Bios

Frank Behrendt
Partner and CEO, Ketchum Pleon, Germany

Frank Behrendt has more than 20 years of experience in communications and is responsible for Ketchum Pleon Germany, which has offices in eight major cities. Prior to becoming CEO in 2006, Frank was responsible for Pleon’s German headquarters office in Dűsseldorf and was head of the European Consumer Goods Practice. In 2001, he joined ECC Kohtes&Klewes, which merged with the European Brodeur Agencies in 2004 to become Pleon.

Frank studied at the German School of Journalism (DJS), Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. He graduated as communications manager, DJS. Parallel to his studies, he cleared a practical semester at BILD editor’s office and at the PR Department of Dornier/Daimler-Benz. In 1986, Frank joined the young agency Kohtes&Klewes as an editor and later moved to Stein Promotions/BBDO as a managing director. After holding leadership positions at Universal Music (managing director of Universal Family Entertainment) and RTL Television (senior vice president of marketing and merchandising), he returned to Pleon.

Jon Bellinger
Vice President, Social Media Strategy, Ketchum, New York

Jon Bellinger is an interactive strategist and is an expert at identifying, analyzing and converting emerging Internet memes and organic online user behavior into strategic online PR programming. Jon is fluent in multiple online venues, including search and search marketing, multiplayer gaming, online communities, social networks, wiki platforms and more. He is also fluent in digital content creation, and has a strong background in animation, graphic design and filmmaking from both a branded and user-generated content standpoint.

Dedicated to listening to, translating and synthesizing the many voices of the Web, Jon has created successful, measurable social media programs for a range of clients, including Nokia, Dr Pepper, 7UP, Häagen-Dazs, Wendy's and other brands.

Previously, Jon worked for the national CBS Evening News, was a talking head on the TV show "Best Game Ever" and played with his band in New York City.

Joan Chow
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, ConAgra Foods, Omaha, Neb.

Joan Chow joined ConAgra Foods as executive vice president and chief marketing officer in 2007. In this role, she is responsible for leading ConAgra Foods' global marketing team, including marketing services, strategic marketing, integrated marketing, digital/interactive marketing, customer marketing, consumer insights and multicultural marketing. Joan was named a Brandweek Marketer of the Year for 2009. ConAgra is a Ketchum client.

Joan takes an in-depth focus on marketing for ConAgra Foods' brands across the portfolio. Her goals are to build stronger advertising creative materials, effective media plans, sustainable customer linkage and a strong return on marketing objectives. In 2008, Joan's team launched ConAgra Foods' health and wellness platform, StartMakingChoices.com: an online tool for consumers to manage and track their health to live a balanced life.

Prior to joining ConAgra Foods, Joan was senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Sears, Roebuck & Co. Joan began her career in 1986 at Johnson & Johnson. She earned her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor's degree in linguistics from Cornell University.

Kathy Cripps
President, Council of Public Relations Firms, New York

Kathy Cripps runs the Council of Public Relations Firms, the trade association that represents the interests of public relations firms operating in the U.S. (Ketchum is a member.) Before joining the Council, she was responsible for growing the U.S. healthcare business for Hill & Knowlton, and earlier for founding and serving as president and COO of SCIENS Worldwide Public Relations (a division of Nelson Communications). Kathy has held senior positions at Creamer Dickson Basford (now Magnet Communications) and Burson-Marsteller. She began her public relations career with The Nestlé Company and Farberware, the cookware manufacturer.

Kathy served on the board of PRSA's Counselors Academy and was its 2000 chairman. She was on the board of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Associations and, as a founding member of the Council of Public Relations Firms, also served on its board. She is currently on the board of the Lagrant Foundation. Kathy has been recognized as a Public Relations All-Star by Inside PR and named to the "Top 50 Healthcare Executives" list by PRWeek. She holds a BA in nutrition from Queens College and an MBA in marketing from Fordham University.

