Announcing Woman of the Year Keynote Speaker: GE Chief Communications Officer Deirdre Latour
Sep 28, 2016 | Events, News & Updates
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Mara Vandlik, President, WWPR[/caption] We are so thrilled to announce that Deirdre Latour, GE’s new Chief Communications Officer will be keynoting our 27th annual Woman of the Year luncheon on November 18, 2016. I enjoyed reading more about her in this recent article from PR Week and can’t wait to hear her inspiring story at #WOY2016. In addition to announcing Deirdre, we recently finished reviewing the submissions of the fifteen incredible women nominated for the PR Woman of the Year award. And…Wow! I thought I would share with you some of the sentiments I was lucky enough to read about each woman so you could get an idea of the unbelievable talent nominated for this prestigious award. In no particular order: She doesn't back away from a challenge, and knows that life comes with up and downs, especially in the communications world. Her leadership and example speak volumes too- all of our clients come through referrals- a testament to the staff she has trained and they way we work with our clients. [caption id="attachment_4872" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Deirdre Latour, Chief Communications Officer, GE[/caption] Whether it’s to spark curiosity, create buzz, raise awareness, or drive action, her carefully crafted campaigns have built reputations, launched venues and events and made the headlines. Those that know her well would say she has entrepreneurial DNA. Since the beginning of her career, she has been building businesses, fostering relationships and driving connections. She has emerged as an outstanding public relations professional, a champion of causes, a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur and a leader in the field. She gracefully manages integration across a wide set of internal stakeholders with varying priorities…and she is a beloved and thoughtful mentor to young professionals on her team, regularly identifying new challenges tailored to each member’s goals. She knows that acceleration of new research will one day lead to a cure and she continues to raise the bar higher on communications to build that momentum. Through talent and the ability to work collaboratively and creatively she successfully moved up to lead-and grow-one of the most successful communications agencies in Washington and become a recognized leader in the global communications industry. Hands down, she is who I want to be when I grow up in my career. It’s been rare to find people that are not only smart and good at their jobs, but that you also look to for inspiration, guidance, laughter and support when you’re having a tough time. She is highly selective in the clients she chooses because she is dedicated to making the world a better place and is fiercely committed to clients whose issues and causes she strongly believes in. Her natural ability to impart wisdom with a smile and cheeky turn-of-phrase is part of what makes her so captivating. She has been a leader in high-profile, high-impact strategic communications throughout her career…With an exceptional ability to develop effective communications strategies, guide her teams in implementing them, and deliver results for clients, she exhibits the qualities of a model public relations firm. Outside of her rigorous dedication to her bevy of clients, she puts her philanthropic services to the test as she has worked for non-profit organizations. Her impressive and tenured career as a communications professional has made her a respected and trusted leader in public relations for a number of prominent DC organizations- from startups, to Fortune 500 companies and boards. She has dedicated her career to the communications industry, primarily giving a voice to women, relatively unknown innovators, product and services companies, and organizations in need of remarkable creative thinking in order to stand out from the crowd. She not only understands all aspects of PR, but she has also transformed the way we do business. Her drive to exceed clients’ expectations, pursue and inspire excellence among her peers, improve the lives of our staff, and give back to the community has endeared her to everyone she encounters. I hope you enjoyed reading these as much as I did! We will be announcing the three PR Woman of the Year finalists from this unbelievably talented group soon so stay tuned. Registration is now open for the event and I really hope you can join us. I want to thank the unbelievable committee working to make this event so great, led by Elise Perkins and Dani Veira. If you have any questions about the event please e-mail woy@wwpr.org. 
Mara Vandlik, President, WWPR[/caption] We are so thrilled to announce that Deirdre Latour, GE’s new Chief Communications Officer will be keynoting our 27th annual Woman of the Year luncheon on November 18, 2016. I enjoyed reading more about her in this recent article from PR Week and can’t wait to hear her inspiring story at #WOY2016. In addition to announcing Deirdre, we recently finished reviewing the submissions of the fifteen incredible women nominated for the PR Woman of the Year award. And…Wow! I thought I would share with you some of the sentiments I was lucky enough to read about each woman so you could get an idea of the unbelievable talent nominated for this prestigious award. In no particular order: She doesn't back away from a challenge, and knows that life comes with up and downs, especially in the communications world. Her leadership and example speak volumes too- all of our clients come through referrals- a testament to the staff she has trained and they way we work with our clients. [caption id="attachment_4872" align="alignleft" width="225"] Deirdre Latour, Chief Communications Officer, GE[/caption] Whether it’s to spark curiosity, create buzz, raise awareness, or drive action, her carefully crafted campaigns have built reputations, launched venues and events and made the headlines. Those that know her well would say she has entrepreneurial DNA. Since the beginning of her career, she has been building businesses, fostering relationships and driving connections. She has emerged as an outstanding public relations professional, a champion of causes, a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur and a leader in the field. She gracefully manages integration across a wide set of internal stakeholders with varying priorities…and she is a beloved and thoughtful mentor to young professionals on her team, regularly identifying new challenges tailored to each member’s goals. She knows that acceleration of new research will one day lead to a cure and she continues to raise the bar higher on communications to build that momentum. Through talent and the ability to work collaboratively and creatively she successfully moved up to lead-and grow-one of the most successful communications agencies in Washington and become a recognized leader in the global communications industry. Hands down, she is who I want to be when I grow up in my career. It’s been rare to find people that are not only smart and good at their jobs, but that you also look to for inspiration, guidance, laughter and support when you’re having a tough time. She is highly selective in the clients she chooses because she is dedicated to making the world a better place and is fiercely committed to clients whose issues and causes she strongly believes in. Her natural ability to impart wisdom with a smile and cheeky turn-of-phrase is part of what makes her so captivating. She has been a leader in high-profile, high-impact strategic communications throughout her career…With an exceptional ability to develop effective communications strategies, guide her teams in implementing them, and deliver results for clients, she exhibits the qualities of a model public relations firm. Outside of her rigorous dedication to her bevy of clients, she puts her philanthropic services to the test as she has worked for non-profit organizations. Her impressive and tenured career as a communications professional has made her a respected and trusted leader in public relations for a number of prominent DC organizations- from startups, to Fortune 500 companies and boards. She has dedicated her career to the communications industry, primarily giving a voice to women, relatively unknown innovators, product and services companies, and organizations in need of remarkable creative thinking in order to stand out from the crowd. She not only understands all aspects of PR, but she has also transformed the way we do business. Her drive to exceed clients’ expectations, pursue and inspire excellence among her peers, improve the lives of our staff, and give back to the community has endeared her to everyone she encounters. I hope you enjoyed reading these as much as I did! We will be announcing the three PR Woman of the Year finalists from this unbelievably talented group soon so stay tuned. Registration is now open for the event and I really hope you can join us. I want to thank the unbelievable committee working to make this event so great, led by Elise Perkins and Dani Veira. If you have any questions about the event please e-mail woy@wwpr.org. 