Wanda Herndon Biography

Wanda J. Herndon, a former Starbucks Coffee Company senior vice president of worldwide communications, started W Communications, a strategic communications consulting business, in 2006. She oversaw communications, public relations, and marketing activities for top brands and Fortune 500 businesses throughout the majority of her 30-year career. She worked for DuPont, The Dow Chemical Company, and the Michigan House of Representatives in addition to Starbucks Coffee Company. Herndon, as president and CEO of W Communications, offers strategic communications counsel, strategy development, and execution in the areas of brand management, corporate reputation management, public relations, media relations, issues management, diversity, public affairs, executive communications, social responsibility, financial communications, and employee communications. Starbucks Coffee Company, one of the world's most recognized and respected brands; lululemon athletica, a high-end retailer of yoga-inspired athletic wear; and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., which is in charge of marketing and selling ABILIFYTM, an antipsychotic medication, are among W Communications' clients. When Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz returned to the CEO role in January 2008, he requested Herndon to re-lead the company's communications division and rejoin the executive team. Her return involvement with Starbucks lasted through the end of 2008, and she is still available to give strategic communications advice as needed. From 1995 until 2006, Herndon was Starbucks Coffee Business's senior vice president of global communications and an officer of the company. Starbucks hired her to establish, grow, and oversee the company's worldwide communications division. Herndon served as Starbucks' chief communications officer during a period of phenomenal growth, overseeing the development and execution of all global communications strategies and activities such as corporate reputation management, key brand message development, executive communications, public affairs, media relations, employee communications, financial communications, issues management, and public relations. She oversaw a team of communications professionals headquartered at Starbucks' corporate headquarters in Seattle, Washington, as well as a global network of communications specialists and agencies. Under her direction, the communications team planned and executed engaging, business-focused Starbucks annual meetings attended by over 5,000 shareholders each year, as well as creative, award-winning annual reports. Herndon represented Starbucks on numerous community boards and with national organizations as a member of the company's senior leadership team. She supported, improved, safeguarded, and extended the Starbucks brand and reputation as the business grew from 12,000 workers and about 550 locations in North America in 1995 to more than 100,000 employees and over 11,000 stores in 37 countries in 2006. She reported to the chairman and CEO. Starbucks' revenues increased from roughly $465 million in fiscal 1995 to more than $6.3 billion in fiscal 2005 during Herndon's tenure. Prior to joining Starbucks, Herndon worked at DuPont Chemical Company in a variety of senior communications management positions from 1990 to 1995. During her time at DuPont, she worked in the Agricultural Products Department, where she was in charge of internal and external communications. She also oversaw a worldwide team of communications experts that offered strategic internal and external communications leadership while supporting DuPont's $6 billion Polymers and Automotive division. In her final position, she was in charge of corporate employee communications and acted as a communications counselor to the CEO and the corporation's senior management team, advising them on communications and change strategies that resulted in behavioral and cultural changes. Herndon was the first African American and the first external recruit for The Dow Chemical Company's communications development program, which was meant to bring in new talent. During her 12-year Dow career, from 1978 to 1990, she held a variety of communications and marketing management positions, including marketing communications manager for Lorsban insecticides, group communications manager for the Specialty Plastics Department, and communications director for DowBrands, The Dow Chemical Company's consumer division, where she was responsible for establishing In addition, while working as a legislative assistant to a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1975 to 1977, Herndon evaluated new legislation, arranged parliamentary hearings, coordinated fundraising events, and addressed constituent concerns. Wanda J. Herndon, who earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Michigan State University, created the Wanda J. Herndon Endowed Journalism Scholarship at her alma school in 2004. PR Week magazine called her one of the twelve most influential African Americans in public relations. Furthermore, Black Professionals magazine named her one of the Top 100 Black Professionals in Corporate America in 2005. The Black Women's Agenda, Inc. honored her with the Economic and Business Award in 2008. Herndon earned Michigan State University's coveted Distinguished Alumni Award in 2002. She has given guest lectures at Michigan State University, Mott College, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of Washington. Herndon is involved in a number of local and national community groups. She serves as vice president of the board of directors of The 5th Avenue Theatre, a nonprofit musical theatre venue, and as a senior adviser to One Reel, a nonprofit art, culture, and special events producer. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she serves on the International Fund Development committee, and The Links, Inc., where she serves on the public relations committee. She is the president of the Wanda J. Herndon Foundation, which gives philanthropic donations to different organizations, and she is on the executive board of the Lacewing Foundation, which helps women and children all around the world. Herndon just completed a 10-year tenure on the executive boards of the YWCA of King County and Zion Preparatory Academy, a private school for African American children. She was a founding member of the Starbucks Foundation board. She was also a minority owner of the NBA Seattle Supersonics and the WNBA Seattle Storm professional basketball teams from 2001 to 2006, and she sat on the executive board of the Basketball Club of Seattle, LLC, the previous owners of these professional basketball clubs. Herndon is now one of the producers of the New York Broadway musical Memphis, which is currently performing at the Shubert Theater. Topics One Voice: Passionately Communicating Your Brand in Good, Great, and Not-So-Great Times Wanda Herndon, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at Starbucks Coffee Company, one of the most renowned and known worldwide brands, oversaw the company's communications strategy between 1995 and 2006. It's Not All About the Grind at Work! Herndon obviously recognizes that work is more than just the daily grind, and she offers her ideas on how to balance work and leisure. Herndon discusses how to attain job success without losing touch with one's self or life outside of work. Diversity Brew: Developing the Ideal Mix for Tomorrow's Workforce Herndon describes how she ascended through the ranks of Starbucks Coffee Company to become Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, and how finding the right mix of workers can lead to great economic success. Mentoring: A Whole-Body Experience Herndon, who is dynamic and entertaining, provides direct talk on the advantages of mentoring and being mentored, as well as the responsibility that comes with both.

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