Robert Doughty, Vice President, Public Relations and Communications, Burger King Corp.
The Early years
Hometown: Tampa, FL
High School: Berkley High School, Berkley, Mich.
College: Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky; A.B. in PoliticalScience/English, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio; Masters Degree in Organizational Communications and PR
First Job
Paperboy for The Tampa Tribune
First PR Job
Public Relations Representative, Hobart Brothers Company, Troy, OH (company made arc welding equipment)
Hobbies
Sailing, biking, reading, traveling
Mentors
Dick Hyde at Hill & Knowlton; Kurt Stocker; Marylou Hedlin
Last movie I Saw
"Notting Hill"
How I keep pace with the changes in the fast-food industry
Talking with others; reading trade publications; working with Burger King leadership, who are very cutting edge in their thinking.
Career mistake (misstep) I wish I never made, but learned from
Briefly leaving the service industries for packaged goods. I find the service industries (airlines and restaurants) to be far more exciting, interesting and complex. We not only make the product, we also present it to them.
Biggest challenge in PR going into the millennium
The increased volume of communications channels and vehicles available to us now and the rapid advances in communication technology.