Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic

Kristen A. Sharkey

Trumbull,CT

Summary

Performance-driven and accomplished senior communications executive with more than 25 years of experience in corporate, internal, analyst, influencer and crisis situations. Consulted and worked closely with startups to multinational organizations most notably in the technology, financial services and professional services fields. Demonstrated a record of success in building high performing teams, managing profitable books of business and supporting global, multi-channel communications programs.


Overview

26
26
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Partner

FINN PARTNERS
07.2022 - Current
  • Manage multi-level, nationally distributed teams supporting clients in the accounting, banking and ecommerce industries totaling more than $4 million in annual revenue.
  • Partner with global senior leadership to identify, develop and secure new business opportunities within the financial services, corporate communications and technology markets with a focus in the North American and European regions.
  • Provide senior counsel, media strategy, content development and reputation management support to clients with an emphasis on executive visibility, earned and paid media opportunities, influencer relations and thought leadership.
  • Develop and maintain top tier media, vendor (research, advertising, social, content and event) and influencer relationships to support client needs in the market.

Senior Director

CAPGEMINI AMERICAS
01.2017 - 01.2018
  • Oversaw 15 communicators over internal, external and CSR communications teams; efforts supported C-suite bench, 20 practice areas and more than 90 SMEs and spokespeople including the global and Americas CEOs
  • Developed high performing media relations team and program, supporting robust thought leadership and content initiatives resulting in consistent, positive media coverage in WSJ, Forbes and CNBC; increased neutral to positive media coverage by 150% YOY and doubled SOV between 2017 and 2021
  • Built and introduced active contributed content program fueled by SMEs and communications team, increasing published earned content from 10 pieces per year to over 100 pieces per year in 2021
  • Program awarded “Content Marketing Team of the Year” from Ragan Communications and PR Daily
  • Managed globally distributed team of communicators as part of marketing leadership team; worked closely with CMO, Americas to align communications programs with business goals and objectives resulting in active support of 42% of successful lead generating opportunities in 2021
  • Realigned intranet, internal communications channels and approaches to support growing needs of the business across the US, Canada and LATAM employee audiences.
  • Drove strategic improvements to enhance operational and organizational efficiencies.

Director, Communications

GREENHOUSE SOFTWARE
01.2019
  • Led media, analyst and influencer programs designed to boost brand visibility, enterprise-level credibility and prospect engagement across the organization
  • Increased analyst engagement by 40% YOY, positive media coverage in top tier outlets such as Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg and Business Insider by 100% YOY and developed two influencer programs including online content and speaking opportunities
  • Managed robust award program that yielded recognition by the Deloitte 500, Crain’s Best Places to Work, Fortune Best Places to Work and the Crain’s Fast 50.

Senior Director

PAYCOM
01.2018
  • Developed and supported multi-channel communications approach aimed at broadening brand awareness, building thought leadership, enhancing the employee brand and managing reputation across all audiences and US regions
  • Partnered with C-suite to align internal and external messages and communications activity; supported investor relations, analyst relations, corporate filings and annual report.

Senior Vice President

BURSON-MARSTELLER
01.2016 - 01.2017
  • Corporate & Financial Communications Practice
  • Senior client relationship lead and media strategist for Accenture, Accenture Technology/Digital, MassMutual and Merkle accounts, overseeing bi-coastal, multi-channel teams of up to 30 people
  • Lead financial services and technology media relations strategist and practitioner within Burson Marsteller’s corporate practice
  • Developed and nurtured relationships with contacts at top tier outlets such as WSJ, Barron’s Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business News, The Economist, Fortune, Tech Crunch, among others.

Senior Vice President and East, Senior leader

MWW PUBLIC RELATIONS
01.2014 - 01.2015
  • Within the agency and member of the global leadership and management committees
  • Day-to-day lead on Samsung Mobile account; led launch of Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, resulting in more than six million units sold over a nine-month period
  • Oversight of $5 million in yearly billings; responsible for growing eastern region new business by $2 million in first five months.

Executive Vice President and Technology Practice Lead, •Senior

MAKOVSKY & COMPANY
01.2013 - 01.2014
  • Leader within the agency and member of the leadership, operating and quality control committees
  • Provided senior counsel to portfolio of clients and managed client teams resulting in $3 million in yearly billings and new business
  • Secured media coverage for Paycom client’s IPO in CNBC, WSJ, Marketwatch and local media; provided crisis counsel for pricing and IPO delay.

Senior Vice President

WEBER SHANDWICK
01.2010 - 01.2013
  • Technology and Corporate Practices
  • Led three multi-national accounts and managed corporate communications and investor relations for a fourth organization totaling more than $4 million in yearly billings; organically increased billings by approximately $500,000 YOY
  • Managed corporate and financial communications for ADP including content development and media strategy for all quarterly earnings announcements and CFO executive visibility program
  • Supported speech writing and talking points/message development
  • Oversaw and executed aggressive global media relations programs for Capgemini businesses in North America, EMEA and Asia
  • Increased SOV by 5% in one year
  • Increased top tier business press coverage by 199% in 2012.

KETCHUM
01.1998 - 01.2009

Vice President

HILL & KNOWLTON

Vice President

THOMSON CORPORATION

Director

PORTER NOVELLI

Education

Master of Science - Mass Communications, Public Relations

BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Boston, MA

Bachelor of Art - Politics

FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
Fairfield, CT

Skills

    AppNexus, Adara, Merkle, Deloitte & Touche, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Accenture, Capgemini, Towers Perrin, Brown Brothers Harriman, MasterCard, ADP, Paycom, GE Capital, HSBC, E*Trade, Dun & Bradstreet, MassMutual, Mercedes Benz Financial, Jackson Hewitt, Greenhouse Software, Thompson Corporation, Factiva, Computer Associates, Saba Software, Amdocs, Arrow Electronics, Pitney Bowes, Travelport/Orbitz, Bausch & Lomb, Kerzner, Financial Times, HP, Honeywell, WebMD, Victor, Samsung, TXU, Southern Company, Pfizer

Timeline

Senior Partner

FINN PARTNERS
07.2022 - Current

Director, Communications

GREENHOUSE SOFTWARE
01.2019

Senior Director

PAYCOM
01.2018

Senior Director

CAPGEMINI AMERICAS
01.2017 - 01.2018

Senior Vice President

BURSON-MARSTELLER
01.2016 - 01.2017

Senior Vice President and East, Senior leader

MWW PUBLIC RELATIONS
01.2014 - 01.2015

Executive Vice President and Technology Practice Lead, •Senior

MAKOVSKY & COMPANY
01.2013 - 01.2014

Senior Vice President

WEBER SHANDWICK
01.2010 - 01.2013

KETCHUM
01.1998 - 01.2009

Vice President

HILL & KNOWLTON

Vice President

THOMSON CORPORATION

Director

PORTER NOVELLI

Master of Science - Mass Communications, Public Relations

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Bachelor of Art - Politics

FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY

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Kristen A. Sharkey