a well-networked and informed, marketer and moderator with a flair for creative writing. As Account Director at boutique management consultancy Andarakis Advisory Services, she is adept at developing practical go-to-market strategies, managing campaign deliverables and content for large scale government, semi- government and private projects and is also an independent contributor to numerous digital and print publications with sector specialism in real estate & finance.

Lindsay NahmiacheLindsay Nahmiache, Co-Founder & Partner
Jive PR & Digital, Los Angeles, California, USA
Insatiably curious and results driven, Lindsay is co-founder and partner of Jive PR + Digital, an award-winning Social PR and Digital Marketing agency in LA, Toronto and Vancouver. Lindsay was recently named Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Financial Post and a global Enterprising Women of the Year winner.

Niki NaskaNiki Naska, Communications Manager
Eureka, Brussels, Belgium
Experienced strategic communications professional. Proven ability to manage people, budgets and clients, build partnerships and secure new business in public and private sectors. Multilingual, creative, organised and committed with excellent networking and interpersonal skills.

Rebecca Noriega, Sr. Manager, Public Relations
SGI, Milpitas, California, USA

Tor Odland Tor Odland, Vice President, Communications
Telenor Group, Oslo, Norway
Tor Odland is a Vice President of Group Communications at Telenor Group, a top 10 global mobile carrier. He is a senior communications professional with significant experience from managing global technology brands, stakeholders, political relations and issues.

Nick Olsson, Communications/Marketing Consultant
Olsson Consulting, Seattle, Washington, USA

Emily Passer Emily Passer, Director of Communications
Quartz, New York, New York, USA
Emily Passer is Quartzs director of communications. Based in NYC, she oversees all media relations and public relations for Quartz, its staff and events. Previously Passer worked in communications at the Financial Times, and before that was with Fleishman-Hillards Marketing-Communications group in New York. Originally from Kansas City, she attended Columbia University, graduating with a degree in International Relations.

Linda Quach Linda Quach, Marketing Communications Manager
Immersion, San Jose, California, USA
Linda Quach has 15+ years of experience running communication programs for small and large technology companies. Currently, Linda the manager of marketing communications for Immersion, the leader in haptics. Linda was previously at Rovi, a digital entertainment company. She holds a bachelor in communication from the University of the Pacific.

Barbara Riordan, Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Limelight Networks, Burlington, Massachusetts, USA

Sandip Kumar RoySandip Kumar Roy, Manager, Corporate Communications
Societe Generale, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
I help organizations communicate and engage with their most important asset - their people. My passion for storytelling is hardwired into my DNA and I have scripted and directed more than 150 videos to communicate complex concepts through simple narratives and powerful imagery to convey the brand message across the organization.

Ron Sereg Ron Sereg, Assistant Professor, Public Relations (retired)
Louisiana State University, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
Ron Sereg has extensive international experience as a consultant in the areas of media and public relations for non-governmental organizations. He is a retired professor of public relations at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Simran Singh SethiSimran Singh Sethi, Communications Lead - Education & Philanthropies, Asia
Microsoft, Singapore
Simran currently leads communications and storytelling for Microsoft's Education and Philanthropies initiatives across the Asia time zone.He is also the Editor of the Asia Pacific Citizenship blog which shares inspiring stories of people and communities throughout the region who are creating a real impact for a better tomorrow. Simran is an MBA from the Indian Institute of Planning and Management and has an undergraduate honors degree in biotechnology.

Lisa Sigler Lisa Sigler, Content Marketing Manager
Clarabridge, Reston, Virginia, USA
Lisa Sigler is a Content Marketing Manager at Clarabridge. Her writing tells the Clarabridge story, educating the market about the importance of listening to customers and putting their feedback to work. Prior to joining Clarabridge, she held brand development and product marketing roles across technology industries including cloud services and telecommunications.

Dara Sklar Dara Sklar, Senior Vice President
MSL Group, San Francisco, California, USA
Since joining MSLGROUP in 1999, Dara Sklar has driven communications programs for a variety of emerging-growth companies and played an active role in the growth of the agency’s consumer technology, IT security and renewable energy practice groups. Over the years, she has focused on helping innovative companies build brand awareness, increase demand generation and achieve their business goals.

Te SmithTe Smith, Vice President, Marketing
Recurly, Inc., San Francisco, California, USA
Experienced software marketing professional, specializing in PR. Expertise in variety of market segments, including online commerce, Internet and network security, enterprise software, desktop productivity and entertainment. Well-versed in the ways of start-ups and established enterprises.

Chris Sorek, EMEA Director, Marketing & Communications
Habitat for Humanity International, Bratislava, Slovakia

Sherry Sorensen, Executive Communications Consultant
NetApp, San Jose, California, USA

Adriana Suharto, Manager, Sustainability & Public Affairs
Neste Singapore Pte Ltd., Singapore, Singapore

Angela TanAngela Tan, Senior Manager, Communications & Partnerships
ASEAN CSR Network, Singapore, Singapore
A strategic and seasoned corporate and marketing professional with experience in the IT and telco, financial services, agri-resources industries and who's passionate about Corporate Social Responsibility.

Han Tjan, Head of Corporate Communications NAFTA
Daimler, New York, New York, USA

Michelle ToscasMichelle Toscas, Executive Vice President, Health
Edelman Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

 

Robin Vaitonis Robin Vaitonis, Executive Vice President
Tanis Communications, Mountain View, California, USA
Robin Vaitonis has 20 years of corporate marketing and communications experience in enterprise software, networking, cloud/big data, bio tech and semiconductor markets. Her work with Tanis clients involves developing brand positioning and messaging, orchestrating global communication initiatives and defining financial and investor communication strategies to support clients’ business objectives and goals. She is also responsible for the agency’s creative services and content development team which focuses on bringing together compelling content and visual storytelling to amplify clients’ brand.

Chris Vasan Chris Vasan, Senior Communications Lead
Cisco Systems, Platforms Automation & Customer Enablement, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Chris Vasan is a communications strategist, filmmaker, instructional designer and writer. For eight years he has served as Communications Lead for Cisco Digital Support, which helps customers self-solve technical issues using web, mobile and API services. Before joining Cisco Mr. Vasan ran his own strategic communications firm.

