4 Reasons Why Those Who Aren’t on LinkedIn Should Be

4 Reasons Why Those Who Aren’t on LinkedIn Should Be

The Investment and Wealth Advisor Edition

Obviously, if you are reading this on LinkedIn, you understand the value of this site for making new business connections while also following what your current and former colleagues are doing, such as changing jobs, hiring new employees or someone who just sold their business and may need financial advice. 

Recently, I was working with a wealth advisor client and we chatted about expanding his brand locally and nationally. We talked about LinkedIn and he said that due to his firm’s compliance constraints and the effort to manage his profile and connections, LinkedIn was a waste of time. 

Not so. Below are valid, prospect leading and business growing uses for this social

media outlet. Of course, there are other reasons, but here I am focusing on those that apply to investment advisors and wealth managers, as well as anyone who relies on increasing contacts and building professional relationships. 

1. When I started my practice, one of the best pieces of business advice I received was to expand my reach beyond my first connections. They will be less likely to require my services. Most new business will come from second-tier connections. LinkedIn is the perfect professional venue to do just that. Used the right way, you can also tap into third-tier connections.

2. By following posts of current, or prospective clients, as well as industry peers, you can have timely knowledge of situations in which you can help or simply have reason to reach out to them and expand that relationship.

3. Writing an article or being in the press is an attention grabber once it’s posted on LinkedIn. These will be shared, commented on or “Liked” by your first connections, leading second connections and even third connections to notice you.

4. LinkedIn is a great forum to connect or follow people who can give you advice and news on what is important to you or things you never knew you needed, like what I have provided you here.

When you come across someone who thinks that they know everyone they need to know, yet their livelihood relies on building their business and relationships, I encourage you to share this with them. They may reconsider and take some time to put their names out there and connect with those who are, or potentially, important to their business. 

Melissa F Daly has worked in financial and business communications for more than 20 years, with a special focus on key message development and strategy around critical issues. Melissa formed MFD Communications in 2011 after spending three years at Goldman Sachs as Vice President, Corporate Communications. There, she focused on communications programs for its asset management (GSAM) and private wealth divisions as well as the firm’s political and lobbying activities. Prior to that, she was a Director at Brunswick Group, a London-based strategic communications firm. There, she spearheaded its financial services offer in the US, managing communications and special projects for hedge fund, private equity, insurance and traditional asset management firms. Before Brunswick, Melissa was responsible for marketing communications and media relations for Fred Alger Management, helping it rebuild after 9/11. At The Hartford, as Director of Communications, she was instrumental in building brand awareness around its new mutual fund family as well as being responsible for communications for The Hartford’s investment related products businesses. Early in her career, she worked alongside A. Michael Lipper as his namesake company’s Head of Media Relations. Melissa is often quoted in the press discussing a variety of business topics and has frequently appeared on CNBC and CNN serving as an industry commentator and Bloomberg calls her “a veteran Wall Street message maker.” Her experience spans across business sectors and continents.

The Abruptly Ended Media Interview

Recent Trump interviews have brought this topic back into the headlines. A Google search on “abruptly ended interview” yielded over a half-million results so it clearly happens more than it should. Whether it is a print or broadcast interview, the result is always the same. The act of ending the interview becomes the story and anything that was said before that moment is quickly disregarded. It’s the adult equivalent of taking your ball home because you don’t like how others are playing.

So, why do people go through the effort and agree to speak with the media just to quickly end it when they aren’t happy with the questions? Simply, they are ill-prepared, believe that their walk-out will reinforce that the media is wrong to ask about a topic, or some combination of both. Let’s explore best-practices when preparing for any media interview.

1.     Expect any question to be asked: Tough questions are generally not pulled out of thin air. They are often generated by the topics that you or your client have talked about in the past. Once that door has been opened, then reporters are free to ask questions on the subject.

2.     Prepare responses: Knowing that anything can be asked, prepare a clear and articulate response to the topic. Even if you don’t want to expand or give a specific answer, at least have a response so that you do not appear to be caught off guard. Because you aren’t ready to discuss the subject, doesn’t mean that the journalist is not.

3.     Establish ground rules: Before granting an interview, we can request that a journalist not veer off topic and venture into a specific area. The journalist must explicitly agree to ground rules before the interview takes place. When this request is made, there may be a legal, regulatory or personal reason that you don’t want to, or can’t, talk about something. But even if this agreement is made, you should still have an appropriate response in your back pocket. Something other than walking away would be ideal.

