Corporate Communications Marketing Public Relations

PAUL P. CAPELLI

West Chester, PA ***** 508-***-****

***********@*****.*** LinkedIn.com/in/paulcapelli

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS/PUBLIC AFFAIRS EXECUTIVE

Senior executive, expert in providing highly effective and actionable strategic communications. Skilled at optimizing team performance and building/evolving communications functions to transform corporate, brand, and employee engagement. Proficient as a corporate spokesperson, media relations strategist, and providing counsel to C-level executives. Proven entrepreneurial and innovative leader across a broad range of industries, including technology, TV/entertainment, media, finance, lifestyle/consumer products and services, multi-channel retail, and e-commerce. Expert at reputation management and driving social/digital innovation within corporate, public-private partnership, and agency environments.

Areas of Expertise:

Developing corporate reputation management programs to support business goals

Establishing employee programs to shape culture and drive performance

Creating and implementing issues/crisis management programs

Launching and positioning products, corporate branding, and influencer campaigns

Building and executing community affairs and corporate social responsibility initiatives

Leveraging social, mobile and new media technologies

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

COMMUNICATIONS and PUBLIC AFFAIRS ADVISOR, West Chester, PA 2016 - current

Founder and Principal

Consult on broad range of communications and reputation management needs including executive communications, external affairs, public relations, media relations, marketing communications, community relations, employee communications, issues management, corporate social responsibility, crisis communications, editorial services, thought leadership and conferences/events.

Collaborate closely with CEOs and other members of executive leadership teams to help improve stakeholder relationships, corporate culture, employee engagement and social purpose. Provide communications counsel on new business development, identify and act upon changes and trends in the external environment, and support the successful delivery of an organizations vision.

Current and past client engagements include long-term, short-term, full-time and part-time assignments:

Corporations and Public-Private: Capital One, Inc., Bayer Corp., Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

Non-Profit and Education: National Center for Learning Disabilities/Understood.org, Philadelphia Archdiocese/Pope Francis Visit, Marist College, UNICEF/Global Public Policy.

Startup and Small Business: RetroPop Media/NostalgiaCon, HiLove.ly, MBS Knows Picnics.

Agencies: Taylor Strategy, Gagen MacDonald, MBooth.

QVC/QURATE, INC. West Chester, PA 2010-2015

Vice President, Corporate Communications and Community Affairs

Hired into a newly-created position to establish a global communications strategy. Areas of responsibility included: social media, brand and reputation management, internal communications, corporate events, crisis and issues management, financial communications, philanthropy, employee volunteerism, community relations, industry and trade relations, and on-air talent promotion.

Drove external visibility via media relations and social media. Redesigned internal communications team. Created first global CEO video town halls and a new intranet with social capabilities.

Established and led global communications infrastructure. Designed and managed launch/introductory communications for company’s entry into China and France.

Developed company’s first cause strategy to guide employee giving and philanthropy. "QVC Re-energizes Workplace Philanthropy with Partners QVC Giving,” was awarded the 2015 Community Relations PRSA Silver Anvil for best in-house campaign.

STAPLES, INC., Framingham, MA 2002-2010

Vice President, Communications

Hired to modernize and re-energize corporate communication at the world’s largest office products company. Led executive communications, media relations, issues management, store publicity, digital commerce and community relations for 25-country organization.

Responsible for communications across all divisions: Retail, Delivery and International. Drove extensive news coverage via consumer and business/financial media relations, and social influencer outreach. Measured by Cision, company was consistently among the best industry performers for awareness and news media impact.

Created the company’s first-ever corporate and data protection crisis communications plans.

Member of core team that led the acquisition of Corporate Express in 2008. Recognized by CEO at company announcement as one of the four key leaders contributing to the successful takeover, given the importance of strategic communications during the process.

Championed budget allocation expansion from $1.8 million in 2002 to $9 million in communications and $12 million in community relations and annual giving. Built and led the charitable foundation.

CNBC TELEVISION, Fort Lee, NJ 2000-2002

Vice President, Public Relations

Joined a fast-paced, digital, live newsroom environment as a direct report to CEO. Served as a member of the executive management team, collectively responsible for all business strategy and operations. Directed all external and internal communications for the world's leading business and financial television network.

Promoted executives and on-air talent to build the CNBC brand through strategic media relations.

Partnered closely with CEO and NBC/GE executives in Asia and Europe to grow the CNBC brand globally.

Launched CNBC Italy and managed business development sessions with global partners Nikkei and Dow Jones.

AMAZON.COM, Seattle, WA 1998-2000

Global Communications Leader

Hired as the number two communications executive for the world’s largest online retailer.

Guided company’s customer-centric reputation as it evolved from a 1,800-person books store with revenues of $610 million, to a multi-product/multi-billion dollar operation, on a path to become a leading global company.

Led development and execution for all launch communications for the world’s first mobile shopping experience: “Amazon.com Anywhere,” and introducing Amazon’s Electronics Store, Toys Store, Home Improvement Store – as well as core Books, Music, Video business.

Established public affairs policies with leadership, serving as a spokesperson for issues: selling controversial books; online security; customer privacy; co-op advertising; Internet taxation; and digital downloads.

Created the platform and extensive international visibility culminating in 1999 with CEO Jeff Bezos being named Time magazine "Person of the Year."

KETCHUM, Miami, FL and Chicago, IL 1991-1998

Senior Vice President, Director; Associate Director; Vice President; Supervisor

Led operations of 12-person Miami office: doubled income in two years with an expanded client roster of global brands. Managed operations and evolution of a 10-office Latin American agency network and the agency’s national Multi-Cultural/U.S. Hispanic specialty practice. Conducted business in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Key accounts: MCI, FedEx, Visa International, Hallmark, Charles Schwab, Reebok, Motorola, and Wendy’s.

Spokesperson for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games during the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay, requiring extensive travel, on-air interviews and community relations.

Led Miller Brewing team to develop national marketing public relations programs, including the launch of the “MGD Tap Room” in 1994, recognized as the first Web site for a consumer products company on the Internet.

HONORS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Multiple regional and national industry awards, including two PRSA Silver Anvils

Current member A.W. Page Society, (nine years on Board of Trustees)

PRWeek Magazine: “Who’s Who In Corporate High Tech”

Miami PRSA and Advertising Federation Boards of Directors

EDUCATION

B.A. Communications/Public Relations, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ

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