Ron Culp
Partner and Managing Director, North America Corporate Practice, Ketchum, Chicago

Ron Culp is a Ketchum partner, head of the agency's Corporate Practice in North America, and managing director for Ketchum Midwest. With more than 35 years of communications experience with Fortune 500 corporations, government and agencies, Ron has held senior-level PR positions at Pitney Bowes, Sara Lee, and Sears, where he headed PR, community relations and government affairs. Prior to joining Ketchum, he opened and served as managing director of the Chicago office of Sard Verbinnen and Company, a leading financial communications firm.

Ron started his career as a journalist and later worked in New York state government before joining Eli Lilly and Company, where he began his corporate communications career.

Hannah Grove
Executive Vice President, Head of Global Marketing, State Street Corporation, Boston

Hannah Grove is an executive vice president and head of Global Marketing for State Street Corp., a leading global provider of financial services for institutional investors. She leads the brand, media relations, employee communications, creative, content, and event management teams across the enterprise. Under Hannah's leadership, the global team supports the company's revenue growth, customer acquisition and retention, and serves to positively influence all constituencies' understanding of State Street. State Street is a Ketchum client.

Prior to joining State Street in 1998, Hannah was marketing director for the Money Matters Institute — a collaborative between the United Nations and the World Bank that sought to foster sustainable development in emerging economies.

With dual citizenship in the U.K. and U.S, Hannah owned and operated a public relations company in London, England, early in her career. She also was previously communications director for CNN's World Congress event in Washington, D.C.

Denise Kaufmann
Partner and Global Account Director, Ketchum, New York

Denise Kaufmann currently serves as the global account director for FedEx, one of Ketchum's largest global clients. She oversees a comprehensive global communications effort that includes corporate reputation management, employee communications and influencer outreach programs.

Denise previously served as the firm's director of client services for Greater China from 2001 until 2004. She joined Ketchum in 1997 and was a vice president/group manager in Ketchum Chicago's Brand Marketing group. While there, she managed the global integrated marketing and public relations program for Lions Clubs International, the world's largest not-for-profit service organization. As the global account director, she managed ongoing public relations activities for Lions Clubs in more than 18 countries. In addition, Denise coordinated outreach efforts for the organization's $300 million foundation working with corporations, NGOs and other international health agencies around the globe.

Denise also is experienced in providing senior strategic counsel in a number of specialty communications areas, including employee communications, crisis and issues management, consumer health education, corporate social responsibility, environmental awareness and brand building programs.

Joachim Klewes
Senior Partner, Ketchum Pleon Germany, Düsseldorf

Joachim Klewes is co-founder of Kohtes&Klewes Kommunikation, which is now Ketchum Pleon. He counsels some of the firm's largest international clients and organizations and has expertise in the fields of strategic communications, including corporate communications, board and CEO positioning and coaching, crisis and issues management, public affairs and change management, as well as organizational development.

Joachim holds an honorary professorship at the Heinrich-Heine-University in Düsseldorf and is founder and senior partner of opinion research institute Com.X. He is involved in major research projects within the scope of population and target group studies, complex evaluation studies to the point of performance reviews of communication instruments, and campaigns. Joachim also is a frequent writer and editor of various books about marketing and communications. His latest book, Reputation Capital: Building and Maintaining Trust in the 21st Century, was published in November 2009.

Among other agency experience, Joachim previously was a board member of Porter Novelli International, New York, and board member and European president of Edelman Worldwide. He also launched a second agency project, komm.passion group, which grew to 100 employees before he returned to Pleon.

David B. Rockland, Ph.D.
Partner, Ketchum; Managing Director, Ketchum Global Research Network; CEO, Ketchum Pleon Change, New York

David Rockland is a partner at Ketchum and serves in various leadership capacities. As managing director of the Ketchum Global Research Network, he is responsible for overseeing the agency's research products and services, as well as developing innovative approaches to public relations research and measurement for clients around the globe. He also is CEO of Ketchum Pleon Change, the agency's employee engagement and change management business.