Never underestimate the power of the pen. Abruptly ending an interview demonstrates a lack of preparedness, an inability or no desire to clearly articulate answers to the “tough questions.” This disrespects the rights of the press, shareholders, stakeholders, elected officials and the public’s right to know what your response is on the topic. Before walking out, decide if you want part of your legacy to include the image of you not able to respond to the adult questions.

Reporters’ Biggest Grievance

I asked, and they answered. My unscientific poll included senior writers and editors at well-known news organizations including newswires, top financial magazines and national newspapers. These are the very people that most PR professionals want and need to know and they are increasingly frustrated by the same familiar tactics. But one in particular stood above the rest: Sending story pitches that have absolutely nothing to do with what the journalist, or even the publication, would ever consider covering as a news story. In fact, some ideas don’t even meet the definition of news or the easier standard of being even remotely interesting.

Over the years, I have heard this complaint with varying degrees of frustration coupled with some colorful language. To a PR person, a wrong pitch may seem insignificant, but for a busy journalist who may receive dozens of these a day, it can be a huge time-waster and more than simply annoying. And following up with a phone call will not help your cause. Equally important, when sending a useless pitch, you are also diminishing your own credibility with the journalists with whom you need to have established respect. And as a result, you’re damaging your career by not putting in the work to build goodwill with the journalists who ultimately determine if you’re effective at your job. Avoiding this mistake won’t take much time and will help advance your media relationships.

Read the Publication: The aforementioned journalists tell me that they constantly get press releases and pitches that are so distant from their audience that they question whether or not the PR person ever read their publication. There is a big difference between having an idea of what a publication covers and its intended audience and actually knowing what reporters are writing. Journalists are almost begging their PR counterparts to simply take a moment to read their publication. You’re trying to make a professional connection. That’s impossible if you don’t put in the time to understand the journalist’s area of expertise and his or her audience.

Identify Relevant Reporters: While you are reading your intended publication, take note of those who write about issues and topics important to your firm or client. Each publication has its own hierarchy and at times there are topics that get assigned. But for the most part, the by-line that you see would be the best person to start with when sending out your pitch. Editors will write but they should not be your first and frequent recipient of your emails. If you decide to hit send, be sure that the story idea or news event would be something of specific interest to the person on the receiving end.

Make the Pitch Clear, and Brief: Ok, you have the right publication, the right reporter and feel that your announcement, news, story idea, or white paper would have no better home. Reporters simply do not have enough time to read every press release and white paper that is sent to them. They have mastered the art of a quick scan on items that will pique their interest, but for the most part, they may miss what is most compelling because it is buried on page 5 of what you sent to them. Keep your pitch to the point and sort through your own information to show them what will be news or noteworthy to their readers. Presenting the media with a pitch that is easy to understand, gets to the point and justifies being sent to that reporter will go a long way in building long-term relationships and increase the chances of your emails being opened at all. In short, you have to think like a journalist, not only what interests them but how they convey information. You need get their attention early in your pitch.

Aligning the perfect pitch won’t always land a story, but your chances of having the media actually read or listen to you in the future will go up significantly. Consider all that journalists have to review and keep their eye on during the day and help them by giving them ideas and stories that they can use and not get sent directly to their trash.

3 Things Never to Do After a Media Interview

Recently, I have written about common mistakes that people make before and during media interviews. Unfortunately, once the interview is over, you may still undermine your end goal. Your actions may be misguided and could potentially jeopardize your place in the story as well as your long-term relationship with the media. Here are some things you should not do:

Blame your PR Person: I am not saying this selfishly. PR professionals really do not control what the press writes. We influence the relationship, provide education and background, verify facts, and have meals and drinks with reporters. All in an effort to try champion and promote your viewpoint. However, we don’t write the piece, nor do we see it ahead of time. As much as we try, we can’t control the focus of the story, the quotes that are used, and whether or not your comments even make it into the article at all. Be as prepared as possible before the interview and be mindful of your talking points and messaging.

Blame the reporter. There can be many instances when someone is not happy with an article. Today we will look at the more general displeasure of being left out, taken out of context, a negative undertone, the story not matching the interview or the headline not to your liking. Each one of these can be an hours-long discussion. But in essence, outside of a careless mistake, the twisting of facts or an error of omission, the journalist is not responsible for or beholden to your happiness with the story. If there is a mistake, then take the steps to get a correction. But if the story is factual and you just simply do not like it, step back and consider how to better get your message across next time.

