Deirdre Latour, Director of Public Relations and Marketing Services, General Electric
Like a world-class athlete, Deirdre Latour's discipline and solid work ethic came into play as she helped General Electric prep for the 2008 Olympic Games. During a time when
corporate reputations are under intense scrutiny, Latour demonstrated savvy leadership and communications skills in her management of GE's role as a TOP (The Olympic Partner
Programme) sponsor of the Beijing Olympic Games. She persistently protected GE's corporate reputation while balancing the interests of government, cultures, non-governmental
organizations, fans, countries and athletes, as well those of her fellow employees.
GE's Dream Team
The Beijing Olympic Games presented an unprecedented level of complexity. As director/public relations and marketing services for GE, Latour coached her team in keeping efforts
on a clear and logical path while remaining sensitive and accommodating to cultural differences. "Through all this complexity, Deirdre keeps the effort on target and provides us
with results that are beneficial for all the constituencies," says Peter Foss, president/Olympic sponsorship and corporate sales for GE. "She is a good person who really cares."
Gold Medal Effort
Latour was instrumental in managing GE's event at the company's on-site product display building--the Imagination Center--on the Olympic Green, coordinating tours and visits
for media, employees and VIPs. Trained in public relations, hospitality and security initiatives, Latour's vast internal and external responsibilities included overseeing the
hospitality programs for more than 3,000 guests comprised of GE employees, key customers and GE's board of directors.
Latour's sound corporate messaging and judgment deserved a gold medal according to her colleagues' standards. "Perhaps even bigger than her success for GE was her defense of
business as the engine of one of the world's noblest causes--the Olympic spirit," says Ben Boyd, executive VP/U.S. corporate practice at Edelman. "Through her availability to the
media, Deirdre served as the thoughtful voice of business as it found itself at the intersection of brand, purpose and profit."
Honorable Mentions
Stacie Bright, Senior Communications Marketing Manager, Unilever Home & Personal Care
Stacie Bright and her team helped generate 229-plus impressions for the Dove Entertainment for Esteem campaign with tactics that included the Dove Reality Diaries, an online
platform that followed four girls as they shared their personal struggles with self-esteem issues.
Barbara Crystal, General Manager of Public Relations, CDW Corporation and CDW Government Inc.
Recognizing that market-changing results cannot be achieved by run-rate public relations, Barbara Crystal launched the School Safety Index (SSI), which assesses K-12 schools'
physical and cyber safety efforts, creating a national benchmark against which schools can evaluate their own safety programs.
Jon Harris, Senior VP, Global Communications, Sara Lee Corp.
To successfully drive the company's reputation among an international audience, Jon Harris developed Sara Lee's first global communications strategy, which helped strengthen
the company's brand in foreign markets.
Laura Kane, Second VP of External Communications, Aflac
To focus on Aflac's long-held policy to base compensation for all employees on company and individual performance, Laura Kane strategically repositioned the story and
distributed releases throughout the year to pique media interest and maintain incessant favorable coverage for Aflac.
Pam Slay, Senior VP, Network Program Publicity, Hallmark Channel
Pam Slay ended dependence on traditional wire services and print placement with the implementation of PR targeting software Vocus, which pinpoints key opportunities and
contacts, monitors trends in national press coverage and uses widespread distribution of materials that would ultimately be too cost-prohibitive for smaller teams.