Jennifer Villarreal Jennifer Villarreal, Corporate Communications Manager
Reputation Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Jennifer Villarreal is Corporate Communications Manager at Reputation Institute overseeing public relations as well as employee and external communications to develop proactive communications campaigns and public relations programs. Jennifer previously worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Research & Technology based out of the Volpe National Transportation System Center, which is a unique federal agency that is funded by sponsor projects. In that role, she consulted for federal government agencies including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, to name a few.

Mickie WagnerMickie Wagner, Strategic Internal Communications
Hitachi Data Systems, Santa Clara, California, USA
Mickie Wagner is a highly accomplished, results driven strategic communications professional with more than 15 years of combine public relations, internal and executive communications experience. She is an impactful storyteller, writer, and strategizer with a knack for quickly learning business intricacies, audiences, technologies and individual executive needs to effectively educate, inform and excite internal and external stakeholders.

Richard WahlRichard Wahl, Social Media Techno-Strategist
DimensionalAlternatives.com, San Jose, California, USA
Richard F. Wahl, B.A., is an expat and a US Navy Veteran who in 2009 founded his consulting company, Dimensional Alternatives. It is focused on social media and online marketing and shepherds small businesses through the ever-changing methods of building community, engaging users and improving brand awareness.

Peter YoungPeter Young, Professor of New Media Technologies
San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Concurrently serve as a professor of new media technologies and Assoc Director for the Silicon Valley Bigdata & Cybersecurity Research Center @SJSU

The awards categories include:

C01. Public Relations Agency of the Year

C02. Communications Department of the Year

C03. Communications Team of the Year

C05. Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year
         a. Arts & Entertainment: campaigns/programs undertaken to promote or raise awareness of an artistic or entertainment endeavor, event, or program.
         b. Community Relations: campaigns/programs that aim to improve relations with communities in which the sponsoring organization has an interest, need or opportunity.
         c. Crisis Communications: campaigns/programs undertaken to deal with an unplanned event and requiring immediate response.
         d. Events & Observances: campaigns/programs that generate awareness of or document commemorations, observances, openings, celebrations, and other types of events.
         e. Global Issues: campaigns/programs that demonstrate effective global communications implemented in at least two countries, one of which must be the United States.
         f. Internal Communications: campaigns/programs undertaken to inform or educate an internal audience, such as employees or members.
         g. Investor Relations: campaigns/programs undertaken to communicate information to a company's investors and the investment community and/or to manage the company's relationship with investors.

...and more. see all of the PR Campaign/Program of the Year categories here.

C06. PR Innovation of the Year: this category will recognize singular innovations in communications practice, research, technology, or management since the beginning of 2015.

C07. Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year

C08. Communications Professional of the Year: for non-executive communications, PR, and IR professionals.  There is no entry fee for this category.

Topics: PR awards, American business awards, public relations awards, investor relations awards, ir awards, corporate communications awards

Powering the Nation: How Stevie Award Winner Singapore Power Inspired its Employees and Stakeholders

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Thu, Mar 24, 2016 @ 11:31 AM

Singapore Power won the Gold Stevie Award for Best PR Campaign: International Communications in the Communications/PR Awards categories of the 2015 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

The final entry deadline for the 2016 Asia-Pacific Awards has been extended to Wednesday, April 6.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

We asked Amelia Champion, Head of Corporate Affairs at Singapore Power, what the Stevie award has meant for her team, and for some insight into how Singapore Power plans to continue to Power the Nation.

1603-SingaporePower.gifSingapore Power embarked on a corporate positioning exercise in 2013, with a focus on the company’s role as a reliable and efficient power utilities provider, an employer of choice, and a proactive developer of engineering talent. The journey covered a perception audit among consumers, employees across different employee strata and engagement with the Board and Senior Management.

The result was a corporate position—centered on the aspiration of “Powering the Nation”—adopted as the positioning statement. This position is supported by the three pillars of Trust, Technology, and Talent.

The main target audience included employees and prospective employees, customers, and the public.

As Head of Corporate Affairs at Singapore Power, Amelia Champion was delighted that her company’s campaign won a Gold Stevie Award. “This award is a boost to Singapore Power’s 3,500 employees,” she told us. “These are the people who have enthusiastically participated in telling their story of powering the nation 24/7, and of upholding high standards of reliability and efficiency to improve quality of life.”

Added Amelia: “The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are a solid pulse check and independent benchmark for companies as they build their track record, alongside respected peers.”

The Launch

Engaging employees in this journey was an essential component for the campaign’s success. Singapore Power (SP) launched the “Powering the Nation” positioning internally among its employees at the annual staff convention, and through decentralized road shows using parallel simulcast streaming. A commissioned video featuring SP’s role in supporting nation building was screened at these events. The theme and key pillars were also delivered through 27 Group CEO dialogue sessions with staff between September 2013 and October 2014.

SP introduced a new suite of internal communications channels named spectrum. These included a revamped staff portal featuring up-to-date information and important messages, fortnightly corporate news updates, a bimonthly spectrum magazine distributed to all 3,500 staff, and the “Power Talks” quarterly employee lunchtime platform to introduce the spectrum channels and enable staff to pick up useful information for professional and personal growth.

Branded “Powering the Nation” collaterals and gifts such as notebooks and coasters were produced and distributed to all staff. To inspire organizational pride in all staff, SP also put up National Day celebratory banners with the “Powering the Nation” statement at central locations around Singapore.

Outcomes

Results from the annual staff convention post-event survey revealed that the “Powering the Nation” statement resonated well with staff, who also exhibited high recall and receptivity to the key messages. As high as 96% of 530 staff who participated in the plenary session said that they felt proud of the company’s role in powering the nation. About 91% agreed that “I Power the Nation” accurately described their roles at SP.

Not only has “Powering the Nation” been well-received by staff, they have spontaneously adopted the positioning statement within their own programs and presentations and now regularly use the it when introducing Singapore Power to local and overseas stakeholders.