Thank the journalist for a great story. You and your communications team did it! You worked hard to get that great, glowing profile in the most important, well-respected publication there ever was for your business. You want to pick up the phone and thank the writer for doing “such a great job!” Please don’t. A journalist’s priority is to be fair, balanced and accurate. If they hear that you are incredibly pleased by their representation of you or your business, they will feel as though they didn’t do an effective job sticking to their own guidelines. They will walk away thinking that they missed something or that you and others may consider them a shill for your firm. Instead, you can say that you appreciated their time and thoughtfulness while working with you and your colleagues. Vanilla, but respectful.

There are many rules of engagement when it comes to working with the press. With each media outlet, reporter and storyline you may be dealing with a lot of different moving parts and people. It’s critical that you don’t approach a press interview like a chat with an old friend, colleague or potential client. Each unique situation should be considered and prepared for carefully with assistance from those in a position who can help you through the process. 

Don’t Do This During a Media Interview

The day has come and you have decided to speak or meet with a journalist. You prepared, learned about the reporter and are ready to be interviewed as an expert on a topic, industry or key issue. We all have heard and read stories about interviews going wrong, or about a soured relationship with a reporter.  Here are some things that the media often complain about and that you may be doing without realizing that you are hurting yourself.  

Getting too friendly. Many journalists are very nice people who are great dinner companions. They are usually naturally curious and well read.  During an interview, they want you to relax and speak openly, and if they are unfriendly, you will not open up to them. But never forget, journalists are on the clock and have a job to do. They are not your friends (unless, of course they are actually your friends - more on that in a separate article). You should be mindful of asking them to treat you differently or to assume that because of a friendly relationship that they won’t work to get you to say more than you intended.

Taking a whimsical off-the-record approach.  “Oh, that was off the record” is not a phrase that reporters take seriously. You should never consider this as a safe back-up plan if you happen to let slip something you should not have said. Reporters take their jobs seriously and when you agree to speak with them, you are, by all accounts, on the record. This means that when you offer an opinion that is nice, or not, talk about your current or former employer, mention a business or personal relationship, you can expect to see or hear these comments in an upcoming story.

Asking to see the story before it prints. Kudos to the many journalists who hear this request and tactfully decline. This plea makes reporters prickly and they will think that you are out of touch with how the media actually works. No matter the topic, from personal finance, health and fitness to an investigative piece, journalists are bound by their own code of conduct and will not show any outsiders a story before it hits the public domain.

There are many rules of engagement when it comes to working with the media. It is imperative that you understand how the press works from their perspective. Journalists play a critical role in bringing the public valuable information on a range of topics. Respecting their work and establishing mutually respectful relationships with the media will not only help them, it will help you, your business and any cause you choose to advocate.

BMW CEO Crashes

This week we saw BMW’s new CEO Harald Krüger, collapse on stage. This is something many speakers and presenters fear but will rationalize that it will not happen to them. The chances of passing out on stage are slim, of course, but it can happen. The good news is that Mr. Krüger is fine and this episode is being chalked up to feeling unwell earlier in the day.

So, what can we do to prevent ourselves from falling over while on stage? Sometimes, we are just simply sick, but feel that the show must go on. If that is the case, we have to weigh the decision of whether or not to go on at all. If you feel that you must get up there, you may want to tell your audience that you are under the weather and sit rather than stand. Nerves and exhaustion can prove to be an unsteady mix.

But sometimes it may be that our nerves are getting the better of us, our minds race and lightheadedness sets in. Let’s discuss lowering those stress and anxiety levels.

First and foremost, be as prepared as possible. Practice your presentation to the point that you are very comfortable with it and the talking points are second nature. To be sure, “practice” doesn’t mean glancing at your notes. We mean that you should read your comments aloud so that you can reinforce what you will say. When possible, rehearse in the event space so that the amplified sound of your own voice doesn’t freak you out.

Some of us take our breathing for granted. This involuntary function can be controlled to help us get through our presentation. Take some slow deep breathes before getting in front of your audience. Most importantly, take a deep breath just before you utter your first words. If you don’t start on a full lung, you will be catching your breath and will sound nervous. When you sound nervous to yourself, you will perpetuate your own sense of unease, resulting in even more anxiety.

Getting ready for your presentation also requires some rest the night before. Of course, life and work get in the way of good sleep. When that’s the case, some of us turn to coffee, and then more coffee and caffeine. Too much of this can cause your heart to race and will not help you calm down. My personal preference is the shot of B-12 in Berocca and my good friend Red Bull.

If the fear of speaking in front of small or large groups causes you enough anxiety that you think that you may suffer a career-fatal crash, seek the right help, prepare and practice.

