When news reached industry leaders that Jack Bergen had resigned
the presidency of the Council of PR Firms, they were worried. The phrase
"very large shoes to fill" looked certain to be worn out with over-use
as people questioned whether the Council's executive board could find
anyone to match the standards set by such a high octane, super smart
leader. They could and, in Kathy Cripps, they have.
Cripps could hardly be more different to Bergen. He is a West Point
graduate.
She has a degree in nutrition from Queens College. He is a rapid fire
thinker, talker and writer. She is more cautious, measuring her words,
and is described by her assistant, Edna Hedstrom, as "a great listener."
During his presidency, Bergen often seemed to have no office other than
his laptop. Contrarily, Cripps' current office is a home away from home,
adorned with a myriad of awards, paintings, photos and a colorful
collection of frogs.
Cripps sees the difference: "Jack is a whirling dervish. You only need
to look at the number of initiatives he started to see that he always
ran everywhere at 40 miles an hour. I can run at 25 miles an hour," she
adds. (She ought to know, being a veteran of several marathons.) "But my
real strength is that I have worked at agencies of all sizes and
understand the issues different agency leaders face."
John Graham, Fleishman-Hillard CEO and Council chairman, agrees that
this is one of her key assets: "Her outstanding record of achievements
in building a midsize firm and growing large agencies made her a
unanimous choice."
Ironically, given the impressive list of agencies on her resume, Cripps
didn't actually intend to work on this side of the business. She was
happy on the corporate side at Nestle and later Farberware. It was only
when Burson-Marsteller won GE's business, including its food divisions,
and decided it needed her nutrition expertise at 230 Park Avenue, that
she was persuaded to cross over. She thought a short spell at the
largest agency would be a good experience. "I was only going to stay for
a year before going back to the corporate side, but I loved it. I loved
the fact that your creativity is measured in the business you
generate."
As always in Cripps' career, her timing was impeccable. Burson was in
the process of creating one of the first formal healthcare practices,
and she was able to play a leading role in that, working under the woman
she describes as her mentor, Edna Kissman, "a terrific person and truly
strategic thinker."
After seven years she decided to take the experience garnered at Burson
and head up a healthcare practice of her own at a smaller agency,
Creamer Dickson Basford. "I learned to be more self-reliant. I had to
develop a network of outside contacts and support." She also learned how
to win new business, a skill that brought her to the attention of Nelson
Communications, a healthcare network that was looking to set up its
first PR shop. Cripps took the job as CEO of NCI PR and in 10 years
built it into an $8 million revenue practice. "It was tough
competing against established agencies," she says, showing the empathy
that will win her friends among the Council's smaller member firms, "but
healthcare was a growth market and we worked hard."
Her most recent agency move, from Nelson to head Hill & Knowlton's
healthcare practice, would have been her last, she feels, had the
Council role not become available. "The Council job had my name on it,"
she says.
"My tenure will be measured by members retained and attracted. We need
the commitment of all the large firms, and we need to keep moving
aggressively to attract new midsize and smaller members. It's a case of
letting people know what we're doing and what they can get from the
Council. Some amazing work has already been done, but it seems not
everyone knows about it. If we get the message out I feel sure we can
keep growing the Council."
Given Cripps' phenomenal service and achievement record at other
industry bodies, her friends expect her to succeed. Diane Jacobs, who
followed Cripps as president of WEPR, comments: "It's hard to know what
to say about Cathy without just stringing together superlatives, but one
word sums up her talents - leadership. She doubled donations to the WEPR
and motivated volunteers. She is focused, direct, and inclusive. She was
a tough act to follow." Carla Voth, current chair of the PRSA
Counselor's Academy, another post held by Cripps, says: "She achieved an
amazing amount for the PRSA. She's efficient, effectual and a great
people manager." These exact sentiments are echoed by Judith Sussman,
secretary of WEPR: "She's gracious, efficient, inclusive, and great at
focusing on the things that matter."
Cripps is not Jack Bergen, and will not try to be, but this is a
different time in the Council's development. Reaching out to broader
audiences and embracing as many firms as possible will be key. Surely no
one could be better suited for such a role than Kathy Cripps. Consider
the big shoes filled.
KATHY CRIPPS
President, Council of PR Firms
1974-1976
Senior home economist, The Nestle Co.
1976-1982
Director, product info., Farberware
1982-1989
VP/client service mgr., Burson-Marsteller
1989-1991
VP/group mgr., Creamer Dickson Basford
1991-2001
President/COO, SCIENS Worldwide PR
2001-present
Executive managing director, US director, healthcare, Hill & Knowlton
INDUSTRY SERVICE
1998: President, Women Executives in PR
1999: Council of PR Firms, board; nominating committee chair; Healthcare
Businesswomen's Association, Board
2000: Counselors Academy Chair (PRSA); Treasurer and Chair-elect;
2002: Honors & Awards Committee Chair (PRSA); Silver Anvil Chair
