Edelman Change and Employee Engagement
The organizational communications consulting practice of Edelman

Tamara has seven years experience in strategic organizational communication, particularly during times of change. Her work includes transaction-based projects (M&A, restructuring and bankruptcy) as well as change communication (leadership transitions, business strategy implementation, employer branding, labor relations, HR communication and technology implementation,) Her clients have included Wal-Mart, AstraZeneca, Starbucks, Amylin, Hyatt, Visteon, Allstate, Progress Energy, Solvay, Schering-Plough, M&I Bank, Jones Lange LaSalle, Kaiser Permanente, Factory Card & Party Outlet, Shell, Tribune Company, Underwriters Laboratories, Wyeth, Whirlpool and GE.

As project manager for an employer branding project, Tamara helped a growing mid-sized diabetes drug maker attract and retain critical talent. By grounding the company’s positioning in solid primary and secondary research, the Edelman team helped the company stand apart from its competitors and appeal directly to the recruits it sought.

For AstraZeneca, Tamara developed a comprehensive skills training program for its corporate affairs function. Classes ranged from basic (ally development, business writing, government affairs) to specialized (interpreting medical data, multicultural media relations, influencing decision-makers.) The program’s proprietary training methodology has since been recognized by Edelman as a firm-wide best practice.

At the same company, Tamara coached a new C-level executive on communicating his first major change initiative, helping him articulate his vision and create dialogue at all levels of the organization, a process which resulted in the company’s first internal executive blog. Similarly, Tamara led employee communication for Factory Card & Party Outlet during a change in ownership. The CEO said his personal credibility, internal transparency and faith in the company’s direction increased markedly as a direct result of Tamara’s coaching and awarded the Edelman team a perfect satisfaction score of 10.

Before joining Edelman in 2006, Tamara specialized in global employee communications at Whirlpool Corporation. There, she managed the expansion of the company’s intranet, bringing it to employees in 46 countries. She served as editor-in-chief for employee publications and led numerous engagement programs. Prior to her Whirlpool career, Tamara was a journalist at the Herald-Palladium newspaper in St. Joseph, Mich. She graduated summa cum laude from Western Michigan University’s Lee Honors College with a bachelor of arts degree in public relations.

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