Barbara Owens Email & Phone Number

Greater Chicago Area

Strategic communications and marketing consultant with experience in global corporate communications, environmental comms, M&A and higher education.

Greater Chicago Area

Serve as a field team member on projects related to higher education. Currently working part time as the interim leader of the University Communications and Marketing function at the University of Wisconsin – Stephens Point while a search is conducted for a full time leader.

Greater Chicago Area

Communications consulting business specializing in global corporate communications strategy and execution; merger and acquisition (M&A) communications; C-suite speechwriting and financial communications/investor relations; leadership communications and employee engagement. Extensive experience in global, multi-language corporate communications environment. Recent experience in higher education. Excellent writing and editing capabilities.

Toledo, Ohio

Led a dynamic team of marketing and communication professionals responsible for reputation management, strategic messaging, brand, communications, media relations and creative services for all campuses of The University of Toledo. Oversaw teams that manage the University's web site, social media, video production and photography. Learned that working in higher education is completely different than working in a corporate environment!

Perrysburg, Ohio, Usa

Led all communications supporting $2.1 billion acquisition of glass manufacturing company based in Mexico. Developed communications function in new entity and coached new communications manager.Provided counsel and support to O-I CEO and other senior leaders with strategy communications, communications planning and messaging, external communications, reputation management and speechwriting. Partnered with investor relations team on development of messaging and scripts for quarterly earnings calls and investor conferences. Co-led development of the company’s first ever sustainability report. Led development of O-I’s global crisis communications plan. Supported Toledo-based initiative, Aspire, which seeks to empower local families so that children are born ready, school ready and life ready.

Perrysburg, Ohio

Led the $6 billion glassmaker’s global communications strategy at operations in more than 20 countries. Focus areas: reputation management, issues management, leadership communications, employee engagement, media relations, crisis communications, strategy communications, financial communications, sustainability positioning and support of glass positioning in the marketplace. Transformed and redefined the role of communications in the company by establishing roles and responsibilities, and building capabilities in the regions. Positioned the communications function as a vehicle to support business objectives, and established governance in the form of standards and processes. Created or revamped essential tools, such as the corporate web site, intranet and translation standards and processes for the company’s 13 official languages. Led the company’s sustainability communications strategy, beginning with the release of O-I’s complete carbon life cycle assessment (LCA), followed by the launch of 10-year goals, and later with the company’s first-ever sustainability report. These efforts complemented our collective work to help reposition glass as the most sustainable packaging choice. Collaborated on a change management initiative to define and implement robust corporate identity standards globally. This included the launch of the Glass Is Life movement, a groundbreaking campaign in the industry to reposition glass.With support from regional teams, led communications strategy and execution around plant investments and disinvestments in multiple countries, as well as joint ventures or mergers and acquisitions in France, Brazil, Argentina, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Mexico and the United States.

Greater Chicago Area

Speechwriting for CEO, CFO and other senior level executives. Provided counsel and strategic support to senior management and to corporate communications team. Provided communications support for the finance/investor relations team, including the drafting of CEO/CFO scripts, press releases and supporting documents for quarterly earnings calls with investors.Supported employee engagement and leadership communications efforts.

Greater Detroit Area And Greater Chicago Area

Served in wide range of strategic communication roles as an independent consultant and extended member of agency and corporate communications teams. Supported chief communications officer of General Motors and various executives and communication team members for 8 years. Projects included analysis and recommendations on structure of GM's communications function and daily support of new shared services group at GM, including communications around groundbreaking spinoff of financial shared service group to Arthur Andersen. Wrote speeches for chief environmental officer of GM and for GM's real estate and shared services leader, who served as GM's representative to the city of Detroit and spoke frequently in state and city forums. Served as member of communications team supporting the name change of Bayer AG's U.S. affiliates to Bayer, a nearly two-year project that addressed internal and external stakeholder audiences in multiple countries, states, industries and communities, an effort that earned the company a Golden Quill award.

Served as executive communications support at United Airlines, while internal job was being filled. Managed biweekly conference call/presentations with senior management to top leadership throughout company. Developed system/structure around senior executive visits to airport locations as employee engagement tool. Spent several months at DMI, Dairy Management Institute, developing various communication materials.

Began communications career at Bayer AG in Germany, where I served as the liaison between headquarters and the North American operations. Spent 6 years in Germany. Am fluent in German. Coordinated internal and external communications; selective speechwriting for Chairman of Bayer AG in English, assistant editor of English language newsletter. Transferred in 1993 to Bayer Corp. in Pittsburgh, which was a holding company at the time for all N. American operations - health care, consumer products, chemicals, Agfa, animal health. Now the companies are different entities. Served first in a marketing communications position for one of the organic chemicals division, then moved to a corporate position, responsible for the annual report, media relations and crisis communciations.

Mba, Global Marketing

Activities and Societies: Founder and president of Non-Profit Careers ClubThunderbird's tripartite program focuses on business.

Ba, Political Science, International Politics

Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa, Resident Assistant (2 years), Deans List, Intramural sports, dance marathon participant, dorm.