Melissa F Daly has 20 years of financial communications experience, with a special focus on key message development and media relations around critical issues. Melissa formed MFD Communications after spending three years at Goldman Sachs as Vice President, Corporate Communications. At Goldman, Melissa focused on raising the profile of the its Asset Management and Private Wealth divisions, as well as the firm’s political activities. Prior to that, she was a Director at Brunswick Group, a London-based financial and strategic communications firm. There, she spearheaded its financial services business in the US, managing communications for hedge fund, private equity, insurance and traditional asset management firms. Melissa also worked at Fred Alger Management, The Hartford and Lipper in senior communications and media relations roles and has frequently appeared on CNBC and CNN as an industry commentator. Her experience spans across business sectors and continents.

3 Reasons Your Company’s Message Isn’t Clear

Last week I heard a familiar statement: "Our message is so simple, I don't know why people can’t understand it.” But I could see why. I listened to their message and was left with little-to-no idea about the value of their product. I simply didn’t get it, and I don’t believe that this firm’s potential clients get it either. As we become more entrenched in our own industry, business, or area of expertise, we are increasingly comfortable—too comfortable—with how we talk about it. Because we understand our topics deeply, we often forget that the people we are trying to reach, whether through a press interview, marketing materials or a presentation, may not fully comprehend the subject. The result is a disinterested or bored audience. What is the cause?

1. The Curse of Knowledge. Sometimes you can know so much, you lose perspective and forget that a lesser-informed person doesn’t understand what you are talking about. As a result, you tell your story in an overly complicated way as you present an idea.

Look for ways to streamline talking points and eliminate onerous phrasing. Choose words, examples and analogies that others can easily relate to or understand. When you take your shirt to the drycleaners, do you want to hear about the machinery and solvents used to make your clothing crisp? Or would you prefer the simplified version of that process, that your shirts come back clean and the environment stays green?

2. Jargon. Would you prefer that your doctor told you that you had tinea pedis, or simply that you have athlete’s foot? Pharyngitis, or a sore throat? Specific to every industry, there are words and phrases that are overly complicated to others. And not everyone in your industry may know all of the vernacular you are using.

As you think about your target audience, put yourself in their place and consider exactly how deep their individual knowledge of your firm or industry may be. Now assume that it is far less. Go through your talking points and pull out words that a novice would not necessarily understand.

3. Acronyms. My use for an acronym may be different than yours. Don’t believe me? There are 362 uses for "ACE" alone. Every industry and every business has a unique set of acronyms. Many firms even produce their own internal acronym lists for their employees.

Don’t make the assumption that someone outside of your four walls completely understands the meaning of acronyms that you may easily toss into a sentence. You can’t always eliminate them, but when speaking with an outsider, spell out the meaning of the acronym on the first reference.

The presumption that your audience knows exactly what your company does and the meaning behind your internal or industry phrasing will result in a lost opportunity to deliver a clear message. That may ultimately hurt your bottom line through wasted time in sales meetings, potential lost sales and missed opportunities with presentations and press interviews.

Melissa F Daly has 20 years of financial communications experience, with a special focus on key message development and media relations around critical issues. Melissa formed MFD Communications after spending three years at Goldman Sachs as Vice President, Corporate Communications. At Goldman, Melissa focused on raising the profile of the its Asset Management and Private Wealth divisions, as well as the firm’s political activities. Prior to that, she was a Director at Brunswick Group, a London-based financial and strategic communications firm. There, she spearheaded its financial services business in the US, managing communications for hedge fund, private equity, insurance and traditional asset management firms. Melissa also worked at Fred Alger Management, The Hartford and Lipper in senior communications and media relations roles and has frequently appeared on CNBC and CNN as an industry commentator. Her experience spans across business sectors and continents.

Grievances Should be Aired Behind Closed Doors

There’s a great read in today’s Wall Street Journal, Inside the Showdown Atop Pimco. This story has all the elements of what reporters want—and everything executives and their PR staff dread. There’s an adversarial relationship, drama and juicy quotes meant to be private, from a brand that everyone knows and wants to read more about. In particular, an argument between top executives was recounted in full detail, on the front page of the paper. Yikes. Given their roles, business leaders make news when they do something out of the ordinary. Simply because of who they are, the actions and words of high-profile executives are of great interest to others. Conflict like this is a journalist’s dream.

When this type of discord occurs in front of others it is difficult to know exactly who may be listening. Clients or other visitors may hear the disagreement. A disgruntled employee may be taking note. Someone may be on a call.