Powering the Future
Amelia told us some of the activities planned by Singapore Power for 2016. “We aim to establish and enhance more channels of engagement with our customers and employees, in tandem with new ways of staying connected in the digital age. We will also focus on community service and staff volunteerism, continuing our commitment to powering the nation in more ways than one.”


Amelia looks forward to the year ahead. As she told us, she is motivated by “the pride and fulfillment of being part of a team that keeps the lights on round the clock, contributes to Singapore’s economic growth and quality of life, and drives sustainable solutions to serve future generations.

About Amelia Champion:

Amelia Champion is Singapore Power's Head of Corporate Affairs, overseeing corporate positioning, reputation management, internal communications, and corporate social responsibility. She built her career in healthcare and community service organizations. At the SingHealth Group, Amelia was Director, Group Communications, driving programs and initiatives to unify employees and to reinforce the Group’s standing in Academic Medicine. Prior to that, Amelia headed Public Relations, Patient Relations, Events, and Promotions at the National Kidney Foundation in Singapore. She was responsible for running nation-wide campaigns to promote organ donation; international healthcare conferences with marketing efforts in the US, Europe and Asia; policy-making; and for creating holistic self-help programs for patients. In her spare time, Amelia contributes to her school's alumni association as an executive committee member, and volunteers her services in her local parish.

About Singapore Power:

Singapore Power Group (SP) is a leading energy utility group in the Asia Pacific. It owns and operates electricity and gas transmission and distribution businesses in Singapore and Australia, and district cooling businesses in Singapore and China. More than 1.4 million industrial, commercial, and residential customers in Singapore benefit from SP’s world-class transmission, distribution, and market support services. The networks in Singapore are amongst the most reliable and cost-effective worldwide. For more information, please visit www.singaporepower.com.sg and follow us on Facebook fb.com/singapore.power

Topics: business awards, PR awards, communication awards, Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards

Revelations From a Stevie Awards Judge in Vietnam

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Mon, Dec 08, 2014 @ 12:52 PM

Dale E. Gerstenslager is General Manager, Public Relations & Communications for Doosan Heavy Industries Vietnam Co., Ltd.  He has been a judge for the Stevie Awards for Women in Business for the past two years, and plans to to assist with the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards judging early in the new year.

Entries are now being accepted for the 2015 edition of the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, which are open to all organizations operating in the 22 nations of the Asia-Pacific region.
APSA judge(
REVIEW THE ASIA-PACIFIC STEVIE AWARDS ENTRY KIT HERE.)

We talked with Dale about his company, working in Vietnam, and judging the Stevie® Awards. He told us he’d learned some useful things from his judging experience: “First and foremost I’d have to say that as a judge for the Stevie Awards for Women in Business I’ve learned a great deal. It has been an opportunity to see some amazing Public Relations and Communication campaigns.  The entries spanned the globe and covered a wide spectrum of categories.  Many times I found myself taking notes and thinking: What a great idea.”

A Virtual Think-Tank

Dale is now looking forward to reviewing the Corporate Communications Awards, Investor Relations Awards, and Public Relations Awards categories of the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.
“The Stevie Awards create a virtual think-tank that provides fertile ground where creativity can blossom and grow,” commented Dale.  “Rarely in life do true ‘epiphanies’ occur; so anytime people share ideas, doors in the mind begin to open and possibilities expand, with one idea leading to the next.  That’s how programs like the Stevie Awards help business leaders find new opportunities to increase market share and expand their business.”

An Unbeatable Package

We asked Dale why The Doosan Group, an international company headquartered in South Korea, was operating in Vietnam.  “The Doosan Group chose Vietnam for its $330M investment because of a unique set of incentives and circumstances offered by the leaders of Vietnam,” Dale explained.  “It began with a set of critical criteria followed by a lengthy global search and an extensive due diligence of the many proposals put forth by countries from all over the world. Doosan ultimately selected Vietnam because of the outstanding support and stability of the local, regional, and national governments, an unbeatable package of financial incentives, an eager labour force, and a coastal location that allowed us to build a dedicated port that would give us ready access to major sea lanes.”

Be Flexible

Since Dale is a specialist in communications in the region, we asked him for some tips for companies thinking of doing business in Vietnam. “First, do your homework,” advises Dale. “And that should involve consulting with those that have ‘been there, done that,and have the T-Shirt to prove it.’ That will save a ton of time and money in the exer-cise and get you into production much faster than would happen otherwise.
“Second, Vietnam is evolving at such a rapid pace that you should be prepared to be flex-ible—like you’ve never been before or even imagined possible—then double that.”

Future Potential

We asked Dale what excited him most about his work. “Communications is foundational to all that we do in life,” he told us. “So finding a new, more effective way to reach someone—be it a customer, co-worker, or community—is both challenging and exciting. It keeps my wheels turning and my mind working.  Here in Vietnam, the communications industry is morphing on an almost daily basis. It is still developing, but to look back just a few years and compare it to today, I see tremendous improvement and even greater potential.”

About Dale E. Gerstenslager:

After a 25 year career in the media, living and working in six countries and 14 U.S. states as an award winning editor, journalist, and publisher, Dale Gerstenslager moved from mass communications to public relations and communications.  He accepted a position In Vietnam with Doosan in 2008 where he planned, launched, and now leads the Public Relations and Communications function for the Doosan Group’s $300 million investment in Vietnam.

About Doosan Vina:

Doosan Vina is a high-tech industrial complex in the Dung Quat Economic Zone of Central Vietnam’s Quang Ngai Province.  It covers 110 hectares, employs 3,000, and has shipped over $1 billion U.S. of product to global markets.  The company supplies the mega infrastructure products that make modern life a reality. Doosan Vina’s products include: boilers for thermal power plants; heat recovery steam generators that increase the efficiency of a typical power plant by over 30%; 4,500 ton desalination plants that are the size of a football pitch and turn 95 million liters of sea water into fresh per day; material-handling systems like the cranes that are the heart of logistics at ports around the world; and chemical processing equipment that turns the earth’s natural resources into the useful products we use every day.  

