How to Leverage Your Voice and Influence as a Thought Leader to Engage Employees

Kari Wethington is the senior director of external communications for The E.W. Scripps Company, where she manages its corporate reputation through external communications strategies including proactive PR, industry thought leadership, marketing and branding initiatives and crisis communications. She also manages the company website and social media, while supporting the investor relations program. Prior to Scripps, she served as associate director of marketing and public relations at Rockfish (now VMLY&R) and as public relations manager for Central Park Conservancy. She started her career in journalism as a reporter and copy editor at the Cincinnati Enquirer and ELLE magazine.

Randi has established herself as a leading counselor for today’s top communications and marketing executives. In her two-decade career, she has served as an advisor to senior-level talent across consumer, finance and technology industries, helping to craft and deliver ownable and impactful narrative strategies. At Kaplow, Randi has developed several proprietary products aimed at strengthening relationships between brands and their most valuable audiences. These include the agency’s exclusive Digital Emotional Quotient™ (DEQ™) methodology and report, and Kaplow’s ONE Strategy Sessions, a unique approach to unification among internal teams that inspires consensus and strengthens branding and messaging across organizations. In addition to working with blue-chip clients such as CVS and others, she mentors staff throughout the agency on topics such as integrated strategy, presentation skills, digital communications, measurement and analytics, and more. Prior to Kaplow, Randi served in management roles in the editorial and product space at IAC Applications. Randi is an honors graduate of The University of Rochester and has studied voice at The Eastman School of Music. She resides in Westchester County, NY, with her husband Chris, and sons Dylan and Tyler.

Stacey Miller is the vice president, communications at Auto Care Association. As an award-winning 15-year communications industry veteran, she and her team have tripled the reach of the association through strategic communications efforts such as data-based storytelling to earn media coverage in mainstream media outlets. Also responsible for developing and implementing an integrated, organization-wide strategic communications plan to increase global association profile and influence, Stacey has implemented strategies to cultivate and enhance meaningful relationships with targeted, high-level external audiences, including the media, public officials and key influencers. In 2020, Stacey was named as an inaugural "Woman at the Wheel" by AftermarketNews. Prior to her current position, she served as senior director, global corporate communications at Cision, a leading PR software provider. During her 10 years with Cision, Stacey pioneered influencer marketing, employee advocacy & social selling programs through traditional and social media. An internationally sought keynote speaker, her writing appears in Forbes, CIO, VentureBeat and over 500 authored blogs. Stacey was frequently quoted in online publications as well as published books, including several college textbooks. Consistently mentioned in "top people to follow” and “up and coming pros” lists, Oracle named Stacey a finalist for its Community Manager of the Year Award in 2012.