I have had the misfortune of witnessing many blow-ups among senior executives.  Some eruptions have occurred in the halls, on trading floors and even in the reception area of a publicly traded company. In each case, one could easily see the danger of those disagreements spilling out into the public.

We can’t control every leak to the press, but CEOs and heads of businesses must understand the importance of keeping private matters private. Don’t let rifts sneak beyond the closed door lest you want the rest of world to get a whiff of your dirty laundry.

The next time someone asks me “What makes a good news story?” I will point them to this Pimco piece.

Melissa F Daly has 20 years of financial communications experience, with a special focus on key message development and media relations around critical issues. Melissa formed MFD Communications after spending three years at Goldman Sachs as Vice President, Corporate Communications. Prior to that, she was a Director at Brunswick Group, a London-based financial and business communications firm. There, she spearheaded its financial services business in the US, managing communications for hedge fund, private equity, insurance and traditional asset management firms. Melissa also worked at Fred Alger Management, The Hartford and Lipper in communications and media relations roles and has frequently appeared on CNBC and CNN as an industry commentator. Her experience spans across business sectors and continents. 

Avoiding an Armstrong Moment

Recently Tim Armstrong, CEO of AOL, was forced to reverse an unpopular revision to the firm’s employee benefits plan. In an employee call, detailed HERE, Mr. Armstrong announced an adjustment to the company’s 401(k) matching program. Pretty straightforward although unpopular with employees, the change in itself should not have been a news event, let alone garner front-page coverage and hours of airtime, with “Armstrong distressed babies” generating more than 54 million hits on Google. All of this could have been avoided. During the aftermath, much of the conversation has been about the content of his comments and the subsequent apology. Had Mr. Armstrong mapped out and vetted his content, as well as stuck to a script, this self-inflicted PR bullet would have never been loaded let alone shot in such spectacular fashion.

Mr. Armstrong has a history of just speaking what he thinks, and he seems to lack empathy when he goes off the rails. As you may recall, last year he abruptly fired a staff member while on a company-wide conference call, HERE.

If you are prone to making off-the-cuff, inflammatory statements, you are best suited to being well-rehearsed and scripted. We also recommend an objective sounding board to run through your statements beforehand.

Even if you are a thoughtful person who does not tend to make outlandish remarks, you are still better off being prepared and seeking a gut check from a trusted advisor who will offer an honest perspective and thoughtful feedback.

Simply, prepare remarks in advance and read through them with someone who can flag a statement that isn’t clear, contains inaccurate information or may come across as insensitive. Seek honest feedback, not just things you want to hear. Then stick to the script. Practice and rehearse until everyone is comfortable with the content and the delivery. If you are on a call, it’s ok to read from a script. If you are presenting in front of an audience, bring your notes. Don’t change up the language or decide to wing it.

The resistance to this approach has been that an executive may sound stilted or like he is reading. But with the right preparation and practice for a smooth, comfortable delivery of a script, that does not have to be the case. Even so, honestly, would you rather sound like you are reading from a script—or sound like a jerk?

Melissa F Daly has 20 years of financial communications experience, with a special focus on key message development and media relations around critical issues. Melissa formed MFD Communications after spending three years at Goldman Sachs as Vice President, Corporate Communications. Prior to that, she was a Director at Brunswick Group, a London-based financial and business communications firm. There, she spearheaded its financial services business in the US, managing communications for hedge fund, private equity, insurance and traditional asset management firms. Melissa also worked at Fred Alger Management, The Hartford and Lipper in communications and media relations roles and has frequently appeared on CNBC and CNN as an industry commentator. Her experience spans across business sectors and continents. 

Um, You Look Great But You, Uh, Sound Terrible

Last week we clicked on a video to watch a senior financial industry executive being interviewed about his area of expertise. He looked great. He had on a nice suit with a shirt that was not white. He smiled broadly; his posture was perfect. And then he spoke. First words out of his mouth? “Uh, uh, uh, uh, um, uh.” And every sentence afterwards was generously peppered with “ums and uhs.” By all appearances, Mr. Executive was “media trained.” He was trained on how to prepare his body language and his clothing for his interview. However, he was not trained on how to effectively prepare the content for his interview. Mr. Executive’s inability to tell a story, and to string coherent thoughts together, canceled any of the headway made by his confident appearance. More, because the content was so jumbled, the interview was a waste of the executive’s time. The clip lost its value as an effective means to deliver any message, and the firm lost the opportunity to promote this clip more broadly and reach an audience beyond the initial posting.

