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    BPI Expert Faculty

    Jill Totenberg

    President

    The Totenberg Group

    Key Takeaways

    • 1.She designs and executes strategic communication programs that align with business objectives.
    • 2.Totenberg is known for high-impact media relations, connecting clients with top-tier media.
    • 3.She assists companies in navigating crisis situations to protect and enhance their reputations.
    • 4.Totenberg guides clients in crafting clear, credible, and impactful messages for diverse stakeholders.

    About Jill

    Jill Totenberg is a distinguished communications professional who leads The Totenberg Group, leveraging her expertise in high-impact media and strategic communications to achieve business goals for a diverse range of clients, and is an expert faculty member at the Best Practice Institute.

    Who is Jill Totenberg?

    Jill Totenberg is the President of The Totenberg Group, a highly regarded virtual communications firm. She specializes in crafting and implementing communication programs that deliver measurable business outcomes for professional service firms, Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions, and individual academics. Totenberg is recognized for her candid counsel and ability to develop insightful messages that resonate with various audiences, including clients, prospects, journalists, and employees.

    Her career has been marked by a focus on maximizing communications to enhance brand recognition, define key messages for influential audiences, and build external awareness through traditional and new media channels. She also provides expertise in crisis management, helping organizations preserve and enhance their reputations.

    Quick facts about Jill Totenberg

    RolePresident
    CompanyThe Totenberg Group
    ExpertiseCommunications Strategy, Media Relations, Public Affairs
    Notable forHigh-impact media, strategic communications, crisis management, professional services marketing
    BPI affiliationExpert Faculty member

    What is Jill Totenberg known for?

    Jill Totenberg is known for her contributions in several key areas:

    • High-impact media relations: Effectively connecting clients with top-tier media and influential trade publications.
    • Strategic communications program development: Designing and executing comprehensive communication strategies that align with business objectives and deliver superior return on investment.
    • Message development and delivery: Guiding clients in crafting clear, credible, and impactful messages for diverse stakeholders.
    • Professional services marketing: Setting standards for marketing professional services firms, a practice she continues today for her clients.
    • Crisis management: Assisting companies in navigating challenging situations to protect and enhance their reputations.
    • Board service: Contributing her expertise to organizations like The Tenement Museum and previously to The Healthcare Chaplaincy and Health Leads.

    What is Jill Totenberg's background and experience?

    Prior to establishing The Totenberg Group, Jill Totenberg accumulated extensive leadership experience in various prominent organizations. She served as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at TD Waterhouse, where she played a pivotal role in the firm's external communications. Her tenure as Vice President of Marketing & Communications at CSC Index further solidified her expertise in strategic marketing within a professional services context.

    Totenberg also held the position of Global Vice President of Communications at Gemini Consulting, contributing to their worldwide communication initiatives. Earlier in her career, she was a Senior Vice President at Ruder Finn, a global public relations agency. Across these roles, she developed innovative communications and public relations programs that became benchmarks in the industry, particularly for marketing professional services.

    What topics does Jill Totenberg speak and write about?

    Jill Totenberg focuses on critical aspects of communications that drive business success. Her work and insights revolve around the strategic application of communications to achieve specific organizational goals, whether it's enhancing brand recognition, defining messages for key audiences, or managing reputational risks. She emphasizes the importance of effective and credible communication to engage various stakeholder groups, including customers, investors, policymakers, and employees.

    Her expertise extends to leveraging high-impact media to build external awareness and influence opinion. Totenberg also addresses the nuances of crisis management, providing guidance on how to navigate difficult situations while preserving and strengthening a company's reputation. Through her firm, she consults on strategy formulation, message development, and the precise delivery of communications.

    How does Jill Totenberg contribute to the Best Practice Institute?

    As an Expert Faculty member of the Best Practice Institute, Jill Totenberg brings her extensive experience in strategic communications and media relations to BPI's global network of executives and leaders. Her insights are invaluable to BPI members seeking to enhance their organizational communication, manage public perception, and effectively convey their vision and values. While specific webinars are not on record, her expertise aligns with BPI's mission to foster best practices in leadership and organizational development, particularly in how companies articulate their commitment to values that align with the Most Loved Workplace® movement and the SPARK Model.

    Where can you learn more from Jill Totenberg?

    To gain further insights into strategic communications and media relations, you can explore the resources provided by the Best Practice Institute. Additional information about Jill Totenberg's work and her firm's capabilities can be found on The Totenberg Group's official website, which highlights her approach to partnering with clients to achieve their communications and business objectives.

    Background & Perspective

    Background and Career

    Jill Totenberg is the President of The Totenberg Group, a virtual communications firm she leads. Before establishing her own firm, Totenberg held several senior leadership positions. She was Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at TD Waterhouse, Vice President of Marketing & Communications at CSC Index, and Global Vice President of Communications at Gemini Consulting. Earlier in her career, she was a Senior Vice President at the global public relations agency Ruder Finn.

    Areas of Expertise

    Totenberg specializes in crafting communication programs that achieve measurable business goals for clients ranging from professional service firms to Fortune 500 companies. Her key areas of expertise include strategic communications, high-impact media relations, public affairs, crisis management, and professional services marketing. She is particularly noted for setting industry standards in the marketing of professional services.

    Communications Philosophy

    Recognized for her candid counsel, Jill Totenberg focuses on developing insightful messages that resonate with diverse audiences, including journalists, employees, clients, and prospects. She emphasizes the strategic application of communications to enhance brand recognition, define key messages, manage reputational risks, and build external awareness through both traditional and new media. Her work in crisis management helps organizations protect and strengthen their reputations during challenging times.

    Areas of Expertise

    Communications StrategyMedia RelationsPublic AffairsCrisis ManagementMessage DevelopmentProfessional Services Marketing

    Research Topics

    CommunicationsMarketingPublic Relations

    Profile last updated

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