Contributors
Mary Atherton
In 6 words, "Weighing words by grams and tons." Mary is the head of Communications for the Wella Corporation. Prior to Wella, Mary was the editor of Modern Salon magazine. She is a creative force with a keen editor's eye who gracefully navigates the artistic, commercial and corporate worlds.
Mary has guided me with Evoke from the beginning. She advised on design and branding, and fine tuned details like colors and fonts. Mary is my editor. Mary in my 6 words, "The editor's editor. My voice....BETTER!"
Navin Battu
Navin is a P&G manager, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of Sinzenta, LLC. Sinzenta was founded in 2011 with a mission to bring innovative and healthy products to market for the enhancement of active & social lifestyles. Navin's foundation is focused on educating children in India.
Navin has a talent for reducing the intangible and overwhelming to something tangible and actionable. He shared with me his process for facing fears on cocktail napkins. Read about it in the Evoke Leadership post: Facing Fear on Paper
Navin, in his 6 words, "man trying to be without trying."
Nat Brooks
Nat Brooks is the Principal and founder of Strategy Shapers, a consulting firm specializing in strategy and competitive intelligence. Nat brings 25 years of Fortune 500 experience to help his clients develop winning business strategies.
Nat and I go back a long time. He was always strategic, but unlike many of his peers, he thought strategy should provoke a healthy debate. It's no surprise to me 20 years later I still look to him for advice.
Nat's philosophy in my 6 words, "To evoke, sometimes you must provoke."
Reuben Carranza
Reuben is the the President of Specialty Brands at Luxury Brand Partners, LLC and oversees the development of several new brands and education platforms in the professional salon industry. He is also a 24 year veteran of P&G where he was most recently the CEO of The Wella Corporation.
And while Reuben is a leader in the professional salon industry, you will hear him describe himself simply as the son of a stylist. Reuben is passionate about mentoring, leading, and connecting, and wherever Reuben is, there is sure to be a crowd of fans.
I know Reuben as brilliant leader, strategist and communicator who valued the people in his organization. Reuben, in my 6 words: Brilliant first act. Breakthrough second. Unstoppable!
Caroline Davis
In 6 words, "Asking open-ended questions; listening voraciously."
Caroline is professional in the "architectural hardware" industry. She's a recent graduate of University of Michigan with a major in English and a minor in Ancient Greek. Caroline has a love for creativity and exploration, and you'll find her on a journey of discovery with many young professionals.
Don't try to paint Caroline into a corner just yet. She's a self described "work in progress." Watch her. This is Caroline now, but I guarantee, she will create an unexpected path for herself. Caroline in my 6 words, "Living inquisitively and creating endless possibilities."
David Davis
In my 6 word, Live Christ. Lead intentionally. Challenge convention.
David Davis is a pastor in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), and has been in the Lord's service for 30 years. Pastor Davis also serves as the West Region VP of the LCMS' Michigan District, and pens a weekly leadership series for new ministers.
In his words Pastor Davis "experienced the evoke dynamic" through the friendship and mentoring of my parents. He is an avid reader and thinker, and encourages leaders to be more intentional.
Pastor Davis will challenge us to examine popular beliefs: perception is not reality, everything is not changing, generational differences are largely overblown, and technology will not save mankind.
Tai Doong
Tai is a multi-talented, Effie winning marketer. He is currently the Director of Marketing for Mars Food where he heads up marketing for Retail and Foodservices businesses.
Chances are, you've been touched by Tai's work. His career spans companies that include Intuit, Del Monte Foods, and Procter & Gamble. He is also a superb coach who epitomizes "evoke." I owe a debt of gratitude to Tai for coaching me. Tai, in my 6 words, "the guy I mentored... mentors me!"
Toi Jones
Toi Jones is the President and Chief Solutions Officer of Onxy Sourcing Solutions. Toi is a former Procter & Gamble purchasing executive with over 25 years of experience shaping sourcing strategies and delivering results.
Toi is passionate about developing winning solutions for her clients through clarity, collaboration, and trust. You'll always hear her talking about how to maximize options, not sacrifice them.
Toi, in my 6 words, "Achieving goals through partnerships, not tradeoffs."
Jim Keighley
In my 6 words, "Engineer driving Corporate bus. Buckle up!"
Jim Keighley is The Vice President of Engineering & Maintenance for The Kraft Foods Group. He has a passion for all things technical, and all things people. He's not your classic engineer glued to his computer and technical drawings.
