DANIEL SMITH

DANIEL SMITH CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Communications executive who works cross-functionally to develop, implement and manage strategic external and internal campaigns. Team player at corporations ranging from Fortune 50 multi-nationals to smaller complex enterprises. Partner with C-level executives to achieve corporate objectives. Advocate for corporate reputation and objectives externally, and for customers and employees internally. Management team member with budget and staff-development responsibility. Expertise in corporate messaging, employee engagement, C-level speeches and other written communications, acting as company spokesperson and handling crisis communications. Extensive support for investor and community relations, event planning and marketing communications. SENIOR LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE PAETEC Holding Corp., Dallas, Texas 2007-present DIRECTOR – CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Lead media and industry analyst relations for largest US competitive communications carrier ($1.7 billion in revenue and 4,000 employees). Corporate spokesperson. Supervise media manager and PR agency; provide guidance on intranet and website. Also provide leadership for marketing communications and employee communications.  In February 2008, selected as first executive PR leader after company’s acquisition of my previous employer, McLeodUSA. Worked across organization to develop PR plan that addresses vital business objectives and promotes customer-centric culture. Elevated communications targets to address top-tier media and industry analysts. Results include first-ever national broadcast coverage.  Collaborated with CMO on corporate messaging platform to promote new national status and guide marketing communications.  Stepped in to support head of HR and coordinate employee communications regarding catastrophic flooding in Iowa.  Supporting field marketing by developing and/or supporting community-relations activities to drive brand awareness and secure strategic partnerships in local markets. As Sr. Director-Public Relations for McLeodUSA:  Developed regulatory advocacy package that helped defeat competitor’s “forbearance” petitions at the FCC.  With CFO, developed SOX-compliant investor relations web site in anticipation of McLeodUSA’s IPO.  Devised communications strategy and materials to announce company’s acquisition internally and externally. Postannouncement employee survey showed greater than 95 percent support for the merger. Joined with CEO and head of HR to craft communications that addressed areas of anxiety to preserve employee productivity. Hawaiian Telcom, Honolulu, Hawaii 2005-2007 VICE PRESIDENT – CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Established corporate communications group for state’s incumbent local phone company ($550 million in revenue and 1,850 employees), taken private from Verizon in 2005. Established communications policies and procedures. Chief spokesperson and communications strategist. Supervised PR agency and internal managers of media and community relations, employee communications and coordinator. Supported investor relations, regulatory relations and marketing communications.  Informed and engaged employees with company’s new business direction by launching multiple new communications channels. Promoted pride in company’s past and optimism about future through weekly newsletter, executive roundtables, employee road shows and periodic bulletins for key managers. Also hosted monthly meetings for directors and above, and created tiered e-mail lists to establish vital channels of communication.  Worked with head of HR to develop and disseminate company mission, vision and values.  Deployed media road shows and releases, CEO keynotes and other community presentations to replace public skepticism with enthusiasm for company’s privatization and comprehensive $100 million IT makeover.  Worked with CMO to generate media attention for technology innovations such as state’s first fixed-mobile convergence application. Appointed by CMO to be final reviewer of all customer communications.  When IT crisis developed, championed employee focus groups to identify and address obstacles to success. Used results to alert senior team to challenges, develop new communications channels, and deploy meetings that developed closer ties between rankand-file managers and IT vendor.  A Pacific Business News article described me as “the affable spokesman who kept his cool even when the company's transition troubles put him in the hot seat.”

Texas Instruments, Dallas, Texas 2000-2005 DIRECTOR – EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS Developed C-level speeches and investor presentations for America’s Most Admired Semiconductor Company, (third-largest in world and largest in wireless communications; $11 billion in revenue and 35,000 employees worldwide). Wrote quarterly earnings and annual reports. Extensive communications support for executives and colleagues in India, Mexico, China, Japan and other locations.  Worked across diverse business units to structure unified corporate messaging. Counseled colleagues on positioning company as world leader in signal processing. Efforts helped colleagues secure significant press coverage with US and international media.  Assisted executives with sensitive employee communications issues and merger activity.  Helped fend off Intel’s assault into 3G wireless with strategic message development for wireless communications and crafting of executive presentations for key industry shows including 3GSM World Congress and CDMA Americas.  Placed Chairman/CEO on global stage by securing and producing company’s first International Consumer Electronics Show keynote. Two years later, secured a second keynote, making TI only the third company ever invited back. The presentations enhanced company’s global reputation and delivered material boost for core lines of business.  Partnered with SVP-Public Affairs on diversity communications and community-relations activities. Appointed by SVP to serve on Corporate Social Responsibility Team.  Wrote Jack Kilby’s Nobel Prize in Physics lecture, prompting one Nobel Academy member to comment, “This was one of the few (Nobel science) lectures I could understand.”  In August 2005, VP-Investor Relations said, “Dan has made a material difference for TI.” GTE Corp., Dallas, TX 1990-1999 DIRECTOR – EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS (1998 to 1999) Wrote speeches for chairman/CEO and his direct reports at largest independent US local phone company ($20 billion in revenue and over 100,000 employees worldwide). Supervised three-person team that supported unit presidents and managed events.  Collaborated with AVP-Internal Communications on project to reorient culture across diverse business units to reflect newly competitive industry, ensuring employee understanding of new environment and support for business decisions. Efforts included writing and production of “GTE Business Direction,” which won “Bronze Telly” award for corporate videos.  Re-established in-house executive communications program, reducing expenses while increasing effectiveness.  Multiple speeches reprinted in “Vital Speeches of the Day.”  Developed strategic communications to help secure approval of merger with Bell Atlantic, which created Verizon. Target audiences included employees, regulators, investors and customers. Indirectly supported media advocacy for merger. GTE Hawaiian Tel, Honolulu, Hawaii DIRECTOR -- PUBLIC AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS (1996 to 1998) Top communications leader and spokesperson for major corporate region. Supervised managers of external and internal communications, and community relations. Managed philanthropic program and executive communications.  Deployed aggressive external and internal communications programs based on industry research and Hawaii survey results. Efforts reshaped perceptions and generated double-digit improvements in ratings among employees and community leaders.  Championed and supervised production of “Hawaii: Your High-Tech Paradise” which enhanced community ties on all islands and earned the National Gold Award from the Council for Urban Economic Development.  Championed and secured corporate funding to establish the Hispanic Center of Hawaii, creating first organized support for significant-yet-underserved segment of the population.  Efforts led to company’s receipt of Governor's Kilohana Award for Outstanding Volunteerism.  Selected for special corporate funding of pilot project to improve corporation’s reputation in rural service areas. Deployed diverse media and community efforts to boost perceptions in rural regions on Island of Hawaii. Prior duties at GTE include regional, national and international media relations; and business-unit executive communications and Board of Directors presentations. Received five promotions and 11 Individual Excellence Awards in nine years. Other experience includes work as a professional journalist: Established suburban weekly newspaper during senior year in college, edited top weekly newspaper in Texas (per Texas Press Association Awards) and was a business editor for the Orange County Register in California. EDUCATION Baylor University – BA in Journalism, 1985