| speakers |
During our 2021 conference, students can expect to hear from leading agencies and businesses based in Texas! More details to come.
keynote speakers
Linda Rutherford, Executive Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, Southwest Airlines
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Serving 29 years at Southwest Airlines, Linda Rutherford leads an outstanding team of professionals engaged in creating "surround sound" for one of America's greatest business success stories. I support and advocate for their efforts and excellent results in media relations, internal communication, social business innovation, emergency response and business continuity, in-house creative and multimedia services, community outreach, culture, employee experience, and change leadership.
Linda Rutherford previously served as the Executive Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. She received her bachelor of arts from Texas Tech University with a degree in 1988 in Journalism. She is a 2002 Media & Communications Outstanding Alumna and a 2009 inductee into the College of Media & Communication Hall of Fame. She was inducted in 2008 into the PR News Hall of Fame, and her team's communication, outreach and emerging media work has been recognized by numerous publications and organizations. Connect on LinkedIn |
Jeff Hunt, Founding Partner, Legend Labs, & Author, Brand Under Fire
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Jeff Hunt specializes in crisis management and preparedness, branding, CEO communications, and reputation management. During the course of his 25-year career, he has worked with DuPont, IBM, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Nike, Whole Foods, and many other companies.
Jeff has lived throughout the world and navigated many cultures on behalf of clients. Prior to Legend Labs, Jeff co-founded PulsePoint Group and before that was president of Cohn & Wolfe, a global public relations firm formed following a merger with GCI Group. He has also served as CEO of GCI and Read Poland Associates. He spent 18 years at Burson-Marsteller, ultimately serving as chief operating officer for Europe, with responsibility for 16 offices throughout the continent. He also established the firm's presence in Korea and Mexico. Based in Austin and a graduate of The University of Texas, Jeff serves as adjunct professor of Strategies in Public Relations at the university's Moody College of Communications and is a frequent lecturer at its McCombs School of Business. Connect on LinkedIn |
