Denise Jacobs

Speaker + Author + Creativity Evangelist,
The Creative Dose, Miami, FL

Banish Your Inner Critic

Denise is a Speaker + Author + Creativity Evangelist who speaks at conferences and consults with companies worldwide. As the Founder + CEO of The Creative Dose, she promotes techniques to unlock creativity and help people become engaged contributors, synergistic collaborators, and authentic leaders. Denise is the author of Banish Your Inner Critic, the premier handbook on silencing fears to unleash creativity. She is also the Head Instigator of The Creativity (R)Evolution, and the founder of Rawk The Web.

Neil Griffiths, ABC, Chart.PR, IABC Fellow

Global Head of Diversity, Equality & Inclusion,
ERM, London, England

Diversity, Equ(al)ity & Inclusion: another new normal?

Neil is Global Head of Diversity, Equality & Inclusion at ERM, the world’s largest sustainability consultancy, where he is responsible for the global DE&I strategy and engagement plan. Neil’s background is varied, having spent the better part of 20 years in a series of external, brand, strategy and internal communication roles, before moving into the DE&I space. Neil has held leadership roles in a number of public, private and non-profit organisations.

In the volunteer space, Neil has held multiple leadership positions within the IABC and the Company of Communicators (CoC), which is one of the City of London’s modern Livery Companies. Volunteer highlights include being a member of the inaugural Global Communications Certification Council, Chair of the 2018 IABC World Conference (Montreal), Past Chair of IABC’s EMENA region and, as at November 2020, Junior Warden of the CoC.

Neil is a recipient of the IABC Regional Leader of the Year and Rae Hamlin Awards in 2019, Neil was named IABC Fellow, the highest honour bestowed on an IABC member.

Together with co-author Deborah Hinton, Neil has published two studies on the current and future state of the communication profession and advocates for channeling your best communication self regardless of where and how you work.

Jim Karrh, PhD

Founder,
Karrh & Associates/Manage Your Message, Little Rock, AR

What Message Leaders Do

Jim helps business professionals, teams, and entire organizations lead more effective customer conversations—which in turn produces better customer relationships, stronger brands, and more growth opportunities.

Jim’s business insights come from world-class marketing experience and training. He formerly served as Chief Marketing Officer of Mountain Valley Spring Company, building an integrated marketing and public relations program judged best in the global bottled-water industry.

A recognized thought leader in marketing and buyer behavior, Jim has served on the faculty of three universities. His research has been published in top peer-reviewed journals, and he is a frequent speaker at regional and national events.

As a consultant and coach, Jim has served clients on three continents including associations, small businesses, high-growth tech firms, North America’s largest martial-arts organization, and several members of the Fortune 500. For more than a decade he has also served as a Consulting Principal with DSG, a top business-to-business sales enablement firm.

Jim is the author of The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business (2019, Career Press). He is also hosts The Manage Your Message Podcast, in which he and expert guests discuss business development, negotiation, networking, strategic planning, sales effectiveness, and other ways to grow one’s organization.

Jim earned his MBA from the Fuqua School of Business—where his classmates elected him to be Class Speaker at graduation—along with bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the University of Florida. But Jim also knows you don’t have to be a Ph.D., a professional speaker, an extrovert, or a brilliant conversationalist to bring your own story to life. You just need to follow a process he calls “Managing the Message.”

Andrea Alvarez

Principal Adviser,
Archetypical Ltd, Washington, DC

The RECIPE for Influence

Andrea is Archetypical’s US-based principal adviser. She has worked in the international/multilateral organization arena for 15+ years, in the areas of strategic planning and coordination, organizational development, project management and performance optimization, for multi-country, development and public security-focused projects. She has also worked in the private sector, in areas of communications, fundraising and public relations, in both Europe and Latin America.

She studied Design and Photography, and holds an M.A. in International Studies. She lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and twin boys, and is a certified Life/Transformational Coach.

Maliha Aqeel, PMP, SCMP

Director of Global Communications,
Fix Network World, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Treasurer & Secretary IABC International Executive Board

Marketing to employees like they were your customers

Maliha is Director of Global Communications at Fix Network World, where she leads multi-channel, integrated communication programs. Previously, she was Assistant Director, Brand, Marketing and Communications at EY. She spent several years in agency before heading communications for the Institute of Corporate Directors. She serves on IABC’s international board of directors and is a past IABC/Toronto President.