About The Doosan Group:
The Doosan Group is a global multinational focusing on power, water, and other infrastructure developments worldwide. The company is Korea’s oldest business operation, tracing its roots back to 1896 with the opening of the Park Seung-jik Store. The company is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea and has operations in 37 countries, over 35,000 employees, and $22 billion in annual revenue.

Topics: communications awards, business awards, PR awards, stevie awards for women in business, women awards, ir awards

How a Stevie Award Winner Thinks Globally and Acts Locally in Germany

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Tue, Dec 02, 2014 @ 05:56 PM

F&H Porter Novelli in Munich Germany won a Silver Stevie® Award and two Bronze Stevie® Awards in the Communications Awards, IR Awards, and Public Relations Awards categories of The 2014 International Business Awards.

F&HFreiherr Helmut von Fircks, CEO of F&H Porter Novelli, is a regular judge for the International Business Awards. We talked to him about what winning a Stevie® Award means to him, and for his view on the upcoming German Stevie Awards.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

On winning a Stevie® Award, Helmut von Fircks had this to say: “Winning an award is a big honor both for the client and for the account team. And it not only motivates the dedicated team, the whole agency also benefits from a real boost to morale.”

Raising Awareness
We asked Helmut for his thoughts on the new German Stevie® Awards.  “Having a German Stevie Awards program will attract even more German businesses to attend and be part of this wonderful awards program,” he commented. “Having a German Stevie Awards is recognition of the importance of the German market and its role in the communications world. It will raise the awareness of the Stevie Awards tremendously.”

Think Global-Act Local
For companies already operating, or considering expanding into the German market, Helmut offers the following advice: “We suggest companies adopt the rule: Think global–act local. Even though we are part of the EU, Germans expect a tailor-made personal approach. So a campaign that might work in the U.K. does not necessarily work here in Germany.”

A Bright Future
Helmut is optimistic about the future. “Communications is an evolving industry, always at the heart of future trends and innovation,” he told us. “Learning something new every day keeps us excited and motivated for future challenges.”

About Freiherr Helmut von Fircks:
Helmut von Fircks founded the F & H agency whilst studying economics. Even though he started his career in advertising, he soon discovered the power of public relations within the communications mix. He has built a team of creative strategists who love consulting for large global organizations as well as medium-sized businesses. His heart beats communications, especially in challenging situations, and he is a proven crisis-communications specialist.

In his private life this father of four enjoys long walks with his Labrador Lady Mercey.

About F&H Porter Novelli:
F&H Porter Novelli was founded in 1980 and currently employs 60 people in its Munich office. The agency is exclusive German brand partner of Porter Novelli. F&H is amongst the top 20 PR agencies in Germany. The full service agency offers all parameters within a modern communication mix from PR to advertising. F&H Porter Novelli is a strategic communications consultancy supporting com- panies, organizations, institutions, and people in a variety of communications needs. Areas of expertise include traditional and social media public relations, crisis, special situations and long-term stakeholder communications. F&H offers international communications consulting from creative strategists. Bold and pas- sionate, the F&H team develops successful high quality solutions. More information via http://www.fundh.de/

Topics: communications awards, International business awards, PR awards, German Stevie Awards, public relations awards, ir awards, Busines Awards

Schedule Changed for 2015 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Mon, Nov 03, 2014 @ 11:36 AM
We have changed the schedule for the 2015 (second annual) Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the top business awards program for the region.

APSA14 award presentationIt has come to our attention that updates that were supposed to have been made to the website at http://Asia.StevieAwards.com before the opening of the awards last month were not made. It will take us about two weeks now to update the website fully. Therefore we are changing the schedule.

The early-bird entry deadline with discounted entry fees, originally published as November 12, has been changed to December 3. Review the complete revised calendar for the 2015 awards. The awards are open to all organizations operating in the 22 nations of the Asia-Pacific region.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

We expect the website to be ready to accept your entries the week of 17 November. You may submit your 2015 entries anytime after that date.

We have added many new categories to the awards, including marketing awards, PR awards, new product awards, HR awards, and more. Explore them all here.

The website at http://Asia.StevieAwards.com is available in, and entries may be submitted in, seven languages: Chinese, English, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay and Thai.

Please contact us with your questions about how to participate in the 2015 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

Topics: business awards, marketing awards, PR awards, stevie awards, new product awards, Asia-Pacific

Bridging the Culture Gap: Useful Advice From a Stevie Awards Judge

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Mon, Sep 15, 2014 @ 07:42 PM

Tore Claesson, a Director of U.S.-based creative agency TIO, has been sharing his time between the US and China since October 2013.  Tore was a judge for The 2014 International Business Awards, covering the Communications Awards, PR Awards, and Creative Awards categories.

The 2015 International Business Awards will open for entries in January. Join the mailing list and we'll email you once the entry kit becomes available.

ToreWe talked to Tore about his experience of judging for the Stevie Awards and were gratified by his enthusiasm. “I think I’ve learned more from judging the Stevie Awards than from any book on creativity!” he told us.

Tore sees judging as an opportunity to peek into other professionals’ brains. As he puts it: “To see how others have solved certain business and creative problems is invaluable. It’s like a secret peek behind the curtain.”

Why China?

Tore had a pithy response to why he has been in China for the past year. “To fill a void.”

Tore explained: “There are simply no agencies focused on small and medium-sized businesses and brands that can bridge the culture gap between the U.S. and China, or Europe and China. And that applies whether a Chinese brand is going west or a Western company is trying to penetrate China.

“You either get an agency that finds a ‘partner’ in China for adaptation work, or—if you’re a Chinese company—you may go to a Chinese agency, which most likely has no experience in the nuances of US communications.

“Nuance is key to all communication. Being on the ground in China, with a mixed Western and domestic team, means we master those nuances. With an agency in New York as well as an agency in China, both cultures are a daily part of our work.”

The Importance of Social Media

Tore stressed the importance of social media in China. “One has to immerse oneself in all social media in China such as Wechat, QQ, Weibo, Youku, etc.  China may have a long way to go before it is on a par with the US and Europe on branding and marketing communications—the industry is still young in China—but in social media, which is a much newer business, they are way ahead. The West can learn from China when it comes to using social media.”

Future Judging

The Stevie Awards recently introduced the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, and the 2015 competition opens this month. (For more information on how to participate, sign up to receive an Entry Kit.)   Tore is intrigued by the possibilities of this competition and has expressed interest in judging the newly revamped and expanded entry categories.

Life in China

Since October 2013, Tore has been working in China and is based in Chengdu, Sichuan.  Tore told us, “Chengdu is China’s fourth biggest city with 14 million people, a fantastic kitchen if you like spicy food, a world famous Panda park, and Geely, which makes Volvo cars.

“Chengdu is known as the Silicon Valley of China—a real tech-hub—and Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone (CDHT) is home to 33,237 hi-tech companies, of which 1,115 companies are foreign-invested enterprises, including over 120 Fortune 500 and world-renowned companies.”

When we asked Tore what kept him inspired or excited about the future, his apt response was: “In my case it’s a curiosity to see where the road leads. I can’t stand still. Petrification is for statues!”

You can read and see more of Tore’s adventures in China on his blog or view some of the work being done in China on his LinkedIn site. His profile page links to a showcase for a Swedish company, Sveba-Dahlen, that needed a Chinese name and more.

About Tore Claesson

Tore’s background at agencies such as Ogilvy and Anderson & Lembke McCann, based in Singapore, Tokyo, and Hong Kong in Asia, and Amsterdam in Europe, in addition to his many years in New York, means that TIO has a leader that knows the ins and out of cross culture communication better than just about anybody on this small planet.

About TIO Agency

TIO is a creative agency specializing in brand strategy, market communication, advertising, and design. TIO helps businesses communicate to their stakeholders with a unique, clear, and consistent voice. To be heard in today’s over-saturated media landscape, efficient brand communication must be designed holistically to convey a unified message to internal and external stakeholders, then transmitted via multiple media.By aligning to each client’s strategic vision, TIO ensures that its work is focused on concrete marketing objectives, rather than dictated by simple creative whims or technological indulgences.

TIO was founded in 2009 by designer Norman Rabinovich and brand strategist Michael Raisanen. Its team consists of 20 creative professionals across design, strategy, communication, technology advertising, public relations, and new media. The agency is headquartered in New Canaan, Connecticut, USA, with an office in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Topics: communications awards, International business awards, PR awards, creative awards, Tore Claesson, TIO Agency

Stevie Awards Announce Winners of 2014 Best of the IBA Awards

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Tue, Aug 26, 2014 @ 09:21 AM

The Stevie® Awards have announced the winners of the Best of the IBA Awards in The 2014 (11th Annual) International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition.

Stevie logoNominees in the 2014 IBAs were not able to apply for the Best of the IBA Awards directly. Winners were determined by a points system based on the total number of awards won in the IBAs. This year's Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners in The International Business Awards were announced on August 13.

The winners of the Best of the IBA Awards will be presented with Grand Stevie Award trophies at The 11th Annual International Business Awards banquet at The Westin Vendôme Hotel in Paris, France on October 10. 

Winners were determined by a points system based on the total number of awards won in the IBAs, with a  Gold Stevie win counting for 3 points, a Silver Stevie for 2 points, and a Bronze Stevie counting for 1.5.  The winners are:

Organization of the Year: Quality, Systems, Inc. Irvine, California, USA. With 68.5 total points, Quality Systems, Inc. is the most honored organization in the 2014 IBAs.

Public Relations Agency of the Year: MWW. MWW offices around the world won a total of 42.5 points.

Marketing Agency of the Year: Weber Shandwick. Weber Shandwick offices worldwide won a total of 39.5 points.

Interactive Services Agency of the Year: Plasenta Conversation Agency, Istanbul, Turkey (31.5 points)

Top 10: After the winners of the above prizes, the following entrants earned the most award points in the 2014 IBAs:

1. MSLGROUP, worldwide (35.5)
2. CallidusCloud, Pleasanton, California, USA (32.5)
3. Akbank TAS, Istanbul, Turkey (31.5)
4. Maras Group, Adelaide, Australia (31)
5. LLORENTE Y CUENCA, Madrid, Spain (27.5)
6. Odea Bank A.S., Istanbul, Turkey (26.5)
7. Ooredoo Group, Doha, Qatar (25.5)
8. Accenture, worldwide (24.5)
9. Oxford City Football Club, Lake Worth, Florida, USA (23)
10. ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (22)

The International Business Awards feature a wide variety of categories to recognize achievement in every facet of work life, including management awards, new product awards, marketing awards, PR awards, customer service awards, website awards, and more.

For more information about The International Business Awards, including a complete list of all Stevie Award winners in the 2014 IBAs, visit www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in six programs: The American Business Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com, and follow the Stevie Awards on Twitter @TheStevieAwards.

Topics: customer service awards, website awards, marketing awards, International business awards, PR awards, management awards, public relations awards

International Business Awards Name Chairs for 2014 Judging

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Wed, Aug 06, 2014 @ 04:36 PM

The Stevie® Awards have announced the ten executives who are chairing the specialized final judging committees for its 11th Annual International Business Awards, the premier business awards program in the world.

All organizations - public and private, large and small, for-profit and non-profit - are eligible to submit nominations to The International Business Awards.

The ten committee selections are based on the categories that will be judged

COMPANY/ORGANIZATION AWARDS CHAIR
Chair: Kim Dong-soo, Ph.D., Director
KOBACO (Korea Broadcast Advertising Corp.), Seoul, South Korea

DCompany Chairr. Kim joined the Korean Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) in1979 and served as vice minister from 2007-2008.  During his 30 years at the MIC, he designed and implemented Korean policy for information and communications technology (ICT), and is especially credited with developing ICT services in Korea. Dr. Kim is one of the world’s pioneers in ICT services.

More recently, Dr. Kim has worked as a senior adviser at the law firm of Gwang-jang in Seoul, providing policy and legal consulting services in ICT, Media, and Broadcasting for governments and private enterprises. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors at the KOBACO (Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation).

Dr. Kim was awarded the Hongjo-geunjeong Order (2003) and the Geun-jeong Merit Medal (1988) from the Korean nation for his successful leadership and development of the national informatization policy. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Cheong-ju University and a Master’s Degree in public administration at Seoul National University. He also earned a Master’s Degree in policy science at the University of Wisconsin (Madison). In 2008, Dr. Kim received a Doctorate in public administration at Sungkyunkwan University’s College of Information and Communication Engineering.

MANAGEMENT/INDIVIDUAL AWARDS CHAIR
Chair: Sinta Kaniawati, Director, Unilever Indonesia Foundation
PT. Unilever Indonesia Tbk., Jakarta, Indonesia

14 IBA MGT ChairSinta Kaniawati started her career in the corporate world in 1990 when she joined Unilever Indonesia as a management trainee. She built tremendous skills in market research, marketing for national and international brands, and customer development, and was assigned a senior position at Unilever Indonesia Foundation in 2007. Unilever Indonesia Foundation focuses on improving health, hygiene, and nutrition; reducing environmental impact; and improving livelihood through sustainable socio-economic programs with the community.

Since 2009, Sinta has served as a Board Member of Indonesian Business Links and is a former executive team member of the Indonesian National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. She was named Secretary General of the Indonesian Global Compact Network in 2010, and again in 2014; and she is a member of The International Society of Sustainability Professionals.

Sinta Kaniawati was born in Bandung, Indonesia. She completed her degree at Bogor Agriculture Institute. Despite a busy professional career, Sinta has a wide range of interests.  She loves music and is active in a variety of social organizations such as Bina Antarbudaya (the Indonesian Foundation for Intercultural Learning), and Toastmasters International.  She is also an enthusiastic leadership and communications trainer. Sinta is a LEAD Indonesia Fellow (cohort 15) and has been a presenter at The Climate Reality Project.

She is married with a young son and daughter.

IT/NEW PRODUCT & PRODUCT MANAGEMENT AWARDS CHAIR
Chair: Christine K. Buck, Global Brand Manager
Accenture, Chicago, USA

IT chairAs Global Brand Manager for Accenture, Christine is responsible for developing and executing Accenture’s global brand strategy, developing brand programs, and overseeing key initiatives related to strengthening and protecting the Accenture brand.

Christine brings over 17 years of sales and marketing expertise in the financial services and software industries to Accenture, along with deep international expertise. Prior to joining Accenture in 2012, she was the International Marketing Director for Morningstar, Inc., a global investment research and technology firm. In this leadership role, she successfully developed and led global marketing and sales operations across 26 countries in EMEA, Latin America, Canada, and Asia-Pacific. She was appointed to serve on several corporate committees, including the corporate social media steering committee, which was responsible for establishing Morningstar’s global strategy and policies.

Before joining Morningstar in 2005, she served as a regional Sales Program Manager at Bank of America Global Finance managing key technology client accounts such as Oracle, Netscape, and Software AG. Christine began her career in Dublin, Ireland, working for Microsoft Corporation as a Software License Analyst for the Benelux market.

Passionate about giving back to the community, Christine is involved in many civic and charitable organizations. She is the Vice President of the A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Family Foundation of Chicago. She launched a pilot research program in 2011, in coordination with the Anschutz Medical School in Denver, to develop a vaccine for Multiple Sclerosis. She is a Luminary Circle member of StepUp, the national women’s organization, and served as a Director for the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education from 2003 to 2011. 

Christine graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in French Studies and in Anthropology.

MARKETING AWARDS CHAIR
Chair: Luke D'Arcy, Chief Marketing Officer
Momentum WW, New York, NY

14 IBA Market ChairLuke D’Arcy joined Momentum as Marketing Director in 2003, helping the agency grow its profile and new business performance nationally and internationally with wins like Bacardi, BMW MINI, Kraft, and Intel.

A marketing professional for the past 18 years, Luke began his agency career as New Business Director for network agency Euro RSCG, twice seeing the shop win Marketing Week’s Agency of the Year award, and picking up wins like Microsoft, Diageo, and PepsiCo with assignments across 40 countries.

In 2006, Luke became a Partner of leading global independent agency Iris Worldwide with 14 offices around the world. He led the global new business, PR, and marketing of the agency, culminating with international account wins like Hertz, Volkswagen, Shell, and ING. This period also saw the agency twice voted UK agency of the Year, APAC Agency of the Year, and one of The Sunday Times Top 10 places to work.

A call from Virgin proved too good to pass up and Luke moved client side as Partnership Director for Virgin, helping Sir Richard Branson and the team raise £40 million in six months to launch the Virgin Racing team and build the brand in the competitive world of Formula 1.

Luke rejoined Momentum in 2010 as a member of its European Board. He was promoted to the global role of Chief Growth Officer in 2011, and to the global board as Chief Marketing Officer in 2013. Recent agency wins include Diageo, US Postal Service, Unilever, GoDaddy, United Airlines, and Porsche.

Luke sits on the 4A’s New Business Committee, is an IPG business mentor, and is also an international industry speaker on topics like sport, shopper, and agency growth strategies.

HUMAN RESOURCES AWARDS CHAIR
Chair: Adrian Harvey, CEO
Elephants Don't Forget Ltd, London, United Kingdom.

14 IBA HR ChairOn Independence Day (July 4th) 2011, Adrian Harvey and the former Eon Finance Director, Dan Gray, formed Green Giraffe Energy Bankers, a specialist advisory boutique focused on the renewable energy section, as a vehicle that would allow them to pursue their passion for doing great business. They also found the time to write and publish their first business self-help book: The Elephant in the Boardroom.

The fact that employees forget as much as 80% of what they learn in training within the first 30 days has cost businesses in the UK hundreds of millions of pounds every year. Adrian and Dan saw that what was needed was a low-cost tool that continually assessed actual employee knowledge levels, identified knowledge gaps, and automatically retrained what had been forgotten, thereby ensuring employees had the knowledge they needed to excel.

On March 4, 2013—after 18 months of R&D and testing—Adrian and Dan launched the knowledge-retention company Elephants don't forget. The star of the business is an intelligent employee knowledge-retention App called “Nelly.” Companies utilize Nelly to optimize the effectiveness of their L&D spend.

Recently, the pair set up Panama Green Fuels (PGF), based in Panama, Central America, as a Social Enterprise. PGF is destined to transform the lives of thousands of rural Panamanians. Part funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Dan and Adrian are creating the bio-infrastructure necessary for Panama to 'grow its own diesel' and at the same time regenerate thousands of hectares of degraded land. The Panamanian-based management runs the day-to-day business operations leaving Dan and Adrian free to concentrate on Elephants don’t forget and a niche contact center optimization software, Motiv8 Solutions.

On being appointed Chair of the Human Resources Awards Final Judging Committee in The 2014 international Business Awards, Adrian commented: “This is a relevant and much-needed recognition forum. I would recommend it to any organization that believes they have best-in-class capability in any of the judging criteria.”

CREATIVE/CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS & PR AWARDS CHAIR
Chair: Jon Dobinson, Chief Executive
Other Creative Limited, London, United Kingdom

jon magz blogJon Dobinson founded other in 1997 and it has grown to become one of the UK’s most exciting and innovative creative companies: working on important international campaigns for multinationals like Unilever; helping charities and not-for-profit organizations raise over £65m in funds by effective creative communication; and developing innovative new services like the creative research tool PreProven.

While developing other’s capabilities in interactive TV advertising through its subsidiary Phosphorus, Jon chaired conferences on the future of television in New York and London, and contributed to the development of the European Union’s Television Without Frontiers directive, which controls the regulation of TV across the EU and EFTA.

Prior to founding other, Jon was a Creative Director at major UK agencies. In 1989-1993, during a period freelancing, he was Secretary General of the International Society for Human Rights in the UK. In this capacity, he helped to bring the issue of human rights abuses in the former Yugoslav republics to global attention, making front page news around the world and contributing to the early deployment of UN peacekeepers in Kosovo—a move now recognized as having saved countless lives.

Jon is an awarded member of D&AD. He has won a number of Gold Stevies in the Creative and Communications categories of The International Business Awards, most recently in 2014. His work has achieved similar recognition from other international awards organizations including the New York Festivals, the Rev Awards, the Telly Awards, AFDESI, and the Digital Awards. Last year, other also won in several categories of the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, including a Gold Stevie with Unilever for Best Global Campaign, and a Bronze Stevie for Most Innovative Company.

Jon lives just outside London while at work, and at Dinan in France when he can slip away. He has two children, Lucie and William, and Lucie recently joined other as a writer.

On being asked to Chair the Creative/Corporate Communications & PR Final Judging Committee, Jon told us he was “delighted to be invited to chair one of the judging panels for the International Business Awards and to help in giving recognition to outstanding people and results in business from around the world. The International Business Awards stands alone in celebrating the best achievements from the world of global business.”

CREATIVE MEDIA (WEBSITES/APPS/LIVE EVENTS/VIDEO) AWARDS CHAIR
Chair: Masahisa Tsukada, CEO
DIPLO Data Service Inc., Osaka, Japan

14 IBA MEDIA ChairMasahisa Tsukada has been involved with the planning and distribution aspects of establishing MODRIC Inc. in Japan for 10 years. Until 2000 he was also the founding director of Izumi CATV Inc. (a third sector company) at Izumi Cable TV (Now J:Com Kansai Inc.).

Currently, Mr. Tsukada is a corporate group board member for a number of companies, including DIPLO Data Service Inc., Mainichi Inc., and LICENSE JAPAN Inc. He is also a program evaluator for J:Com Kansai Inc., a special advisor for Izumi Young Entrepreneurs Group (Osaka prefecture), and he is a member of the Izumi South Rotary Club Japan.

 

CREATIVE MEDIA (ANNUAL REPORTS & OTHER PUBLICATIONS) AWARDS CHAIR
Chair: Rachel Deutsch, Principal/Creative Director
The Design Channel
, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA

14 IBA PRINT ChairRachel Deutsch has worked in the branding, advertising, and marketing communications field for over twenty years, working for local agencies and later running her own agency. She has been responsible for strategizing numerous award-winning campaigns for local and national organizations in education, technology, healthcare, and government markets. Rachel is currently Principle and Creative Director at The Design Channel in Washington DC.  Some of the accounts she has worked on include CareerBuilder, Blackboard, Children's National Medical Center, Howard University, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Wright Manufacturing

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE/SUPPORT AWARDS CHAIR
Chair: Steve Bujouves, Director of Support
FreshBooks, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

14 IBA CS ChairSteve Bujouves is the Director and Head of Support at FreshBooks, a cloud accounting specialist for small business owners. Steve is passionate about providing extraordinary experiences for customers and also championing the positive and fun Support Team culture at the company. 

The FreshBooks mission is: Execute on Extraordinary Experiences Everyday. Based in Toronto and founded in 2003, the company’s aim is to allow small business owners to save time on paperwork so they can spend that time on doing things they love with their family and friends.  Steve has been with FreshBooks since its early days and has helped to scale Support from a small (but mighty!) group to a large team that handles over a quarter of a million customer cases a year. 

Steve’s focus is on ensuring the highest level of quality and service for FreshBooks customers. His tenure at FreshBooks has enabled Steve to experience rapid growth first-hand. He learned early in his career that one of the biggest factors in a highly functioning Support Team was the culture and personal development of the team itself. Steve is focused on maintaining a healthy culture of growth and development, which promotes exceptionally happy team members and, in return, exceptionally happy customer experiences.

Steve mentors and advises several start-ups. He was honored to win the Gold Stevie Award for Customer Support Manager of the Year in the 2014 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and was able to lead his team to win the 2012 and 2013 Front-line Customer Support Team of the Year and the 2014 Customer Service Management Team of the Year.

KOREAN-LANGUAGE FINAL JUDGING COMMITTEE CHAIR
Chair: Hung Ki Kim
President
Korea Business Communicators Association, Seoul, South Korea

describe the imageHung Ki Kim is a full-time Instructor at the Korea Broadcasting Advertising Corporation Training Institute, Hangyeore Cultural Center, Hangyeong Academy, and the Korea Magazine Institute. He runs a Public Relations Course offered by the Korea Productivity Center, and he is a professor on a course for Chief Communications Officer and Administration Publicity at Gangwon-do Officials Training Institute. Other PR courses in which he is involved are run at the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, the National Institute of Professional Administration, the Central Election Management Committee Training Institute, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology Training Institute, Busan Human Resources Development Center, and the Gyeonggi-do Human Resources Development Center. Kim has also been an Instructor at the Faculty of Communications and Media of Sookmyung Women’s University, and a visiting professor at the Department of Advertising Creation at Cheongju University.

Kim is an advisor to the Korea PR Association, and he is a member of the Korea Advertising Society, Korea Association for Advertising and Public Relations, and Korea Free Literary Persons Association. He is also a consultant to the Seoul Government, the Korean National Tuberculosis Association, the Road Traffic Safety Authority, the Korean Academy of Nursing, the Presidential Social Integration Commission, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, and the Ministry of Environment Public Relations (Evaluation).

In addition to being a judge for The International Business Awards, Kim has also been a member of the Moscow International Advertising Festival judging panel.

Final results of this year's IBA will be announced on August 13.

Missed your chance to enter this year's International Business Awards?  Here's a solution...

Topics: hr awards, business awards, marketing awards, PR awards, creative awards, it awards, new product awards

American Business Awards Announces First Group of Stevie Winners

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Mon, Jun 16, 2014 @ 10:18 AM

Beats Electronics, SunTrust Bank, and Yahoo, Inc. Among Winners of Gold Stevie® Awards;New Product and Tech-related Winners to Be Announced at Second Event in San Francisco on September 12

The 12th Annual American Business AwardsSM announced Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie® Award Winners last Friday night, June 13, at the first of two gala award ceremonies taking place this year.

Stevie Awards logoFriday evening’s ceremony took place at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park Hotel and honored winners in categories for customer service, human resources, corporate communications, live events, publications, videos, and selected categories for company/organization, management and marketing.  Winners in all new product and technology-related categories, and other management, marketing, and company/organization categories, will be announced at an event at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on September 12.

The American Business Awards, the top business awards program in the U.S., honor an all-inclusive spectrum of American business people and organizations -- from non-profits, emerging start-ups, major public companies and government agencies, to corner-office executives, corporate communicators, support staff and customer service teams.

Notable Gold Stevie Award Winners announced on Friday include:

­   Communications, IR, or PR Executive of the Year: Susan Johnson, AT&T Inc.

­   Marketing Department of the Year: Univision Communications Inc.

­   Public Relations Agency of the Year: PMK*BNC

­   Company of the Year - Food & Beverage: Checkers and Rally's Restaurants, Inc.

­   Executive of the Year - Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations: Amanda Currie, Adconion Direct

­   Customer Service Department of the Year: Wells Fargo Treasury Management Client Delivery

­   Global Issues Campaign of the Year: Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

­   Support Team of the Year: Electric Insurance Company

­   Best Consumer Event: NASCAR, Inc.

­   Best Public Relations Video: Peabody Energy

­   Most Innovative Company of the Year - More Than 2,500 Employees: Yahoo, Inc.

­   Human Resources Team of the Year: UST Global

AMD won five Gold Stevie Awards on Friday, more than any other organization, while Quality Systems, Inc. took home four. Winners of three Gold Stevie Awards are Medtech College and MWW.  Organizations who took home two Gold Stevie Awards are Accenture, Angel MedFlight Worldwide Air Ambulance, AT&T, BDS Marketing, CapitalOne ShareBuilder, Engility, Hager Fox Heating & Air Conditioning Co., Home Instead Senior Care, Makovsky, NASCAR, Inc., Pacific Life, Renters Warehouse, SCRA, Slack and Company, and Univision Communications.

More than 3,300 entries were submitted to The 2014 American Business Awards, and 240 executives nationwide participated in judging to determine this year’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners. 

For a complete list of the Stevie Award winners in this year’s American Business Awards visit www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

Every new product or service nominated in The 2014 American Business Awards will automatically be included in voting for the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products.  Voting will open to the general public on July 7, and the winners will be honored at The American Business Awards ceremony in San Francisco on September 12.

Last night’s presentations were taped and will be broadcast by Biz Talk Radio (www.biztalkradio.com) on Tuesday and Friday nights.

About the Stevie® Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in five programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  A sixth program, the German Stevie Awards, will debut later this year.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors and partners of The 2014 American Business Awards include Biz Talk Radio, CallidusCloud, Citrix Online, Cvent, Engility, John Hancock, LycaMobile, PetRays, and Softpro.

Topics: customer service awards, business awards, marketing awards, PR awards, American business awards

International Business Awards Deadline Extended to July 9

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Thu, Jun 12, 2014 @ 09:05 AM

Yesterday was the final entry deadline for the 11th annual International Business Awards, the world’s top business awards program.

By popular demand, we have decided to universally extend the final entry deadline through Wednesday, July 9.  No additional late fees or penalties will be required, and late entries will not be penalized in any way in the judging process.

GET THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

Stevies 2014 logoThe IBAs typically receive nominations from organizations in more than 50 nations and territories and are the world’s only completely international business awards competition. All organizations and individuals worldwide are eligible to submit entries.

This business awards program features a wide range of categories to recognize achievement in every aspect of the workplace, including

See the full list of International Business Awards categories.

Nominations should cite achievements since January 1 2013. There is no eligibility timeframe for app and web site entries - it does not matter when they were first published.

Winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Awards will be announced on August 13, and the winners celebrated at a gala banquet at the Westin Vendome Hotel in Paris, France on October 10.

Do not hesitate to contact us with your questions about how to participate in The 2014 International Business Awards.

Topics: customer service awards, hr awards, business awards, video awards, marketing awards, PR awards, stevie awards, management awards