Category: Under 40

Todd Kapaln – Vice President, Water Portfolio

“It’s important to be genuine and passionate. Always listen and respond accordingly in order to make a meaningful connection with your audience – whether it’s a with a media outlet or directly to a key stakeholder.”

Category: Non-Profit Trade Association

Mike McCormick – Executive Director and COO

“Truly knowing and understanding the issues and the industry makes all the difference. As part of the leadership of a trade association, remaining engaged with our members and understanding their wants and needs allows me to be an effective voice on their behalf.”

Category: C-Suite Leader Non-Profit Association

Danielle Holly – CEO

“Find, for yourself, a simple but powerful connection between your core values and what you’re representing.  When you’re grounded in that, it’s impossible to sound inauthentic. If that connection doesn’t exist, you shouldn’t be the spokesperson. Period.”

Category: Non-Profit Education

Patrick Riccards – Chief Communications Officer

“Find your voice … and find it quickly. As a spokesperson, you are representing an organization, a company, a political campaign, or an individual. To be effective, and to break through all of the media white noise, you have to find a voice that embodies the best of what you are speaking on behalf of, and that stands up to the criticisms and attacks that come from those standing in opposition. A successful spokesperson is not just speaking for him or herself. It is the voice of a movement.”

Category: Nonprofit Advocacy/Cause Marketing

Steve Kerber – Director

As a spokesperson for an organization, it is important to remember that being “the voice” is not about you. Everything you do and say as the voice of the organization should revolve around advancing the mission. Remember that you alone cannot advance the mission and there is an entire team behind the scenes doing the work. Surround yourself with strategic partnerships, always ask why, and be open to change. Although we have opportunities beyond previous generations, no amount of technology is going to replace the need for you to know your profession.”

Category: Corporate Financial Services

Greg Rosica – Contributing Author and Spokesperson

“Assess the audiences’ familiarity with the topic and speak in a clear context that is at their level of understanding so as not to confuse or speak below their knowledge of the material. Speak with humility and clarity to be their trusted resource on the topic.”

Category: Non-Profit Health

Luke Margolis – Corporate Communications Manager

”Successful communication comes from connecting with your audience through understanding and respect; it’s not about you, it’s about how you can help them.”

Category: Non-Profit Membership Association

Sheri Sword – Vice President of Communications

Success as a spokesperson is three-fold:

1) Be prepared whether you’re representing your organization or your helping someone else with an interview. Be the expert and know what your key points should be and have that note-able quote ready to share. Don’t be above practicing what you want to say.

2) Be someone people can count on. If you say you’re going to forward additional information, then follow through and do it. If it’s something you can’t do, own it and provide an alternative option whenever possible.

3) Make everyone’s life easy. Create talking points for everyone involved. Develop fact sheets. Have anticipated resources ready and available.

Category: Non-Profit Youth

Meridith Maskara – CEO

“Girl Scouts is ‘by girls, for girls’ and it is my role to speak to—and for—girls. So I know I am most effective when I spend time with the girls themselves; they keep me focused on what is important to them. And whenever I have the chance, I hand the microphone to one of our incredible Girl Scouts and invite her to speak about our mission in her own words.”

Category: Corporate Health/ Pharma

Michael A. Smith – Senior Health Scientist

Know your audience. What are their expectations, their goals, their knowledge and base. Delivering the right information to a particular audience is key for success.”

Category: Corporate Emerging Growth / Startups

Donna LaVoie – President and CEO

“If I had to give on piece of advice about what is most important about being an effective, authentic spokesperson, I would say: know your audience. Helping highly educated and skilled audiences tell stories rather than providing too many details, facts and data points is of the utmost importance in our field of health and science communications.”

Category: Media

Gabe Saglie – Senior Editor

“Don’t forget your audience! Believe in the company you’re representing and be enthused by the work they do — be your company’s biggest fan and consumer, not just a mouthpiece since that will ensure that what you say feels genuine and true and natural. But, perhaps even more importantly, make sure your message is relevant to your audience — that’s what will make your messaging impactful. It has to be information they can use and information that makes their lives better.”

Kristin Bradley – PR Manager

Category: Corporate Sports

Marc Goldman – Marketing/Sponsorship Manager

“Start with the audience in mind. Being authentic and effective as a spokesperson begins by hearing your audience before you speak so that the message received is prioritized over the message delivered. To do this, you must become the subject matter expert, possessing a depth of understanding that affords the confidence to be creative, expressive and complete.”

Category: Corporate Technology

Roy Taylor – Founder Chief Revenue Officer MR.Studio
Previous Corporate Vice President and Worldwide Head of AMD Studios

“Consider and establish who is in the audience. Put yourself in their shoes and ask what is it that will be most useful for them to learn or to listen to. Literally find out if you can the names ,job titles, etc. of who you are presenting to. Then add to each point you want to make …and this makes sense/is valuable/is an insight for your industry/interest/business because,…. Once you have established a report with the audience the presentation becomes a conversation.”

Category: Corporate Travel

Daniel Durazo – Director of Communications

“… know your audience and tailor your remarks to what they care about most.”

Category: C-Suite Leader Corporate

Donna LaVoie – President and CEO

“If I had to give on piece of advice about what is most important about being an effective, authentic spokesperson, I would say: know your audience. Helping highly educated and skilled audiences tell stories rather than providing too many details, facts and data points is of the utmost importance in our field of health and science communications.”

Category: Most Authentic Corporate

Sam Fay – Senior Vice President of Global Brand Strategy