She has won several IABC Gold Quill and Silver Leaf awards for brand development, content marketing and internal communications. She led EY’s Tax Canada Bot-a-thon campaign, which received the Gold Quill “Best of the Best” award in employee engagement.

Michael Deas, ABC, SCMP

Independent Consultant,
I.deas Abound, Nashville, TN

“Let Me Get This Straight”: when identity politics becomes identity language

Mike is at his heart a teacher and a writer but professionally, he has never been either of those. Instead, he has poured his ability into a variety of roles over his 35-year career: editor, missionary, translator, marketing manager, corporate communications manager, and communications director. Currently, Mike is an independent consultant with I.deas Abound, a marketing communications agency that he and his wife Colleen own and operate.

Mike has been a member of IABC for 23 years, a chapter president of IABC South Carolina, an Accredited Business Communicator since 2004, and a Strategic Communication Management Professional since 2018. In 2020 Mike was name IABC Nashville’s “Communicator of the Year.” He has been recognized 15 times with awards for excellence in communication.

His wide range of experience in communication roles–for companies large and small, public and private, for-profit and nonprofit, on both sides of the Atlantic, in two languages–equips him with insight on the challenges facing today’s communicators.

Denise Graziano

CEO,
Graziano Associates, Fairfield, CT

Take the Mystery out of Creating & Cloning High Performing Teams

An expert in organizational communication and change, Denise is a leading authority in helping companies to create change, improve trust, relationships and communication inside their organization with employees and externally with clients, to increase revenue, retention and loyalty.

Denise is a national speaker and bestselling author of Talent is a Team Sport. She is CEO of Graziano Associates, a boutique marketing communications firm with a unique internal and external approach that helps companies to vitalize their workforce, and build brand ambassadorship from within.

Melissa Harrison

CEO,
Allee Creative, St. Michael, MN

Why having a 365-day content plan is critical in an ever-changing communication landscape

Melissa is CEO at Allee Creative. She deliveries content strategy and support to B2B companies, nonprofits, associations and small businesses. Melissa has two decades of experience in marketing and digital strategy, content management, writing, design and business development. She has been named a Top 100 Content Marketer, a Top Young Entrepreneur and a Mover & Shaker. She is a 5-time recipient of the Hermes Creative Award and an international speaker on content marketing, business strategy, nonprofit management and entrepreneurship. In 2017, she was named one of 100 women to watch in the U.S. (The Inspirational Woman Project) and was named a Small Business Administration Emerging Leader.

Ginger Homan, ABC, SCMP

Founder,
Zia Communications, Tulsa, OK
Past Chair IABC International Executive Board

How to transform a culture, create a movement, grow a tribe

Ginger is the founder of Zia Communication, a firm that drives business results by aligning cultures, transforming thinking and building market share. Her award-winning communication model is used by foundations, corporations and nonprofits searching for a better way to achieve lasting results. With 30+ years in the field she connects organizations to their audience and creates the moments that drive change. Her work has been recognized by IABC, the Society of Marketers of Professional Services and the Public Relations Society of America.

Alise Isbell

President,
Write Wise Communications, LLC, Houston, TX

Defining the Dot Dot Dot (…): Aligning Your Organization with Clarity

Alise Isbell is a life-long learner.  She translates her passion for learning into helping others experience success.  Alise strives constantly for personal and professional improvement as she inspires her clients to do likewise. 

She transitioned from a successful career in education to corporate training in 1999.  After earning her Masters in Business Communication, she formed Write Wise Communications, LLC.

As an independent business owner, Alise provides instructional design services on any topic.  She carefully determines the current needs, defines the goals of training and creates materials to bridge the gap. Alise also delivers instructor-led training courses in four categories: written, spoken, interpersonal communication and train-the-trainer and micro learning.

Jennie L. Lamb

Creative Manager for Web and Digital Communications,
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX

Five Simple Things You Can Do To Improve Your Website’s SEO

Jennie is a veteran professional communicator with 25+ years of experience, mostly in support of science in higher education. She is the creative manager for web and digital communications at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS), providing strategy and content for superiors, teammates, and internal clients. An IABC volunteer since 2010, she currently serves the Southern Region as VP, Communications. She is the recipient of the 2016 Southern Region Communicator of the Year and the 2018 International Chair’s Awards. Jennie holds a Bachelor of Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin.

