Phyllis Laorenza Linnehan has more than 25 years experience in a variety of communications disciplines, including public relations, internal and marketing communications, special events management, and journalism. She began her
career as a broadcast journalist and worked in both radio and television for five
years before venturing into public relations and business communications.

For the past 12 years, Phyllis has performed as an independent PR practitioner providing high-level writing, strategic planning and consulting, media and analysts relations, events planning, and tactical execution for healthcare, consumer, business and technology clients. Her clients list includes Philips Medical Systems, ZOLL Medical Corp., Polaroid Corporation, XTech, MicroTouch, Cole & Co., Gemini Communications, KOGS Communication, and others. She frequently provides pro bono PR and fundraising services to community-based organizations and non-profit groups as well.

Prior to establishing her consulting business, Phyllis spent a decade providing PR counsel at Fortune 500 companies. In her most recent corporate position as PR manager at Hewlett-Packard Company’s Medical Products Group, Phyllis was responsible for executing worldwide public relations programs to raise visibility of HP
in healthcare, including an “early access to defibrillation” consumer campaign that ultimately made life-saving defibrillators commonplace in schools, airports, arenas, and other public venues where people gather. She also directed media and analysts relations, crisis communications, and communications for partnerships and acquisitions. At HP, Phyllis initiated, designed and implemented the company’s first web-based newsroom.

As marketing PR manager for Polaroid Corporation’s Professional and Technical Imaging Group, Phyllis was instrumental in launching and/or securing market leadership positions for several new businesses, including desktop imaging, office products, and electronic security ID. Over the course of her seven-year career at Polaroid, she introduced more than 150 major new products and services and garnered hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of editorial coverage. Among the dozen or so editorial awards and designations she secured for Polaroid’s business products was the coveted and prestigious PC Magazine Editors’ Choice, which provided a significant boost in sales for the Desktop Imaging Group. She also received numerous corporate quality awards.

Phyllis has worked PR from both the client and agency side. She began her PR career in a Boston-based agency and, during her tenure on the client side, hired and managed numerous agencies. Hence, she understands the components and intricacies of a successful client-agency relationship.

Phyllis is the recipient of three national and regional honors for highly effective public relations -- a Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America, a Bell Ringer from the Publicity Club of New England, and an Award of Excellence from The Communicator Awards – all awarded in 2005.

She holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies from Emerson College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Rhode Island College.