Jim was my first office mate at P&G. We only worked together for about 6 months, but I followed him throughout my career. Jim is a renowned leader and teacher. Jim described himself in 6 words as: "Extrovert, ethical, teacher, mentor, leader, engineer." I could not agree with him more.
Dom Liberati
Dom is a singer, songwriter, bassist, and producer. He is an emerging force in the music industry known for his bass driven anthem rock. Dom's work appeared on the hugely successful "Guitar Hero" franchise. His music can be heard on MTV shows and is now on the trailer for NYT best selling author, Kami Garcia's new book, "Unbreakable." He's performed at iconic music venues such as the Troubadour, Viper Room and The Roxy.
Dom is an inspiring leader with unique insight as a rising star in the music world. As the editor of 20 Something, he is the voice of the explorers. Dom is currently based in LA. And in his 6 words, "Musical hope missile awaits in silo"
Visit Dom's website at http://domliberati.com and become a fan.
Elia Lopez
In my 6 words, "Evoke extraordinary with my Latina twin!"
Elia is currently a Plant Manager of one of P&G's largest facilities. She has 25 years with P&G, and has led operations all over the the US and Latin America. She is a true visionary and a passionate leader. We "grew up" in the same plant, share the same values, and if I were Mexican American, I'd be Elia. Elia embodies evoke, and has always challenged and inspired me to be the best. The many people whom she has coached agree with me.
I launched Evoke for Elia and every inspiring leader like her. She has a compelling voice, and her voice matters. Elia will be a contributor to help you evoke your extraordinary.
Rebecca Okamoto
In 6 words, "Committing my voice to those without." Rebecca is the editor of Evoke.pro. She has over 20 years as a leader and manager at The Procter and Gamble Corporation, and is currently the head of the Supply Chain and Logistics for the P&G Salon Professional Division for North American and Latin America. Rebecca was P&G's first Asian American woman at the Associate Director Level in the Product Supply function.
In addition to supply chain expertise, Rebecca is a recognized expert in the field of brand protection including anti-diversion, anti-counterfeiting, and copyright/trademark protection.
Bernie O'Keefe
Bernie is currently the Chief Supply Officer of Nature's Bounty, Inc. Prior to Nature's Bounty, Bernie was the Vice President of Supply Chain for multiple P&G businesses across the globe. He is a strategist and visionary.
While many are intimidated by Bernie's significant accomplishments and larger than life persona, I think of him as my mentor who saw potential in me that I did not know I had. Bernie taught me how to set high goals, achieve excellence and lead people. Bernie in my 6 words, "He always knew I could fly."
Paul Smith
Paul Smith is a popular keynote speaker and corporate trainer in leadership and storytelling techniques, and former executive and 20-year veteran of The Procter & Gamble Company. He is also the author of the best selling book Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives That Captivate, Convince, and Inspire
Paul and I worked together in a plant where he was the Finance Manager and I was the HR Manager. He was always a remarkable person to be around. We reconnected after I discovered his book, and Paul has been an amazing role model.
Paul in my 6 words, "I'm a storyteller thanks to Paul."
Connect with Paul on his website: Lead with a Story
Haian Trinh
In 6 words, "On the search for what's next." Haian is a Senior Manager, Strategy & Analytics, at Medtronic. Previous to Medtronic, Haian was at Procter & Gamble as the Brand Manager for Clairol Professional. He has +10 years of experience in product management, marketing, and market research across various industries – Salon Professional, Retail, and Pharmaceuticals. Haian is my sounding board for design, messaging and branding.
Haian is on a mission to make a difference in the lives of many. He is exploring the intersection of life, career, family and mission. I'm excited to have him join Evoke as a contributor to share his journey.
Tom Wilmanns
Tom is the President/Owner of The Wilmanns Group, but don't be fooled by his title. He's my role model for career reinvention and personal transformation. I've known Tom for over 15 years, a successful P&G manager who's post P&G roles included VP/General Manager and consultant. He's a big picture guy who's strategic, focused and always thinking ahead.
Tom's a self-described introvert who taught me that reinvention is day by day process, and to keep sight of what's important: Faith. Family. Friends.
Tom, in my 6 words, "Every day is MY day. Better."
Learn more about Tom and career reinvention YOU: Better. The Introvert's Guide to Career Reinvention