Senior Director, Corporate Communications at Guidance Software
Greater Los Angeles Area
- Current
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- Senior Director, Corporate Communications at Guidance Software
- Past
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- Managing Member at Purdy Public Relations LLC
- Director, Public Relations at Websense
- Senior Manager, Public Relations at Websense
- Education
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- The University of Texas at Austin
- Université Paris Sorbonne (Paris IV)
- Richard King High School
- Recommendations
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20 recommendations - Connections
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500+
connections
- Industry
- Public Relations and Communications
- Websites
Cas Purdy’s Summary
Professional with more than ten years of experience building and directing world-class public relations programs at multi-national, public software companies; consistently promoted, awarded and driven; always interested in opportunities to oversee communications efforts that drive positive corporate perception to achieve business objectives
Cas Purdy’s Specialties:
Media relations; social media policy, training and blogging; marketing; agency selection and direction; acquisitions and divestitures; CEO and executive thought leadership and visibility; executive counseling; corporate and product launches; crisis communications; branding; earnings announcements and financial communications; customer advocacy and references; company, product and technology awards; channel communications; spokesperson training; domestic and international media tours and events
Cas Purdy’s Experience
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Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Guidance Software
(Public Company; GUID; Computer Software industry)
May 2010 — Present (5 months)
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Managing Member
Purdy Public Relations LLC
(Privately Held; Public Relations and Communications industry)
August 2009 — May 2010 (10 months)
Purdy Public Relations LLC is a boutique communications consultancy in high-tech hub Austin, Texas. Working with PR firms including Borders + Gratehouse, PURDYPR helped drive media and analyst relations for Webroot, RingCentral and other high-tech innovators.
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Director, Public Relations
Websense
(Public Company; WBSN; Computer Software industry)
June 2008 — August 2009 (1 year 3 months)
• Successfully directed public relations strategy through first three acquisitions in company’s history, including $410 million acquisition of SurfControl, $90 million acquisition of data leak prevention leader PortAuthority Technologies, as well as the acquisition of Web 2.0 security specialist Defensio and the divestiture of CyberPatrol
• PRWeek selected Websense as Business-to-Business campaign finalist in 2008
• Leadership position in corporate projects including: corporate rebranding, product and channel partner program launches, CEO keynotes at RSA, the largest security event, and media relations for 2008 Websense opening of NASDAQ
• While leading PR efforts at Websense, the company tripled its product line, doubled the size of its employee base, grew from 25 million to more than 44 million product seats under subscription, doubled its customer base, and increased GAAP revenue from approximately $178 million (in 2006) to $295 million (in 2008)
• Instrumental in driving company’s position in media coverage as a top security company alongside Symantec, Trend Micro, McAfee and Cisco
• Reduced news release distribution costs by 166% through strong contract negotiations – funding first Websense marketing arm in Canada and additional emerging markets in Latin America
• Devised strategy for Web 2.0-enabled newsroom, social media engagement, customer advocacy, turnkey pitches, rapid response programs and agency extranet. -
Senior Manager, Public Relations
Websense
(Public Company; 501-1000 employees; WBSN; Computer Software industry)
June 2006 — June 2008 (2 years 1 month)
Direct global public relations program, including media, customer and influencer relations. Managed internal team of public relations professionals and external agencies.
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Media Relations Manager, ISV and Developer Relations, Academic Initiative & Emerging Markets
IBM
(Public Company; IBM; Information Technology and Services industry)
January 2005 — May 2006 (1 year 5 months)
• Doubled media coverage related to IBM developer initiatives year-to-year through campaigns that drove mindshare among IBM’s ecosystem of influencers: developers, academics, business partners and venture capital firms
• Conceived software communications strategy and activities for IBM PartnerWorld 2006, IBM’s largest media event of the year, resulting in more than 150 positive media articles
• Built campaigns that promoted emerging technologies from IBM Research and helped raise IBM’s CARMA rating, a measure of communications effectiveness, for partnering and developer relations to an all-time high in 2005. -
Media Relations Manager, Security & Privacy Software
IBM
(Public Company; IBM; Information Technology and Services industry)
December 2000 — December 2004 (4 years 1 month)
• Counseled senior executives, marketing, product managers and agencies on media relations strategy and tactics to drive positive stories, awareness and influence constituencies
• Oversaw crisis communications, product divestitures and launches, partnerships, acquisitions and other news that impacted a $1.5 billion IBM software business
• Represented public relations on IBM’s Privacy Management Team and cross-company security marketing council
• Increased IBM’s security software press coverage 88 percent worldwide in 2002, including key feature placements in business and trade media
• Managed messaging planning and media relations during acquisition of security vendor Access360, resulting in more than 140 positive media coverage worldwide
• Drove coverage around IBM’s Web services security initiatives as well as subsequent IBM Software announcements resulting in massive business and trade press coverage
• Selected to work on assignment at IBM Research labs in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., to manage cross-company media days on innovation and life sciences
• Selected to work on temporary assignment in London, England, and Vienna, Austria, to drive communications efforts of IBM’s largest European software press event of 2001. -
Media Relations Specialist, Security & Privacy Software
IBM
(Public Company; IBM; Information Technology and Services industry)
December 1999 — December 2000 (1 year 1 month)
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Assistant Store Manager
Gap Inc.
(Public Company; GPS; Retail industry)
1996 — February 1999 (3 years )
Managed between 40-100 (depending on season) employees at a $4 million Gap brand store; responsible for merchandising store to drive profits that contributed to Gap, Inc.; personnel and hiring manager during back-to-school and holiday seasons
Cas Purdy’s Education
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The University of Texas at Austin
Bachelor's degree of science , Public Relations , 1995 — 1999
Coursework included: public relations management, crisis communications, public relations writing, international advertising, marketing, management information sciences, computer programming, organizational communications, professional speaking and advanced French courses
- Activities and Societies:
- College of Communication, Dean’s List
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Université Paris Sorbonne (Paris IV)
Certification , French , 1998 — 1998
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Richard King High School
Additional Information
Cas Purdy’s Websites:
Cas Purdy’s Honors:
-- Websense Finalist for PR Week's Business-to-Business Campaign of the Year, 2008
