Debra Gaynor

Chief Business Strategist

Insight and innovation start here. Debra guides the agency in the constant evaluation of “how can we do things better?” for clients

Experience

  • As Chief Business Strategist, Debra works across the agency providing oversight and insights on strategy and innovation as well as assessing business opportunities with current and new clients
  • Trained as a journalist, she has worked for more than 25 years at some of the world’s most respected PR agencies, including Burson-Marsteller, Weber Shandwick and Edelman Worldwide on brand marketing, corporate, B2B and crisis assignments
  • She has led domestic and global programs for a broad range of brands, including Advil, The “Milk Mustache” campaign, Nexium, Similac, M-M-R and Varivax vaccines, The Merck Manual Home Edition and Quest Diagnostics
  • She is a strong believer in the “whole brain” approach to problem solving, with a deep dive in research and analytics supporting insights and strategic platforms
  • Debra has received a number of PR awards for her work, including the Silver Anvil, the Creativity in Public Relations Award (CIPRA), and the Big Apple Award

Education/Special Skills

  • Debra’s BA/BS is from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University
  • She spent a good deal of her career in the healthcare arena, and can comfortably discuss the many “languages” of science and medicine
  • She is a member of the Diabetes Advisory Board of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center and PR advisor to The New York Stem Cell Foundation and The Three Tomatoes
Debra Gaynor

Fun Facts

Hometown: Grew up on a dude ranch in Succasunna, NJ

Voted Most Likely To: Challenge the teacher

Secret Skill: Getting information out of people - I used to be a journalist

Inspired By: My parents and my son-the-up-and-coming-writer. (This is his first PR plug)

Words to Live By/My Motto: "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it."

Song that Gets Me Going: Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones