CommunicationsWeek

Amanda Coffee is a senior director of global media relations at Under Armour where she oversees CEO media, public relations, brand communications and media partnerships. Under Armour works closely with its athlete partners on joint media storytelling, highlighting the brand’s focus on innovation, performance, and style.

Previously Amanda was a director of global corporate affairs at PayPal Holdings, Inc. She supported global strategies, plans and execution for corporate communications, including earned media, executive social media and employer brand.

At PayPal, in addition to managing global corporate media relations and executive visibility projects for the CEO and CFO, Coffee supported ten social media channels for PayPal and its executives. Additionally, she oversaw PayPal’s employer brand strategy, leveraging earned and owned channels to bring to life PayPal’s employee value proposition. Previously, Coffee spent five years on the corporate communications team at eBay Inc., including Retail Innovation communications and the separation of eBay and PayPal in 2015.

Previously, Coffee held positions at Burson-Marsteller and Weber Shandwick, supporting various client accounts including H-P and SAP. She holds a B.A. in Media Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Amanda relocated from San Francisco to New York in early 2020.

Raquel Cool, Leader, Internal Comms, Cisco Product – Cisco

Stacie Barrett is the director of internal communication at Domino’s. She’s responsible for digital and in-person communication to franchisees and corporate team members worldwide. She specializes in integrating messages from all areas of the company into simple, coherent and digestible communications. She leads a team that strategically tells stories through a robust intranet, lighthearted newsletters, compelling video and world-class events. She also leads Domino’s Worldwide Rally, an event that is translated into nine languages and brings 9,000 franchisees and team members from over 85 countries to Las Vegas for education, inspiration and celebration.

Brandi Boatner is an award-winning digital public relations, social media professional and prolific public speaker with more than 15 years’ experience in corporate communications based in New York City. Currently, she works in global influencer marketing in IBM’s corporate affairs function on the social media and influence team. Boatner also serves as the President of New York Women in Communications (NYWICI), the premiere non-profit organization connecting women leaders across the marketing and communications industry and empowering their success. Brandi is a two-time Hall of Famer that speaks all around the US and the world on a variety of industry and marketplace topics.

Laura Brusca is Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications at Forbes, where she directs strategic corporate communications, thought leadership, issues management, media relations and internal communications. An accomplished and award-winning communications executive, Laura exerts influence that shapes the modern-day narrative at one of the world’s most-storied media brands. She brings to Forbes nearly 15 years of corporate communications/reputation management experience, gleaned from in-house and agency roles, where she worked with established global brands. Prior to joining Forbes, Laura worked in the Corporate Communications practice at Ruder Finn, directing communications for well-known brands including Novartis, Kering (parent to Gucci and PUMA) and H&M.

Laura earned her Bachelor of Communications from Denison University and she was named to PRSA NY’s “Exceptionals Under 35.” She currently serves on three Boards. She is the VP of Communications for New York Women in Communications (NYWICI). She is also on the U.S. Board for Brass for Africa, a charity focused on empowering youth through music education, and on the Board for Superlost Coffee, a Bushwick-based coffee roaster.

Steve Cody is the founder and CEO of Peppercomm, a fully-integrated strategic communications firm headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco and London. He’s responsible for everything from implementing strategy and counseling clients to leading business development and bringing new products and services to market. He’s also the current chairman of the Institute for Public Relations, a longtime member of the Arthur W. Page Society, a member of the advisory councils of the College of Charleston and the University of Florida.

Michelle Delery advises senior leaders on communications strategy, branding and reputation management, and crisis communications at New Orleans-based Entergy Corp.

During her 20-year career at Entergy, she has directed employee communications strategy during major crises and companywide change initiatives including hurricanes Katrina and Rita, various mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, companywide reorganizations, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic.

She is a New Orleans native and holds an MBA from Tulane University, M.A. in Mass Communications from Loyola University, and a B.A. in Journalism/Advertising from Louisiana State University. She’s a member of Entergy’s Women’s Leadership Advisory Council, serves on the executive committee of the Greater New Orleans’ United Way Women United and is a board member of Dress for Success New Orleans.

She is also the co-owner of UpLIFT NOLA, a yoga, art, meditation and wellness studio.

Entergy is a member of Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council.

Margot Edelman is the Deputy General Manager of Edelman’s New York Office and leads the Corporate Practice in New York. Previously, she led the Bay Area Hub, which spans 170 professionals in Sacramento and San Francisco, and before that, Edelman’s Technology Practice in the Bay Area.

Margot brings a wealth of experience in brand building, corporate reputation and executive visibility to her clients large and small. Margot also leads a monthly “get to know the media” speaker series, with top reporters from The FT, The New York Times, Forbes and other top publications.

Margot has worked for seven years on the press team at the World Economic Forum during its Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where she led broadcast media from Reuters, Bloomberg, Associated Press and others around the Forum and arranged broadcast interviews with participants.

Margot is a graduate of Harvard Business School and Harvard University.

With over 20 years of experience in digital media, communications, design, marketing strategy, and team building, Christina Frantom brings proven knowledge of creative strategy, communication planning, and client management to academic, corporate, agency and municipal organizations through a DE&I lens. Frantom has a long history of DE&I-focused work throughout her communications career. She served on the board of the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History and Reconciliation Foundation as well as the Invisible Histories Project of Alabama. Frantom is currently the International Communications Lead at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, a global automotive manufacturing plant in Vance, Alabama. Frantom holds an M.S. in Consumer Quality Management from The University of Alabama and a B.A. in Philosophy from Texas A&M University.

Christina Furtado, AI PR Director – Dell Technologies

Emily Graham is Chief Equity & Impact Officer at Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) a Fortune 250, and one of the largest media, advertising and marketing conglomerates in the world.

In her role, she advances Omnicom’s vision to achieve systemic equity across the holding company’s global network, which spans more than 1,500 creative agencies and 5,000 clients. A seasoned corporate communications strategist, Emily also serves as Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion Communications at Omnicom. She also counsels an array of Omnicom’s largest clients on DEI matters including AT&T, General Motors and Microsoft.

Emily leads Omnicom’s OPEN team, 30+ dedicated DE&I professionals responsible for driving DE&I strategy company wide. Previously, Emily was Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at FleishmanHillard, the first in the agency’s history. While at Fleishman, she was a Senior Partner, Global Client Leader (GCL) and member of The Cabinet – the firm’s executive leadership team. She also founded and led True MOSAIC; a global communication consultancy dedicated to driving DE&I to the center of corporate strategy. Prior to that, she led the firm’s professional and financial services sector in the Americas. She held previous roles at MWWPR and Burson-Marsteller. Graham has been recognized as a 40 Under 40 Honoree by PRWeek and Crain’s New York Business, 15 under 35 by PRSA New York and a Top Diversity Officer in the United States by National Diversity Council.

She serves as board trustee for the Institute of Public Relations where she is Director for the Center of DE&I along with an advisory board member at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.

Mara Hedgecoth, chief communications & marketing officer at APCO Worldwide, leads the global corporate marketing and communication team and is a member of APCO’s Global Leadership Team. Ms. Hedgecoth sets the strategic direction and oversees corporate communication, including media relations, thought leadership, internal communication, and crisis and issues management. She also directs the development of APCO’s brand and global marketing and business development initiatives on behalf of the company. Ms. Hedgecoth has more than 25 years of events, marketing, fundraising and consulting experience.

She completed the 2017-2018 Arthur W. Page Society Future Leaders Experience and is a member of Page Up. She also serves on the board of directors of Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global. In 2005, she was named “Good Person of the Year” by Goodwill Industries. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration with a specialization in Hospitality and Tourism Management from James Madison University and a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing Management from Johns Hopkins University.

Meredith Klein has led the communications strategy behind a major social media brand’s biggest initiatives and launches, working closely with cross-functional partners to uncover consumer insights to create compelling campaigns and stories that support the brands’ innovative products, bringing inspiration to people around the world.

Klein served as the director of PR at Walmart, leading its acquired brands portfolio, including Jet.com, Bonobos, Hayneedle, ELOQUII, Moosejaw and Art.com. In addition to this role, she also led comms for Walmart’s Product organization, including managing thought leadership communications for the company’s first-ever chief product officer.

Before formally joining Walmart, she served as the director of media & public relations for Jet.com, Walmart’s acquired eCommerce site. As the first communications hire for the company, she established Jet’s communication practice and press strategy, responsible for all aspects of communications, from corporate and consumer communications to social influencer strategy.

In September 2018, she led communications for Jet’s brand relaunch to consumers, partnering with teams across merchandising, analytics and marketing to develop a robust communications strategy and drive consumer awareness. Prior to the relaunch, in October 2017, she led communications for Jet’s private label launch, Uniquely J.

Prior to her in-house career, Klein spent over a decade on the agency side, holding leadership roles at Makovsky and Golin where she managed account teams and led the agency’s key clients, including WebMD, Cisco, Adidas and Walmart, respectively. She also helped launch the Consumer Practice at Makovsky while managing startup tech brand launches at leading conferences including the Consumer Electronics Show.

Klein resides in New York with her husband and two children. In addition to being on the Advisory Board for Ragan’s Communications Week, she sits on the Board of Quinnipiac University’s School of Communications.

Sean Langston, Jr. leads internal communications at Reddit, and having spent the past ten years submerged in all things organizational communications, he calls it a passion and a hobby more than a career. He has partnered closely with c-suite executives and senior leaders to build, scale, and transform organizational communications programs at Autodesk, Glassdoor, A.P. Moller-Maersk, Paypal, and eBay. Langston, Jr. thrives in fast-paced and high-stakes growth environments and quickly positions himself as a cross-functional advisor and catalyst for change within highly diverse, globally dispersed organizations. Beyond his work with large enterprises and late-stage companies, he’s also advised tech startups, marketing agencies, food and health brands, and e-commerce businesses. He’s passionate about helping founders and small businesses drive impact at scale.

Langston, Jr. earned his BA in organizational communication from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He is devoted to mentoring young, aspiring technologists from marginalized communities, when not entrenched in all things communications. You may also find him playing competitive soccer or chess, searching for the best Pad See Ew, or anxiously working through how to not need to check a bag for an upcoming trip with friends or family—he aspires to one day under-pack, with particular focus on shoes.

Janelle Morris, Director of Marketing and Communications – Pepco Holdings

Nicole Neal is Vice President, Head of Internal Communications, for Zurich North America. With a multifaceted career in multicultural and general consumer marketing communications, issues management, public relations, executive and employee communications, Nicole Neal has helped brands and leaders lean in so that they can tap into the diverse passion points of employees and customers. During her broad career spanning more than 15 years in corporate communications and agency leadership, Nicole has crafted creative strategies and integrated communications solutions for global B2B and B2C brands in commercial real estate, restaurant/hospitality, technology, pharmaceutical, financial services, event marketing, food and beverages, tourism, higher education and supplier diversity.

Sarah Plaster is the Senior Director, Environmental, Social and Governance Strategy and Execution for SAIC. In this role, she is responsible formalizing and accelerating SAIC’s environmental, social and governance communications as well as leading major change management communications for the company. Previous to her current role, Plaster spent more than 11 years at Aflac in a variety of roles. As the director of ESG communications, Plaster was responsible for advancing the reputation of Aflac’s ESG objectives and leading the communications that supported of the company’s objectives in this area. As the director of organizational communications, she was responsible for communications to all internal audiences and, as a member of the Corporate Communications leadership team, led strategic efforts such as acquisition and crisis communications. She was also involved in the development and leadership of the Aflac WorkForces Report, a thought leadership employee benefits study examining trends and attitudes for 10 years.

Before joining Aflac, Plaster spent 11 years with financial services and insurance forerunner USAA leading both internal and external communications functions. She holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communications Research from Ohio University, and a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Arts from Purdue University.

Asha Gopalan Ramirez is a brand strategist and marketer. She has twelve years of experience driving brand innovation, corporate reputation and growth for global companies and advertising agencies. Currently, she is SVP of Marketing & Communications for Dentsu Americas, the global advertising network’s largest region and headquarter to S&P 500 clients.

Originally from the New York metropolitan area, Asha moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex at the start of the pandemic and has since been focused on building a vibrant and inclusive community of marketers and communications leaders. In 2019, she launched Ramirez Writes, a brand consultancy that helps small business owners more effectively tell their story to attract investors and customers. In November 2023, Asha was appointed Board Member of the American Marketing Association – DFW Chapter with the goal of driving connection and community growth through storytelling, experiences, and membership insights.

Diane Schwartz is the Chief Executive Officer of Ragan Communications, a leading media company that serves communicators worldwide with education, networking and unparalleled event experiences. Brands include Ragan, PR Daily, Communications Week and Ragan Training. Tentpole events include the Employee Communications Conference, Future of Communications, Social Media Conference at Disney World and the newly launched Women’s Retreats. Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council is the premier member organization for communicators at large, multinational organizations.

Diane joined Ragan in 2019 after serving for 23 years at Access Intelligence, where she was SVP of the media communications division and oversaw the growth of brands including PR News, Cynopsis, AdExchanger, Admonsters and many others.

Schwartz has launched more than 100 conferences, training and certificate programs, awards competitions and subscription products that put customer and premium content front and center. A former journalist, Schwartz is a frequent guest lecturer at universities nationwide, a board member of the Institute for Public Relations and a founding member of Chief. She is a wish granter for Make a Wish, a volunteer for the Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County (CT), a mother of two young adults and a rescue dog.

With the voice of a storyteller and the mind of a strategist, Lanita Withers Goins helps organizations craft a cohesive narrative of who they are and where they’re going through effective communications.

Lanita is AVP, Employee Communications with Arch Capital Services LLC, where she oversees editorial content for the company’s global intranet, manages a team of talented internal communicators, and plans and executes company-wide communications that help employees connect with the company’s purpose, vision, values and strategic initiatives. She also serves as an advisor to senior executives and employee leaders, creating and refining communications that take strategies beyond words on paper and into messages able to capture the hearts and minds of their audiences.

Prior to Arch, she worked in higher education communications and started her career as journalist for a mid-sized regional newspaper.

Arch Capital Services is a member of Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council.