Margot L. Ferris

Profile

Strategic communications professional with 11 years driving integrated messaging programs for B2B technology and nonprofit sectors. Specializes in executive communications, media relations, and crisis response, with a track record of growing earned media coverage by 60% and cutting response times during reputational incidents by half. Adept at aligning cross-functional stakeholders and translating complex narratives into clear, audience-specific content across digital and traditional channels.

Work Experience

Senior Communications ManagerMar 2020 - Present

Veltrix Systems, Austin, TX

Rebuilt the corporate communications function from two to seven FTEs, reducing agency spend by $340K annually while increasing press placement volume by 62% year-over-year.
Led crisis communications response for a data-privacy incident affecting 180K customers, containing negative media coverage to a 48-hour news cycle and preserving NPS score within three points of pre-incident baseline.
Developed and executed a CEO thought-leadership program—12 bylines, 8 keynote placements, and 4 podcast appearances in 18 months—lifting executive brand visibility by 44% per quarterly share-of-voice analysis.

Communications ManagerJun 2016 - Feb 2020

Halcyon Health Network, Denver, CO

Managed media relations for a 14-hospital system, securing 230+ earned media placements annually across regional and national outlets including Modern Healthcare and NPR affiliates.
Launched an internal communications redesign—replacing a static intranet with a segmented newsletter cadence—that lifted employee open rates from 19% to 54% in six months.
Coordinated messaging for three consecutive annual fundraising campaigns, contributing to a combined $6.2M raised and a 28% increase in donor retention over four years.

Public Relations SpecialistAug 2013 - May 2016

Cornerstone Creative Group, Chicago, IL

Supported PR strategy for eight mid-market clients across retail and professional services, generating an average 35% increase in brand mentions per client within the first contract year.
Drafted and pitched 90+ press releases, resulting in placements in the Chicago Tribune, Crain's Chicago Business, and national trade publications.
Built a media contact database of 1,400+ journalists and editors that reduced pitch research time by 30% and became the agency's standard prospecting tool.

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