Kent Lewis

President & Founder,
Anvil Media, Portland, OR

Ten Marketing Communications Strategies to Navigate a Post-Pandemic World 

As President & Founder of Anvil Media, Lewis oversees strategic direction of the company, with a focus on sales and marketing. He speaks internationally, writes for industry publications like SmartBrief and has been an adjunct professor at Portland State University since 2000. Since transitioning his career into digital marketing in 1996, he’s founded or co-founded four agencies and 2 organizations. He’s been named a Top 40 Under 40, Marketer of the Year by AMA Oregon and a Top 100 Digital Marketing Influencer by BuzzSumo in 2019. Outside of work, Lewis enjoys consulting with startups and spending time with family.

Megan Myers

Communications Specialist,
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX

Five Simple Things You Can Do To Improve Your Website’s SEO

Megan is the communications specialist for the CVMBS. Along with maintaining the college’s social media presence, she writes press releases and stories for the college website and CVMBS Today (the college’s biannual magazine), assembles the internal and external e-newsletters, and contributes to website design and updates at vetmed.tamu.edu. Megan graduated from Texas A&M University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications & Journalism.

Karen Naumann, MA, APR

Senior Instructor,
U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Information School, Washington, DC

Cognitive Biases: Overcoming warped perceptions & irrational emotions that impair human decision making

Karen Naumann is a seasoned practitioner with more than 25 years of communication experience. She is currently a Sr. Instructor at the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Information School where she teaches the Public Affairs Qualification Course. Previously, she was an executive at a D.C. public relations firm and worked in communication for the Government of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Karen is accredited in public relations (APR), demonstrating her commitment to excellence and the highest ethical standards. She graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU) with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and received a master’s degree in Communication at the University of Houston.

Michael Nord, SCMP, MBA

Client Services Director,
The Fifth Business, an ERM company, The Hague, The Netherlands

Ambassador or influencer? Making the most of your internal network in times of change

Michael is Client Services Director of The Fifth Business, an ERM company, in Amsterdam. He is a GCCC Certified Communications Leader with 25+ years’ international experience in leadership, marketing, PR, corporate communications and consulting. Michael is widely networked across the globe and has a unique flair for relationship building. Having worked in three continents and many countries, being fluent in several languages, he has partnered with C-suite business leaders in energy, B2B and B2C, as well as enabled technical and HR leaders to engage staff in small and large organisations. Michael has agency experience, including setting up business in European countries, as well as working for large and small, local and global organisations. He also served as 2019-2020 Treasurer & Secretary on the IABC International Executive Board.

Priyanka Rajkumar

UK Regional Director,
The Fifth Business, an ERM company, London, UK

Ambassador or influencer? Making the most of your internal network in times of change

Priyanka is the UK Regional Director of The Fifth Business, an ERM company, in London. She has more than 20 years’ experience in change management and internal communications including for GSK, Shell and BP. She has confidently led enterprise growth in challenging circumstances, by devising the right business strategy in response to internal and external market factors. She has led strategic programmes, liaising with the C-suite and leadership teams in blue-chip organisations.

Karen Reid

President,
Kaber Communications, Dallas, TX

Communicating Up: Presenting Yourself as a Strategic Partner to Leadership

As Founder and CEO of Kaber Communications, Karen is changing the conversation around workforce engagement. Partnering with clients across all sectors, and leveraging strategic insights gleaned during 30+ years in communications and engagement, she creates customized initiatives that increase organizational visibility, enrich cultures and empower workforces to achieve maximal potential. Karen is also a dynamic and sought afterspeaker, delighting regional and international audiences with her interactive presentations and trainings. Karen holds a Master’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is certified in volunteer administration (CVA).

Amelia Reigstad, Ph.D.

