New Jersey, USA
Email: denise@cfsc.org
Denise has more than 40 years of experience working in the media, corporations, foundations, universities and other nonprofit organizations. Long an advocate for using the power of communication to bring about positive societal change, she specializes in global health, health care, gender equity, female education, racial equality, poverty alleviation and social justice.
An inspirational leader, counsellor, communication executive, motivational speaker and talented writer, she’s worked with a wide range of UN agencies, bilateral organizations, global corporations, universities, foundations and other major international donors.
Denise is a specialist in corporation communications, product launches, executive speechwriting, media relations, marketing communication, social responsibility, crisis communication and issues management. She has developed communication strategies for sensitive issues including genetically modified foods, AIDS vaccines, substance abuse, international funding for family planning in the developing world and addressing the health inequalities in developing nations to name a few.
In 2003 Denise set up the Communication for Social Change Consortium. The Consortium is an international not-for-profit organisation committed to building the communication capacity of poor communities around the world. Young people and behaviour change are one of Denise’s main concerns and the first project of the Consortium was working with teenagers in Zimbabwe to give them the confidence and skills to become advocates against the spread of HIV in their own communities.
Before setting up and leading the Communication for Social Change Consortium she was a vice president for the Rockefeller Foundation for 9 years, with responsibility for communicating the Foundation’s vision internationally and crafting its public policy and advocacy agendas in the US. There she also managed the comptrollers, IT, communication, research and library, and facilities departments — along with leading the Bellagio Study and Conference Center on Lake Como, Italy.
Prior to the RF, Denise held progressively more responsible public relations management positions for 16 years with AT&T, then the largest corporation in the world.
She brings to Baird’s CMC:
- Executive leadership working for and with corporations, multilateral governmental agencies, bilaterals, community groups and funders
- Issues management, crisis communication, executive support, training, media relations, community engagement, employee communication, global reach
- Positive communication approaches to the issues facing the world’s poorest
- Powerful and inspiring presentations and effective training at all levels – from mentoring and coaching, to workshops and lectures.
Roles:
- Associate at Baird’s CMC
- President at CFSC Consortium of social change
Client examples:
Alliance for green revolution in Africa (AGRA), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IAVI, Merc, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Rockefella Foundation, Sanofi Pasteur, Unesco, UN Aids, Unicef, Various UN Agencies, World Bank,
Project examples:
- Developed communications strategies for sensitive issues including genetically modified foods,aids vaccines, international funding for family planning and addressing the health inequalities in developing nations
- Help communities find ways to shift harmful attitudes and practices that limit social development
- Develop communication strategies, learning approaches and curricula to bring latest communication practice to critical social issues.