Jim A. Baar
James Baar is a distinguished communications consultant and author.
His extensive career in national and international corporate communications and financial relations spans more than four decades and includes key positions in corporations, public relations firms, and journalism. During that time he has developed a reputation as one of the most sought after advisors to c-level management.
One of Jim’s most significant contributions to the communications industry is his corporate knowledge systems and message effectiveness analysis tools. His pioneering work in the field of message effectiveness analysis (MEA) has included the development of software tools that address the mounting corrosiveness of language pollution and significantly enhance communications quality and productivity.
Previously, he was deputy worldwide director of the Hill and Knowlton Advanced Technology Practice. He was vice president and chief communications officer of Computervision Corporation, international CAD/CAM industry pioneer. He held a number of communications executive positions at General Electric Company including management of its European Marketing Communications Operations and various public relations operations serving GE's aerospace, information systems, energy and consumer businesses.
He was senior vice president of Hill and Knowlton's Northeast Region. He also was chief operating officer of two other public relations firms: Creamer Dickson Basford/New England and Lewis & Gilman in Philadelphia.
Baar was a Washington correspondent for United Press International and senior editor and chief military correspondent for a leading Washington-based trade publication. He also served in UPI bureaus in New York and New England.
Jim authored four books on business, technology, and politics and is a regular contributing editor in several national publications. He has been an adjunct professor of communications and is a frequent guest lecturer.
Contact: phone 401.331.2653, e-mail baar@literatigroup.com
Brian D. Connolly
Brian Connolly is one of the founders of the Literati Group.
Brian is a mathematician turned poet, a combination that makes him a particularly passionate and effective client advocate. He’s accomplished at articulating models and relationships in dynamic business situations. He’s also skilled at engineering creative communications strategies that optimize outcomes.
With more than 20 years in marketing communication, Brian has provided communications counsel to clients ranging from business service firms to consumer companies. He has provided strategic and tactical support to major brands such as Sears, McDonald’s Corporation, Coopers & Lybrand and T.Rowe Price, to name a few.
In the last 10 years his primary focus has been in the technology sector. His client portfolio has included IT management firms and internet security management companies, as well as companies involved with enterprise software, supply chain management and application development. As Senior Vice President and head of the Technology Practice in the Chicago office at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, he was a recognized leader in the Practice globally. At the time, Ogilvy was the #1 firm in Tech communications internationally.
Brian’s career also includes senior management positions at several nationally recognized communications firms including Cone Communications/Boston, and Manning, Selvage & Lee/Chicago.
Throughout his career, Brian has always pushed the envelope to expand the depth and breathe of communications services. He launched a successful competitive intelligence firm. He was also a principal of a company offering a web platform that facilitates marketing communications automation and brand management.
Brian was on the board of the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Internet Professionals. He was also a member of the executive committee of KnockNOW.
Contact: phone 312.482.9229, e-mail connolly@literatigroup.com
Robert G. Hamilton
Robert Hamilton is the group’s one man swarm and conceptual smokejumper.
Robert is particularly skilled at strategy and business-model development. He has a track record for shaping external perception and stimulating stakeholder behavior. He’s adept at providing clarity in highly-charged situations, such as market confusion or competitive threat, especially where conventional methods have proven ineffective.
Robert has spent the last six years building teams and creating alliances to deliver new forms of stakeholder relationship with a range of companies, from mature and established (CNA Financial - VP, E-Business 1996-1999), to pure-startup (ProofSpace, Inc. Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, 1999-2000), to profitable & growing (VP, Marketing & Sales, ProVillage, 2000-2001).
Robert is one of the pioneers in applying web-type interactive technologies to core business processes. As founder and Sr. Manager of FedEx’s Electronic Commerce department of Corporate Marketing, he initiated FedEx’s web-based business in 1993, which he grew and operated until 1996, generating new forms of stakeholder relationship, new-customer growth, and dramatic improvements in retention, at reduced cost.
Before his e-business experience, Robert held a variety of strategic marketing positions during his fifteen years with FedEx, including management of global brand identity, private-channel promotions, Marketing communications, and customer support.
Robert has extensive public speaking, press and industry analyst experience on software-based and network-based customer relationships. He is one of the founders of the southeast chapter of the electronic commerce consortium, CommerceNet. He has been interviewed widely regarding electronic commerce, transportation and insurance.
Contact: phone 708.660.9792, e-mail hamilton@literatigroup.com
Diane L. Salucci
Diane Salucci is an award-winning communications consultant.
With more than 25 years experience, Diane has extensive experience in creating and directing corporate communications programs and brings a wealth of knowledge in areas that include media and investor relations, marketing communications, public affairs, corporate advertising and branding, as well as video/film. With that she is able to provide a thorough understanding of the business challenges faced by today’s C-level executives.
Previously serving as vice president of corporate communications and investor relations for eFunds Corporation, Scottsdale, Arizona, Diane built an integrated communications department for the newly public financial services firm. Prior to that, Diane headed communications and investor relations for DeVry Inc., one of the largest education-related public companies in North America, where she developed an investor relations program that contributed to unprecedented growth in stock valuation during the 1990s. Earlier in her career, she served as public relations manager for a division of ITT Corporation, publications editor for a large utility company, and director of public information for a liberal arts college. Her work has garnered several Gold Quill awards from the International Association of Business Communicators, as well as regional and local awards from a variety of professional organizations.
Diane earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Trinity College, Deerfield, Illinois, and a master’s degree in journalism/public relations from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. She has served as president of the Public Relations Society of America/Chicago Chapter and is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute, the International Association of Business Communicators and Women in Communications.
Contact: phone 847.342.0947, e-mail salucci@literatigroup.com
David B. Thomson
Dave Thomson is an authority in change management.
With more than 30 years experience, Dave has honed a unique expertise in knowledge transfer. He excels at engineering the consistent corporate voice, essential in managing dialogue with broad and dissimilar stakeholders during times of volatile transition. His true calling is corporate legacy. As a passionate trainer and teacher, he is renowned for solutions designed for repeatability by internal staff, common-sense manageability and flexibility in scaling.
As head of communications and a corporate officer for CNA, one of the largest U.S. multi-line insurance companies, Dave was on the frontlines of dramatic organizational changes, from mergers and acquisitions to new product launches, from threats to financial security to issues management. He successfully integrated communication across the enterprise and its various businesses. He served under the administrations of three CEOs, met the communication needs of 22,000 employees, and created bonds with thousands of stakeholders. He developed strong alliances with legal, human resources, and financial leadership to address and anticipate opportunities and challenges. He was recognized for his planning and implementation templates that became standard corporate operating procedure.
Dave’s career also includes work with several other major international organizations. He turned around specific markets, business unit operations, and local reputation situations for Owens-Corning and John Hancock Insurance. His career also includes support of a worldwide brand launch for British Petroleum, and the launch of Lehman Brothers’ new bond trading software BondWave. Dave was the point person for external communication counsel for meat giant IBP as it faced a DOJ - EPA lawsuit.
Contact: phone 630.588.7144, e-mail thomson@literatigroup.com
