Experienced Communications Specialist

Mindy Neubauer DuQuette

Charlotte, NC *****

704-***-**** (home)

704-***-**** (cell)

*****.********@*****.***

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mindyduquette

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST AND CHANGE AGENT

Brand Personality and Development

Intuitive, insightful relationship manager, recognized as a valued consultative resource for cross-functional project launches, business planning and project management. Talents include, but limited to:

* External and internal corporate communications

* Public and media relations (trade and mainstream)

* Training development and delivery

* Process documentation and change management

* Vendor negotiation and management

* Strategic market messaging

CAREER HISTORY

LENDINGTREE -- Charlotte, N.C. 1998 - 2008

Senior Manager, Communications and Training, (2007 – 2008)

Created, maintained, delivered and managed all facets of a newly-implemented communications, training and performance support platform for LendingTree’s multi-business/multi-brand, 150-person contact-center operation.

* Developed, created content for and maintained the call centers first centralized, wiki-based, online knowledge management tool for LendingTree and two of its subsidiaries, achieving 60 percent adoption within three months.

* Developed new-hire curriculums for two business units, from scratch, within six months, as well as technical and agent-facing, contact-center training documentation for all new company initiatives that impacted customer care.

* Solely managed hiring and created training, customer messaging and specific wiki-based scripting/systems for 100 temporary employees in three weeks for a temporary volume surge of over 200,000 customers due to a security event.

* Recommended and implemented a testing regimen to assess call center agents’ reading comprehension and writing skills before promoting to customer-facing email and chat teams. Contributed to increasing quality scores by over 30 percent.

Senior Manager, Media Relations, RealEstate.com (a LendingTree company) (2005 – 2007)

With a budget of $280k, led a four-person agency team to plan, manage and execute all consumer/trade public relations efforts, speaking opportunities, spokesperson profile management and reporter relationship management. Created attention-grabbing weekly media pitches for reporter outreach and messaging/coaching for executive/spokesperson interviews.

* Served on management team to develop the brand and site’s personality. Launched brand to media, focusing on spokesperson expertise and news commentary. Wrote and edited all press releases, created press kit content and media-facing Web site reviewer’s guide, site content, executive biographies, presentation materials

* Generated 280 million positive/neutral online and offline impressions during company’s debut year, placing RealEstate.com third of 10 in competitive media share of voice and second of 10 in spokesperson penetration.

* Secured mentions with 80 percent of targeted mainstream outlets including CNN.com, The Wall Street Journal and Associated Press, while generating ‘repeat business’ with almost half of targeted media.

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications (2003 – 2005)

Manager, Corporate Communications (2001 -- 2003)

Coordinator, Corporate Communications (2000 -- 2001)

Wrote and edited press releases, pitched creative and timely ideas to trade and mainstream media, created, edited and coached merger/acquisition messaging for six different merger/acquisition events, shepherded legal and executive messaging review, trained, coached and participated on speakers’ bureau, and facilitated quarterly earning calls.

* After merging with IAC/InterActiveCorp, served as one-person corporate communications resource for LendingTree for seven months while a new vice president was named.

* Launched LendingTree’s first consumer-focused media relations efforts after three years of business and analyst driven press, increasing consumer-facing media by more than 200% to 360,000 impressions, placing LendingTree second in media share of voice and spokesperson penetration.

* Refocused pitching efforts on exclusive media targets, increasing substantive consumer impressions 150 percent.

Office / Facilities Manager (1999 – 2000)

Promoted to supervise day-to-day office duties and receptionist team. Role expanded to include managing all aspects of the company’s $3 million move to 38,000 square foot office space.

* Supervised all aspects of one-year move including brokerage relationship, space selection, vendor and technology RFQs, architecture/office design, construction/property management and physical move logistics.

Lender Relations Assistant (1998 – 1999)

Maintained day-to-day assistant duties for start-up online mortgage exchange company. Created and communicated daily reports to lender executive team, as well as quarterly reports for 10 top-tier lenders.

* Created, implemented and facilitated training for the company’s first automated loan decision engine auto lender participant.

* Created 'Getting Started' technology / best practices curriculum for a series of newly- implemented network lenders.

SEMITOOL -- Cary, NC 1996 – 1998

Eastern Regional Customer Service Associate

Launched and maintained eight regional parts warehouses for international semiconductor processing company, including on-site facilities for companies like IBM, National Semiconductor, Lucent and Siemens/White Oak. Provided client customer service to all eastern regional customers, as well as off-site ordering and support for 15 customer service technicians.

* Implemented and trained 15 customer service technicians on the company’s newly-implemented paperless reporting/customer technical service reporting system.

WILMINGTON SHUTTLE -- Wilmington, NC 1996

Marketing/Office Manager

Created and implemented the first marketing and public relations efforts for local shuttle service, including writing press releases, scouting/managing local radio and Web advertising efforts, customer service, office management, payroll and scheduling for drivers and fleet maintenance.

* Garnered the company's first press mentions in local newspapers, including a front-page business piece in the Wilmington Star.

* Implemented the office's first customer database, individual and frequent riders ticketing management system, while revamping the business’ fleet management and maintenance systems.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts in Communications

Major: Journalism/Public Relations Minor: Arts Management

State University of New York at Brockport, Brockport, NY, 1995

Computer Skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office, Project, Publisher and Visio, Clarify, Bronto/Constant Contact Email Marketing Systems, Wikimedia, Bacons/Cision, LexisNexis and light HTML.

Contact this candidate