Effective Communication Consultant & Coach,
Amelia Reigstad Effective Communication Consulting & Coaching, White Bear Lake, MN

Communicating During Uncertain Times: How to be a Compassionate Communicator

Amelia is a university professor and communication consultant and coach with nearly two decades of industry experience. She has spoken on a global scale, presented at numerous professional association conferences and taught a variety of PR and communications courses across the U.S., Canada, Europe and the U.K. With a passion for helping others, she consults and educates business professionals on the importance of understanding gender differences and communication styles and how this leads to more effective workplace communication and productivity. She provides a variety of different workshops that can be customized to meet the needs of organizations and offers one-on-one or small group coaching.

Brennen Schmidt

Senior Consultant,
Deloitte, Regina, SK, Canada

The Communicators Role in Unlocking the Conversation on Cybersecurity

Brennen is an author, speaker, and strategist. He has an affinity to unlock the conversation on cybersecurity — connecting the dots between teams, culture, and technology to help us live more safely online. His passion for technology has enabled him to work with clients across the United States and Canada. He co-authored Cyber City Safe: Emergency Planning Beyond the Maginot Line.

He also frequently speaks at academic and industry events to explore topics ranging from cybersecurity through to crisis response. He holds a bachelor of education and public relations certificate from the University of Regina.

Angela Sinickas, ABC, IABC Fellow

CEO,
Sinickas Communications Inc., Henderson, NV

What Your Employees Think of Your Digital Communication

Angela is CEO of Sinickas Communications, Inc., an international consulting firm that has worked with 25% of the Fortune largest 100 global companies. Author of the manual How to Measure Your Communication Programs, Angela has written over 150 articles, has spoken at conferences in 32 countries, and has received two dozen international-level communication awards. In 2015 her firm was the IABC Boutique Agency of the year, and in 2016 Angela was named PR News’ Research Expert of the Year.

Austin Staton

Communications and Advocacy Team,
BP, Houston, TX

Storytelling in a Digital World – The Art of Audio Tales

Austin Staton works with the Communications and Advocacy team at bp, serves as the immediate past president for IABC Houston, and is the founder of The Business Communicators and The Weekly Brew. At bp, Austin manages creative production for the US, co-leads media training for senior executives, leads media outreach for the Houston Open, and has held short-term assignments in Brazil and Oman. Austin served as the PIO during bp’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2020, Austin led the IABC Houston chapter to recognition as the IABC International Chapter of the Year.

Victoria Wang

Graduate Student Web Coordinator,
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX

Five Simple Things You Can Do To Improve Your Website’s SEO

Victoria is the graduate student web coordinator at the CVMBS. She is in charge of streamlining navigation, analyzing metrics, improving accessibility, and implementing SEO best practices to increase traffic to vetmed.tamu.edu. She will finish her Master of Science in Management Information Systems at Texas A&M University in December 2020. In 2019, she completed a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems, also from Texas A&M University.

Stephen Welch, FRSA

Director,
Archetypical Ltd, London, UK

The RECIPE for Influence

Stephen is a communications and leadership consultant. He works with individuals and organizations to improve how they communicate and drive change. Stephen has experience in leadership communication, marketing, and developing business simulations. Prior to co-founding Archetypical, he held roles in-house for a technology company and was a partner in a global management consulting firm. Stephen is a regular presenter at IABC conferences and chapter events. He is currently serving as past-Chair of IABC EMENA region, and was IABCK UK President for two years in the last decade. Originally from Canada, Stephen lives in London.

Stacy Wilson, IABC, IABC Fellow

President,
Eloquor Consulting, Lakewood, CO

Going local: Using country culture to tailor messaging

Stacy is president of Eloquor Consulting, a firm that helps organizations get more collaboration and innovation value from technology investments by ensuring the people/process elements work effectively. She primarily focuses on intranet and digital workplace strategy, governance, usability, content and adoption. Clients are from around the world and many industries.

Eileen Wixted

Prinicipal,
Wixted & Company, West Des Moines, IA

Managing your company’s reputation in the time of COVID

Eileen is a nationally recognized strategic communications and crisis management veteran. She helps clients navigate brand-damaging issues and coaches them to face hostile media interviews and government investigations. Companies across the country turn to Eileen for expert communication counsel that drives business goals as they face sensitive issues. She prepares clients for investor conferences, shareholder meetings and congressional testimony.

Eileen is the principal of Wixted & Company and was named the Des Moines Business Record’s 2016 Women Business Owner of the Year. She also spent more than a decade as a broadcast journalist for several NBC affiliate stations.