Are you considering going out on your own?
Is outsourcing in your vocabulary because your communications department is stretched to the brink?
Seasoned independents Ray Valek, ABC of Valek & Co. and Kirsten Lambert of Watermark Communications will discuss how independent professionals are excellent resources for communication departments who need to accomplish a lot with stagnant or shrinking budgets and/or staff. The panel also will provide advice, lessons learned and a ‘checklist’ for those members who may be considering going out on their own.
Ray Valek, ABC, president of Valek and Company, Inc. In a career spanning 30 years, Ray has achieved distinction as a writer, strategist, creative director and project manager. Valek and Company, Inc. has completed assignments for more than 45 organizations, offering services that include media relations; Web development; and executive communication including speechwriting, medical writing, brand development, and communication planning. Prior to starting his company in 2003, Ray was a vice president at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. Before that, he spent 12 years on the marketing and public relations staff of the University of Chicago Medical Center, where his work earned six IABC Gold Quill Awards. Ray is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and The Second City’s Beginning Program for improvisational comedy.
Kirsten Lambert, principal, Watermark Communications, has been helping organizations communicate with their internal and external audiences for more than 20 years. As principal of Watermark Communications, Kirsten has consulted corporate clients such as BP, S.C. Johnson and U.S.Cellular. She also has worked with nonprofit groups such as the Joint Commission, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Society of Neuroradiology. Before founding Watermark Communications in 2002, Kirsten spent more than 15 years in communication and marketing roles at organizations such as Kraft, Budget Rent a Car and the Chicago Sun-Times.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Maggiano’s Old Orchard
4999 Old Orchard Ctr, Skokie IL
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.