Kate Durham Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Deerfield, Illinois

Led a team of more than 30 team members across a variety of functions. Responsible for CEO executive communications, WBA global internal communications, Walgreens internal communications, studio, creative services and production, and U.S. events. Served on Global Communications Leadership Team, reporting to the Global Chief Communications Officer. Also served as interim member of Walgreens Executive Operating Committee and past member of the Global Inclusion Council and Global HR Leadership and Cost Management teams.Served as primary point of contact for our global CEO’s external and internal communications including leading and managing top tier media opportunities and events, hands-on.Led internal communications efforts globally during the pandemic, including a sudden pivot to becoming virtual event experts. For example, the Walgreens annual leadership event was delivered virtually to twice the audience, at one-tenth the cost, with survey responders and execs calling it “the best ever.”Received global award in 2020 for having 100% score on “I would recommend my manager to others” on our annual engagement survey. Was one of nine team members across the company to receive the perfect score. My team’s 2023 Glint engagement score was 81.

Deerfield, Illinois

Served as trusted advisor to top executives. Led and managed complex projects for Walgreens Boots Alliance and Walgreens communication and events function, budgeting and planning for the department and the events and creative services teams. Elevated my team’s function to be true strategic partners and grew our team in a challenging cost environment, by building a business case to reduce costs by using in-house resources. Company events routinely received up to 95 percent approval ratings.

Deerfield, Illinois

Responsible for strategic communications for Walgreens (the largest business of Walgreens Boots Alliance, currently #19 on Fortune 500 list.)Led communications planning and message and narrative development across a variety of channels for high profile programs and projects including business transformation, pilots and innovations, M&A, organizational structure changes and more. Provided executive communications and reputation management counsel to a number of key executives. Ensured consistency in messaging across channels.Also led a pilot program for the department on ways we work, to ensure alignment and integration between internal and external communications and marketing efforts. Built a new function and team for the division, including recruiting, hiring and establishing roles and responsibilities. Led a team of seven staff members.

Downers Grove, Illinois

Responsible for strategic communications within mortgage business of 4,000 employees. Also communicated key mortgage priorities across bank to 55,000 employees.Developed annual communications plan, set strategies for the year, wrote and edited intranet feature stories and executive messages, ensured continuous pipeline of stories for intranet site (more than 130 stories in 2014.) Managed communications for town hall events, manager teleconferences and other leadership events. Coached chief executive and prepared presentations and talking points.Increased town hall performance significantly in a short amount of time: positive survey scores were up in every measurement from 78-93% in 2014 versus 41-76% in 2012-2013. Also helped increase employee engagement from 53% to 56% and decrease disengagement from 38% to 35% year over year, during a challenging time for the business and industry.Oversaw an intranet revamp, launch and subsequent adoption plan resulting in increased page views by 20%.Managed two direct reports.

Mettawa, Il

Responsible for strategic communications across global functions of Compliance, Risk and Legal to 16,000 employees. Developed Compliance and Risk communications plans for submission to FRB and OCC, as part of regulatory requirements of the bank. Developed annual communications plans for all internal clients, set strategies for the year, developed executive messaging, crafted “Team Talk” verbal discussion guides, wrote Intranet feature stories, developed campaigns to build awareness among employees on key updates, policy changes, business objectives, values and more. Created and led qualitative research projects on topics such as issues escalation. Used a journalistic storytelling approach for my communications which consistently ranked highest for readership; was the top U.S. contributor to global publications.

Mettawa, Il

Won the CEO Award for 2008 performance. (Considered the top tier award for the “best of the best” in the company; given to less than a fraction of 1% of employees.) Managed public relations for HSBC’s mortgage and credit card businesses, as well as HSBC Bank USA brand sponsorship and advertising activity.Responsible for the overall media relations and issues management strategies for a broad portfolio during the height of the sub-prime mortgage and financial crises. Managed all proactive and reactive activities including complex issues such as reductions in force, job migration, business wind-down, foreclosure, fair lending, regulatory concerns and more. Frequently quelled or neutralized negatively charged inquiries. For example, in Q1 2009, I managed all media activity surrounding our HFC/Beneficial branch closures and related layoff of 6,000 employees. Announcement resulted in me conducting 50 phone interviews on day one of the announcement. These calls resulted in neutral coverage, all on message.Wrote response letters for government inquiries, including executive testimony before the California state senate. Provided guidance to various business contacts to both promote and protect the brand. Prepared senior leadership with key messages and coaching for media interviews. Also partnered with PR and ad agencies on bank advertising plans to promote and protect the HSBC brand. Served as SVP’s back-up/officer-in-charge on all media matters across all businesses and functions while SVP was unavailable.

Mettawa, Il

Led team of up to four direct reports responsible for all direct mail creative testing to prospective and current customers. Planned tactical and strategic tests designed to lift response rates and beat controls. Also devised messaging and sequencing initiatives to challenge controls. Wrote monthly reporting on results analysis. Also managed quarterly competitive presentations. Served as primary contact for creative briefing with external creative agencies, as well as liaison with new product development team for qualitative and quantitative research. Was accountable for $1 million-plus annual budget.

Elmhurst, Il

Managed new product projects through Stage-Gate methodology, working with cross-functional team members. Created and wrote detailed business cases reviewed by senior gatekeepers to judge future impact of new product ideas. In addition, managed many ad hoc requests/projects. Managed marketing plan for savings account program. Managed and tracked budget for Product Development and Product Management cost centers.

Prospect Heights, Il

Managed creative packages for all communications to current U.S. Consumer Lending customers. Worked closely with campaign management, legal, policy and compliance, and production teams to create direct mail campaigns. Met very tight deadlines. Successfully managed projects and relationships with various advertising and direct marketing agencies and letter shop. Served as the single point-of-contact for all creative packages on my team. Also wrote customer communications regarding regulatory/compliance issues. People’s Choice Award Winner, 3rd Quarter of 2002; CLEAR award nominee, 3rd Quarter of 2002.

Prospect Heights, Il

Wrote copy for press releases, direct mail, point-of-purchase campaigns, advertisements, newsletters, training pieces and more. Worked closely with marketing support and sales departments from start to finish on all projects. Clients included: IKEA, CompUSA, Bose and This End Up.

Chicago, Il

Wrote advertising copy for Sears, Roebuck and Co. mailers and newspaper inserts; specialized in apparel, cosmetics and fragrance businesses.Effectively communicated promotional messages, as well as fashion trend news, to the consumer. Developed overall art and copy concepts as part of a special team dedicated to high profile assignments.

Hoffman Estates, Il

Wrote and produced various internal communications including: interactive multimedia presentations, videos and print materials, as part of Corporate Training and Development.Acted as sole liaison between clients and Compact Disc interactive (CD-i) production team (consisting of graphic designers, programmers and video crew.) Responsible for all aspects of pre-production.Wrote and produced the Sears Circle of Beauty Cosmetics CD-i that won the International CD-i Association’s Gold Award in 1997.

Mba, Marketing, Management

Activities and Societies: Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society member, Direct Marketing Association Collegiate ECHO Award Semi-Finalist.

Bachelor Of Arts, Journalism

Activities and Societies: Graduated with University Honors. Outstanding Senior Journalism Student of the Year, President of Women.