Mark A. Mills, ABC

**** ********* ***** ***** • Dublin, Ohio 43016

Tele: 614-***-**** • Cell: 614-***-**** • Email: acqjk4@r.postjobfree.com

Senior Communications Leader

Internal Communications • Strategic Planning • Measurement

An internal branding advocate who creates compelling strategies from meaningful insights and translates them into actionable plans.

A champion of great employee experiences.

A challenger of old assumptions.

A passionate advocate for good writing and storytelling.

Award-winning, accredited communicator experienced in all aspects of internal communications.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

INBRAND COMMUNICATIONS / Dublin, Ohio

Communications consulting for employee and customer communications Senior Consultant (2014 - current)

Communications consultant specializing in content development using the brand to help employees and customers understand the differentiators that make an organization unique. Experienced in writing, editing, internal brand strategy, employee advocacy and engagement.

NATIONWIDE INSURANCE / Columbus, Ohio

Fortune 100 insurance and financial services company 34,000 employees $160 billion in assets

Senior Consultant – Internal Communications (2006-2014)

Thought leader and internal consultant on communications aimed at helping employees understand the external brand and act in ways that reflect the brand promise. Managed corporate editorial and video production teams (10 people). Developed content for a variety of channels that provided information to support corporate strategy. Refocused online editorial content to improve corporate intranet. The result: in one year produced a 23% increase in online views. Improved quality and increased output by 50%. Introduced video news packages posted on a regular basis.

Worked with Chief Customer Advocate (CCA), a newly created executive role, to promote employee brand-right behaviors and improve profile of Office of Customer Relations. Developed strategy that included group presentations, employee recognition, video messages, weekly blog and an online learning module (see below). Created and deployed award-winning, corporate-wide online learning module for employees to build understanding of brand-right behaviors to support a new customer experience initiative. 87% of employees voluntarily completed the training, exceeding goal by 20%. (IABC Gold Quill) Took lead role in measuring communications effectiveness, providing thought leadership to support corporate strategy and employee engagement.

Developed and facilitated brand voice workshops and forum discussions for 200+ marketing/communications and customer-facing employees to imbed brand principles.

Director – Creative Content (2004–2006)

Led editorial team providing content for corporate internal publications, corporate emails, intranet content and corporate Internet content. Created awarding-winning approach to integrate internal communications vehicles reflecting new brand standards and messages. Served as lead communications representative to corporate brand identity standards team, specializing in brand voice. Launched monthly print newsletter that effectively explained the brand experience from the customer point of view, scoring 85% approval rate by employees (highest of all internal communications vehicles). Directed redesign of corporate intranet to reflect new brand standards and serve as corporate information center. Introduced weekly news update emails integrated with corporate intranet resulting in increased intranet views of company news.

Originated corporate guide for brand voice (both external and internal) used corporately by all marketing and communications teams.

Collaborated with HR and brand teams to create a corporate brand expression for internal communications that reflected the company’s employee value proposition. Served as corporate liaison to a national communications research consortium, establishing communication effectiveness as a regular measurement tool for internal communications. Supported corporate communications team as internal consultant in development of business strategies. Served as company liaison to external research consortium.

Corporate Public Relations Manager (2002–2004)

Counseled Executive Chief Information Officer and Information Technology leaders on internal communications aimed at building a “community” of IT associates. Championed measurement initiatives within corporate communications, including reputation measurement and media analysis. Executed communications strategies supporting unification of disparate IT units into One IT Community. Tactics included leadership communication training, town hall meetings, establishing IT communication council, and creating IT community website.

Triggered corporate reputation research, serving as liaison with outside consultant agency, actively participating in reputation management best practice roundtables.

Instituted regular analysis of media data, integrating web-based media relationship management tool to track all communications activities.

Senior Public Relations Account Executive (2000–2002)

Supported internal communications activities for associates and producers of Nationwide Financial Services related to a new company vision, culture transformation, merger and acquisition activities, and large office relocation. Implemented strategies to support new company vision and values. Managed internal communications for demutualization and acquisition of new company. Directed communications for move of 1,600 employees out of downtown headquarters to suburban location. Supported corporate communication re-branding initiative, developing learning maps and corporate presentations.

(Nationwide earned PRSA Silver Anvil and IABC Gold Quill national awards for this communication.) Guided financial company through re-engineering process with communication strategies, including introduction of training "university" to teach employees about the business, communicate company vision and new guiding principles.

EDUCATION

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, Columbus, Ohio

Bachelor of Arts Degree, Journalism

NATIONAL AWARDS

IABC Gold Quill

(Electronic & Digital Communications “Customer Experience”) Ragan Communications Awards

(Best Newsletter Cover Design)

PRSA Bronze Anvil

(Employee Newsletter)

Part of team earning PRSA Silver Anvil and IABC Gold Quill

(Employee Communication "Branding from the Inside Out") Numerous other IABC Silver and Bronze Quill awards

PRESENTATIONS

MarcusEvans – Internal Branding and Employee Engagement

IABC Local & Regional Conferences – Internal Branding Columbus & Cleveland, Ohio / Detroit, Mich.

Advanced Learning Institute – Internal Communications Washington, D.C. & Chicago

Conference Board – Corporate Image & Branding

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION

Member, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATORS

ABC – ACCREDITED BUSINESS COMMUNICATOR

CERTIFICATIONS

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT (REPUTATION INSTITUTE, 2012)

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE (MEDALLIA INSTITUTE, 2013)

Contact this candidate