Vice President Company
Resume:
Kirsten Gorsuch
Email: *********@********.***
Address: **** *********** ** *
City: orono
State: MN
Zip: 55356
Country: USA
Phone: 612-***-****
Skill Level: Director
Salary Range: > $250,000
Primary Skills/Experience:
See Resume
Educational Background:
See Resume
Job History / Details:
Kirsten Gorsuch
2780 Countryside Drive West, Orono MN 55356
*********@********.***
Medtronic, Inc. Minneapolis
Vice President, Corporate Communications (May 2005-Sept. 2012)
Medtronic Foundation Board of Directors
Medtronic is the world`s leading medical device company, with more than $16 billion in annual sales. The company`s mission is to use biomedical engineering to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life for people with chronic disease.
* Top 50 officer responsible for managing overall corporate reputation, including appropriate research to guide strategy, messaging and measurement. Success led to annual budget growth from $11 million to $25 million
* Functional responsibility for global public relations, employee communications, brand management, community affairs, corporate marketing/advertising, conventions and the Medtronic Foundation
* Reported to Chairman and CEO for three years; CFO for four years
* Demonstrated ability to build positive working relationships with key people across enterprise
* Personal communications/media coach to current and past Chairmen and CEOs, and other top executives
* Member of company`s senior Commercial Leadership Council (CLC)
* Built world-class global communications team; managed more than 100 global communications professionals
* Elected co-chair of VP Women`s Network, focused on policy level programs to retain/advance senior women
* Frequent lecturer/guest speaker at university and industry events; active contributor to advancement of profession
Select initiatives and results include:
Brand/Corporate Marketing: Transformed global brand group from small, compliance-oriented function to one that designed and implemented high value strategic programs. Transitioned from decentralized business unit approach to masterbrand approach. Efforts generated more than $15 million in operating leverage for company.
* Redesigned and launched Medtronic brand - brand idea, voice, visuals, architecture, etc.
* Helped articulate company vision, positioning and value proposition
* Created first companywide internal and external marketing campaign, -Innovating for Life-
* Created centralized web strategy, including major site consolidation. Redesigned and launched company website and intranet sites. Led social media strategy for company
* Secured first ever company title sponsorship with major U.S. athletic event
* Wrote and published coffee table book on company`s history and Mission at CEO request
Public Relations: Moved from primarily media relations function to a sophisticated, integrated reputation management function. Designed systems and processes to ensure global accuracy and consistency in strategy and message on issues and opportunities.
* Media strategy tied to overall reputation strategy; results consistently outperform key competitors. Major placements in all top tier media - WSJ, NYT, Fortune, Forbes, BusinessWeek, Financial Times, wire services, CNBC, CNN, etc.; sophisticated understanding of all channels, including social media
* Named to Forbes Magazine (Reputation Institute) World`s Most Reputable Companies
* Work closely with head of Government Affairs on major health policy issues, including healthcare reform; General Counsel on all major legal issues, including litigation, M&A, SEC, FCPA, DOJ, etc.
* Successfully managed reputation/media strategy around company`s/industry`s biggest issues in quality and ethics, including major product recalls, financial relationships with customers, and device security/hacking
* Developed proprietary state-of-the-art app for managing company issues and crisis
* Led communications transition planning efforts for two CEO successions
* Led companywide social responsibility effort; secured company placement on Dow Jones Sustainability Index
* Developed proprietary method for evaluating and ranking all executive visibility opportunities and placement
Employee Communications: Redesigned roles and structure of team, moving from largely HR communications function to strategic employee communications function, globally integrated with business units.
* Developed first true global strategy for employee communications, which included employee research, messaging hierarchy, new and improved channels (including social media), greater frequency and more relevant content, executive visibility, overall interactiveness
* Successfully executed 60 company events annually, including annual shareholder meeting
Medtronic Foundation: Oversee team that managed more than $40 million in annual cash and product donations. Responsible for strategy and development of corporation`s global philanthropic approach, including development of major signature programs in areas of health, education and community.
GCI Group, Chicago/Denver/New York
Senior Vice President (Dec. 2002-May 2005)
Member GCI Board of Directors (2004)
GCI is a top 10 global public relations firm and a subsidiary of WPP.
* Served as firm`s second highest ranking healthcare leader on team of more than 100+ global healthcare communications professionals. Worked with healthcare managing director to service and grow $20 million in healthcare annual agency revenues. Served on company Board of Directors as client service representative. Oversaw firm`s Chicago healthcare practice
* Acted as senior counselor on many of firm`s largest, most strategic engagements. Manage diverse range of activities for med tech, pharmaceutical, biotech, and diagnostic clients
o Served as strategist in charge of designing and managing SCD-HeFT ICD Public Affairs CMS reimbursement campaign for Medtronic. Awarded PR Week 2005 -PR Campaign of the Year- from 800+ entrants across all industries - the PR industry`s highest honor
o Developed innovative, proprietary methodology to help Wyeth Pharmaceuticals improve overall corporate reputation
o Counseled Bayer Pharmaceuticals oncology team on all pre-market conditioning recommendations including competitive positioning, media strategy, third-party relationships, development of expanded access program and overall oncology franchise positioning strategy
Ketchum, New York/San Francisco
Senior Vice President (Sept. 1995-Dec. 2002)
Ketchum is a top 10 global public relations firm and a subsidiary of Omnicom.
* Managed industry`s largest west coast healthcare practice
* Increased healthcare group`s revenue by more than 50%
* Served as senior counselor to clients - Medtronic, Genentech, Abbott Diagnostics, IBM Lifesciences, and Pfizer
* Recognized as fast track senior manager; sent to world-renowned Center for Creative Leadership for rapid development of leadership and managerial skills
Rogers and Associates, Los Angeles
Account Executive (Sept 1994-July 1995)
* Serviced healthcare clients including City of Hope and Calif. Dept of Health Services
Bank of America/Security Pacific Corporation, Los Angeles
Corporate Communications Officer (June 1991-Sept. 1994)
* Served as company spokesperson for nation`s second largest financial institution
* Managed media relations/issues management for California retail bank
Education
Indiana University, Bachelor of Arts 1991, Telecommunications
External Industry Representation/Board Service
* Current board member for APMG/Minnesota Public Radio, largest public radio network in the US (since 2008)
* Former Board member Alexandria House, Anoka County domestic violence shelter
* Member of Arthur Page Society and PR Seminar for world`s top communications professionals
Contact this candidate