Garland Harwood
Account Director, Technology, Weber Shandwick
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When he pitches the media, Garland Harwood draws from his experience of working his way through college as a bill collector and from the influence of his grandmother, a Southern politician’s wife who can work a room with the charm and class of royalty. Devoted to supporting the growth of his team members and colleagues, Harwood trains his team and other junior professionals in the firm to pitch with class. Harwood helped Amazon.com pull off a historic 2009 Cyber Monday media effort that some third-party sources say increased Amazon.com’s traffic by 44% over the previous year. Outside of the office, Harwood campaigns for the American Cancer Society. After surviving sarcoma cancer of the neck in 2005, he launched Comedy for Cancer in Brooklyn in 2009, a fundraiser that enabled the American Cancer Society to generate awareness among 20-somethings. The event drew 174 attendees and raised thousands of dollars. —MT
Typical Day: “A lot of agency folks at the director level don’t work directly with the media very often because they’re consumed with managing their accounts. Account management does keep me pretty busy, but media relations is the spice of my day. I’d get pretty bored without it. And I think having that ongoing interaction is crucial for laying out the most effective strategy and keeping my campaigns fresh.”