Preparing for a broadcast, webcast or print interview should be very similar to preparing for any presentation, big or small. The reality is that content matters. Crafting and practicing specific language is critical. Interviewees who know their messages cold don’t have to search their brains for the right words. It’s this frantic search through the corners of the mind that causes people to “uh” and “um.”

A media training session that focuses solely on appearance is shortsighted. The tactics for looking good on camera can be learned through a quick Internet search or HERE. But truly effective media training should be conducted by someone who can understand your content and can help you work through the appropriate talking points. Once you know what to say, you can work on how to say it, and then you can think about where to put your hands and what color tie to wear.

Preparing the right way for interviews with the press will ensure that you are focused, your answers are clear and you are confident. The decision to be interviewed was made because it will get you in front of the right audience. Do you want to use that as an opportunity to demonstrate you know your stuff or that you simply know how to gesticulate?

Melissa Daly has worked in media relations and financial communications for more than 20 years. Melissa formed MFD Communications, a strategic consulting firm, after spending three years at Goldman Sachs as Vice President, Corporate Communications. Prior to that, Melissa was a Director at Brunswick Group, a London-based financial and business communications firm. There, she spearheaded its financial services business in the US, managing communications for hedge fund, private equity, insurance and traditional asset management firms. Melissa also worked at Fred Alger Management, The Hartford and Lipper in communications and media relations roles and has frequently appeared on CNBC and CNN as an industry commentator. Her experience spans across business sectors and continents. For more, please visit mfdcommunications.com.

Entrepreneur Interview: Melissa F Daly

What does your company do?

MFD Communications is a strategic communications consulting firm. We specialize in developing, refining, and delivering content through media, client presentations and materials. As we work with our clients to refine messaging and content, we can create and implement a media strategy to better position the firm and its executives with target audiences. Simultaneously, we will assess and improve materials and presentations so that they accurately reflect what needs to be communicated. We also provide media training and presentation coaching sessions that will enable you to deliver your key messages with confidence and clarity. We focus our attention on capturing what needs to be communicated and then help refine those messages so that the content is easier to understand, quotable and ultimately has an immediate impact and makes a lasting impression.Read more: http://businessinfoguide.com/entrepreneur-interview-melissa-f-daly-mfd-communications/#sthash.rWtaTpfm.dpuf

Praise for Dimon’s Mea Culpa Strategy

NEW YORK, May, 18 2012 (Bloomberg) -- One veteran Wall Street message maker has something for Jamie Dimon may be short on these days: a compliment. Melissa Daly, who worked at Goldman Sachs and merger specialist Brunswick Group and now runs the eponymous MFD Communications, says she’s a fan of the under-siege bank chief’s strategy of mea culpa on overdrive.

“The easiest thing to do right now would be to hunker down, keep journalists at arm’s length and decline to comment,” Daly wrote on her blog today in a regular commentary called, naturally, “The Daly Dose.” “It’s commendable that the executives at JPM appear to want to set the record straight, admit to faults, show their pain and demonstrate that they are not infallible.”

Pressed for more, Daly offered that a key point in fighting off the Dimonfreude engulfing Wall Street and the Beltway last week was reshooting the “Meet the Press” interview to answer questions about the $2 billion loss. “He wasn’t arrogant,” Daly said. “He was eating humble pie in front of Washington, and in the public eye.” Read More: http://go.bloomberg.com/political-capital/2012-05-18/praise-for-dimons-mea-culpa-strategy/

Ex-Goldman PR Exec Sets Up Shop

Former VP of corporate communications for Goldman Sachs has set up media and presentation training firm MFD Communications in New York.

Read More: http://www.odwyerpr.com/blog/index.php?/archives/3321-Ex-Goldman-PR-Exec-Sets-Up-Shop.html

Ex-Goldman Sachs VP launches MFD Communications

NEW YORK: Melissa Daly, former VP of corporate communications at Goldman Sachs, has launched MFD Communications, a media and presentation training and consulting firm.
MFD will offer training sessions on how the print and broadcast press works, as well as how to manage relationships with journalists. The firm will also provide counsel on presentation and on-camera skills.

Besides working at Goldman Sachs for three years, Daly was a director at Brunswick, where she managed communications for hedge funds, private equity, insurance, and traditional asset management firms in the US. She has also worked in various communications and media relations roles at Fred Alger Management, The Hartford and Lipper.

Read More: http://www.prweekus.com/ex-goldman-sachs-vp-launches-mfd-communications/article/213051/