Audrey Britton, ABC

Current

• Consultant/Principal at Britton Communications
• Board Member and other related volunteer activities at IABC Minnesota

Past

• Internal and External Communications Leader at Honeywell
• Marketing Communications Director/Media Relations Director at Allianz Life
• Communications Manager/Media Relations Director at Fortis Financial Group

• Marketing Communications Director at Minnesota Valley Transit Authority

see less...

1 more...

Education

• College of St. Benedict
• University of Saint Thomas - School of Business

Recommended

8 people have recommended Audrey

Connections

144 connections

Industry

Public Relations and Communications

Audrey Britton, ABC’s Summary

Transformational communications leader with 17 years of experience in corporate, public, agency and nonprofit sectors. External and internal strategic communication plans have consistently exceeded expectations and surpassed goals.

Experience building, motivating and managing cross-functional teams to bring them to the next level of performance. Ability to quickly build bridges and partner with executives, team members and other functions/departments. Demonstrated success strengthening ties with customers, employees, the public, the media, legislators and government agencies.

Diplomatic, collaborative, values-driven, results-oriented professional. Motivated by surpassing goals, professional excellence, teamwork, and making an impact.

Accredited Business Communicator. IABC board member.

Audrey Britton, ABC’s Specialties:

Communications strategy to implementation: integrated marketing communications; media relations; corporate communications including employee, executive, change management and acquisitions; crisis communications and issues management; brand development and management.

Audrey Britton, ABC’s Experience

• Consultant/Principal

  Britton Communications

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  June 2001 — Present (8 years 7 months)

  Marketing, corporate and media relations communications. Strategic planning and execution, integration, project management, issues management. Partner with executives, teams and subcontractors. Clients in financial services, software sales and services, legal, medical, artist, nonprofit. (See related volunteer experience).
  
  Thrivent Financial, campaign team leader, communications strategist and project manager. IRA product.
  • Developed and launched the organization’s first integrated marketing campaign.
  • Led cross-functional team of more than 20, including marketing (direct mail, advertising, brand management, creative services, research), sales, customer service, media relations, member benefits, employee communications, operations, IT, legal, and more.
  • Sales increased 55 percent year-over-year.
  
  Foley & Mansfield, communications director.
  • First in a series of consultants to successfully develop and launch the national law firm’s brand identification system.
  • Gained unanimous approval of the brand at partners’ meeting; standing ovation at unveiling event.
  • Designed and re-launched Web site.
  • Led research on CRM system.
  • Wrote and standardized marketing materials and presentations.

• Board Member and other related volunteer activities

  IABC Minnesota

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  1995 — Present (14 years )

  • IABC board member (July 2009 – present), director of recognition programs (2009 – present), mentor (January 2009 – present), Quill Awards judge (March 2009 – present), M&A communications guest speaker at the IABC regional conference (October 2009).
  • Communications career panelist, Minnesota Private Colleges Career Consortium (April 2009, November 2009).
  • Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits. Example: Wrote communications strategy for Minnesota Community Employment Partnership; communications coach for nonprofit executive director (2001 – 2005, 2009 – present).
  • Volunteer Resource Center. Marketing communications guest speaker and panelist (2001 – 2005).
  • Legislative work: Helped research, design and move state legislation through committees, testified before House and Senate committees, spoke in the capitol rotunda. Gained support from legislators, including those who originally opposed the measure (2001– 2003). Legislation passed.
  • Local government: Primary convener. Congressional district convention speaker and viable sub-caucus leader. Elected congressional district delegate (communications committee). Election judge (2004 – present)
  • Minnesota Sate Regional Transit Board, Metropolitan Council, marketing committee (1995 – 1998).
  • Book club founder and member (2002 – present).
  • College radio station announcer and newspaper contributor.

• Internal and External Communications Leader

  Honeywell

  (Public Company; HON; Aviation & Aerospace industry)

  June 2005 — October 2008 (3 years 5 months)

  Global communications leader for $2.4 billion business, 13,500 employees. May 2007 additional responsibilities across six businesses ($12 billion, 55,000 employees) as communications leader for finance, HR, IT. Partner with business president, other exceutives and cross-funtional teams to provide counsel and efficient, strategic communications solutions. Lead employee and executive communications, particularly to ensure employees understand and embrace business strategies. Communications leader for M&A and ongoing integrations, restructurings (including plant closings), crisis communications, issues management, media relations, government relations, environmental issues. Spokesperson. Indirect staff. Agency hiring. Travel: China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, UK, US.
  
  • Credited for introducing strategic communications approach, improving processes and implementing best practices across the division.
  • Authored division’s first finance, HR, IT annual communications plans.
  • Greatly improved reach by developing a worldwide communications network.
  • Significantly increased business unit’s employee engagement: tripled town hall meeting attendance, dramatically increased recognition program participation and receipt of top honors, increased leadership visibility. Launched intranet site and monthly newsletter.
  • Communication leader for six acquisitions and 11 restructurings; more than any other communicator in the division; exceeded goals.
  • Exceeded goals as division’s communications partner for corporate-wide initiatives, i.e., survey participation, town hall meeting attendance, employee contributions, indirect spend reduction, benefits enrollment.
  • Requested by president to produce customer and investor-relations videos.
  • Awards for leadership, functional/technical excellence, teamwork.
  • Asked to serve on team to more effectively align the division’s communications department.

• Marketing Communications Director/Media Relations Director

  Allianz Life

  (Public Company; AZ; Insurance industry)

  August 2000 — June 2001 (11 months)

  Partner with CEO and executives to develop and implement strategic communications plans for new and restaged products, key accounts, field marketing and more. Direct report to CEO. Staff of eight. Agency oversight. Left during LifeUSA merger; position deemed duplicative with new CEO’s staff.
  
  • Developed division’s first new-product advertising campaign.
  • Developed process to rollout and communicate information about new marketing materials, a lit-code system, revised routing procedures and a systematic method for updating fund performance numbers across the Internet, CRM system and printed materials.
  • Wrote and directed Internet site communications plan. Daily visits tripled.
  • Placed all direct reports in acquired organization under new leadership.

• Communications Manager/Media Relations Director

  Fortis Financial Group

  (Financial Services industry)

  December 1998 — September 2000 (1 year 10 months)

  Partner with marketing executive and team to build strategic communications plans for new and restaged products. Initiate strategic media relations. Lead crisis communications and serve as spokesperson. Partner with CEO, BD team, portfolio managers and human resources on division-wide initiatives. Partner with corporate team on worldwide initiatives. Executive communications. Serve on teams as internal communications leader for cultural change initiative, engagement survey, quarterly newsletter, intranet site, large-scale events. Left during Hartford acquisition when offered Allianz role.
  
  Marketing Communications
  • Developed and led company’s first integrated marketing communications plan. Exceeded sales goals by 85 percent.
  • Partnered with legal department to dramatically increase regulatory approval of marketing materials.
  • Developed and implemented team exercise to identify and solidify key messages.
  • DALBAR (an independent auditor) award for marketing materials.
  • Brand Excellence Award, (companywide, international competition).
  
  Public Relations/Media Relations
  • Gained ongoing, positive media coverage in dailies, trades, weeklies and Internet sites, including cover and feature stories.
  • Credited for gaining more media coverage in 18 months than had been gained in 5 years.
  • Built lasting relationships with reporters. Recognized as reporters’ source.
  • Developed and implemented spokesperson training and formalized media relations policies.
  • Advanced Fortis Financial Group’s recognition as a corporate citizen.
  • Introduced community-relations strategic planning methods and measurements.
  Employee Communications
  • Invited by CEO to present annual employee communications plan to his staff.
  • Restaged employee newsletters, meetings, events.
  • Communications plan increased employee survey participation from 50 percent to 89 percent.
  • Asked to serve as one of company’s 12 change agents.

• Marketing Communications Director

  Minnesota Valley Transit Authority

  (Government Relations industry)

  March 1991 — December 1998 (7 years 10 months)

  Develop strategic communications plans including marketing, public relations and community relations. Lead crisis communications. Spokesperson. Government relations responsibilities including research, communications, and presenting to city councils and government agencies. Lead customer service team. Direct report to executive director and indirect report to elected-board committee. Staff of five. Agency hiring and oversight. Left to concentrate in communications.
  
  Marketing Communications
  • Developed and launched agency’s first integrated marketing communications plans; customer base increased 17 percent compared to a 2-3 percent national average. Gained 73 percent household awareness in targeted six-city market. Marketing included advertising (direct mail, newspaper, cable TV, billboard, movie-theater, shared marketing), collateral material development, public events.
  • Transit station grand opening attracted 3000 attendees, media coverage. Extensive shared marketing.
  • Achieved 90 percent response-rate and positive outcomes on customer surveys.
  
  Public Relations: Media, Community, Government
  • To date, credited for making customer service MVTA’s key differentiator significantly impacting community and government relations.
  • Built lasting relationships with reporters; recognized as reporters’ source.
  • Ongoing, positive coverage in dailies, weeklies, trades. Local TV and radio coverage. Authored and placed multimedia news releases, PSAs, op-ed pieces, letters to the editor, guest columns.
  • Launched VNR on $500 budget; interviewed on local TV and radio news.
  • Recognized by executive director and news reporters for metro-wide transit strike communications.
  • Tax change public-relations campaign reduced anticipated public outcry to three phone calls.
  • Initiated and hosted visit by U.S. Representative James Oberstar, transportation committee chair.
  • Named Metropolitan Council’s Travel Demand Management Advocate of the Year.

Additional Information

Audrey Britton, ABC’s Groups:

International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) board member
IABC Masterminds

•    Executive Suite
•    U.S. Government Relations & Public Affairs
•    International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
•    Brand & Communications Management
•    Social Media Marketing
•    Public Relations and Communications Professionals
•    Minnesota Public Relations
•    St. John's University & College of St. Benedict Alumni
•    Internal Communication
•    Twin Cities Communicator Network
•    Cause Communications
•    IABC Minnesota
•    University of St Thomas Master of Business Communication
•    Market Research Bulletin
•    Public Relations and Communications Jobs Community
•    New Models of Social Responsibility
•    CloudScrapers

Audrey Britton, ABC’s Honors:

Honeywell:
Several awards for leadership, functional/technical excellence and “bringing out the best in people.”

Fortis Financial Group:
DALBAR (an independent auditor) award for marketing materials.
Brand-excellence award in international, companywide competition.
Honorable mention in international, companywide writing competition.
Asked to serve as one of company’s 12 change agents.

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority:
Metropolitan Council’s Travel Demand Management Advocate of the Year.

Audrey Britton, ABC’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• expertise requests
• reference requests
• getting back in touch