David previously owned The Rockland Group, a firm that specialized in environmental issues management and marketing, which he sold to Roper Starch Worldwide in 1998. He managed the environmental and public relations practices for Roper Starch Worldwide before joining Ketchum in 2000. David also has a breadth of experience in public policy, including work in previous positions with BHP Copper and Times Mirror Magazines.

Leonard A. Schlesinger
President, Babson College, Wellesley, Mass.

Leonard A. Schlesinger became the 12th president of Babson College on July 1, 2008. He joined Babson from Limited Brands, based in Columbus, Ohio, where he served in executive positions since 1999, most recently as vice chairman and chief operating officer. Earlier in his career, he was executive vice president and chief operating officer at Au Bon Pain.

His academic career includes 20 years at Harvard Business School, where he served as the George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration, leading MBA and executive education programs. Leonard is well-known for his pioneering research and publications on the "Service Profit Chain." He also was architect and chair of Harvard Business School's MBA Essential Skills and Foundations programs. After his time at Harvard Business School, he served as a professor of sociology and public policy and senior vice president and counselor to the president at Brown University.

Leonard has lectured and consulted on service quality and customer satisfaction for more than 100 major corporations, nonprofit organizations, governments and international leadership organizations around the world.

Nicholas Scibetta
Partner and Global Director, Global Media Network, Ketchum, New York

As global director of Ketchum's Global Media Network, Nicholas Scibetta provides senior strategic media planning counsel and placement for clients across the agency's network. He has developed and managed strategic, high-profile programs for clients including the Russian Federation and its G8 Presidency, Troika Dialog, Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Wyeth, Frito-Lay, Aetna, Johnson & Johnson, Alka-Seltzer, and Domino's Pizza.

Nicholas also founded and serves as editor of In The Know, a national media placement newsletter that features trend analysis and behind-the-scenes interviews with producers and journalists from the nation's agenda setting media outlets, and ITK NewsFlash, which combines comprehensive analysis of sought-after media outlets with top-of-the-day news items.

Donald K. Wright, Ph.D.
Professor of Public Relations, Boston University, Boston

Donald K. Wright, Ph.D., is professor of public relations in the College of Communication at Boston University, the nation's first degree-granting institution in the public relations field. He is one of the world's most published public relations scholars and is an internationally known professor, author, speaker, researcher, adviser, and corporate communications consultant. In addition to teaching, conducting scholarly and applied research, and lecturing in 28 countries on five continents, he has worked full-time in corporate, agency and university public relations, and has been a corporate communications consultant for three decades.

Since 1992, Don has directed the Chicago-based Public Relations Executive Forum, an annual, professional development seminar program designed especially for high-performing, mid-career corporate communications and public relations managers who report to senior corporate communications officers. He also is active in various professional PR organizations, including the Arthur W. Page Society and the Institute for Public Relations.

Michael Young
Senior Vice President, Access Communications, San Francisco

Michael Young leads the technology and business-to-business practice group for Access Communications, a full-service public relations agency that specializes in technology. He is responsible for anchor accounts including FICO, TRUSTe, Digg, Trend Micro and WMS Gaming. He is a co-founder of the firm's Social Media Practice and an architect of the Access Blog Influence Engine. Access is a business unit of Ketchum and operates as a separate brand.

Michael also leads the firm's Media Analytics Group, which provides clients with a full range of PR measurement, analytics and accountability resources. He blogs on the subject of measurement at The PR Measurist.

Prior to joining Access, Michael was managing partner of Agency Analytics, LLC, a consulting group he co-founded focused on helping clients and agencies maximize the return on PR investment. Previously, he served as senior vice president and technology practice leader in the Chicago office of Porter Novelli. Previous PR agency experience includes leadership positions as vice president at Ketchum Chicago and vice president at high-tech PR boutique Tech Image, Ltd.