Matthew W. Ragas - Mastering Business for Strategic Communicators: Insights and Advice from the C-suite of Leading Brands

MASTERING BUSINESS FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATORS

Insights and Advice from the C-suite of Leading Brands

Mastering Business for Strategic Communicators is a gem and a must-read for anyone aspiring to lead communications for any organization. It makes clear that to be a top communicator today you have to be a business leader first, mine data and relationships, and find ways to transform strategy into relationships and results.

Mike Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer, U.S., Burson-Marsteller

Matt and Ron are on a mission: To make sure PRs next generation is schooled in the foundations of business and thus regularly asked into the room where it happens. Through chapters contributed by many of todays most successful communicators, along with observations by leading C-suite executives, their newest book will go a long way towards helping students as well as those building careers easily and more fully understand business at the intersection of strategic communications. I used their first book in my classroom at Boston University. I will use their new one, too.

Ray Kotcher, Professor of the Practice, Boston University College of Communication and Non-Executive Chairman, Ketchum

Wow! What an outstanding read! Featuring stories and insights from the best of the best in the industry, Mastering Business For Strategic Communicators must be required reading for students and practitioners alike in any area of business, communication, and public relations.

Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., APR, President and Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Public Relations

An indispensable collection of career-defining insights from an unbelievably impressive group of battle-tested business leaders. This will quickly become mandatory reading for me and my team, and a constant travel companion.

Torod Neptune, Worldwide VP Communications and Chief Communications Officer, Lenovo Group, Ltd.

Backstopping every C-suite are their strategic communications leaders, counseling businesses on how to increase shareholder value, maintain trust in a crisis, and enhance reputation. Mastering Business provides a front row seat as to how diverse companies navigate the communications land mines populating our ever changing media landscape.

Barri Rafferty, Partner and President, Ketchum

Mastering Business is a succinct, readable and compelling work. It does a wonderful job capturing the way the profession has evolved and how it might look in the future. The insights here from Jeff Winton, Chuck Greener, Tony Cervone, Kathy Beiser and many other true giants in the field present a blueprint for those who want to be trusted advisors with a seat at the table where business decisions are made. It is an essential read for anyone pursuing a career in communications.

Bill Heyman, Executive Recruiter, President and CEO, Heyman Associates

Ive recommended Ragas and Culps first book, Business Essentials for Strategic Communicators, to dozens of professional colleagues and have made it a central textbook for my students. I can see now that Ill need to make room for their new book, Mastering Business for Strategic Communicators. This compilation of perspectives from some of the top names in strategic communications is remarkably timely and thorough, and should be on the top of the reading list not only for communications professionals, but for C-Suite leaders who want to truly understand the role that communications plays in helping them achieve their business purpose.

Matt Kucharski, President, Padilla and Adjunct Professor, University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communications

Ragas and Culps new book provides sound recommendations and actionable steps young communicators can take to make sure they are prepared and able to show maximum value in their roles. Through an excellent collection of relevant stories from some of the worlds top communicators, their book is less about earning a seat at the table and more about keeping it throughout your career.

Matt Tidwell, Ph.D., APR, Program Director, Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications, University of Kansas

In a rare collection of contemporary essays from high-ranking professionals in the field, Ragas and Culp offer students an insiders look at how corporate communications experts guide their companies to meet opportunities, manage change, speak the truth and lead. This book through its research, arguments, testimonials and concrete examples will be indispensable to readers in accessing the practical business insight necessary for succeeding in todays corporate communications jobs.

Mara Len-Ros, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Public Relations, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia

Ragas and Culp provide an extensive follow-up to their first book, Business Essentials for Strategic Communicators. This new book delivers what the title promises: sharp insights from todays leading communication professionals in the C-Suite. With a glossary, list of resources, and engaging writing style, the book will be a valuable trove of knowledge and inspiration for students as well as current professionals aspiring to the C-suite.

Tim Penning, Ph.D., APR, Professor of Advertising and Public Relations, School of Communications, Grand Valley State University

The masterful leaders of business communication have done it again. Ron Culp and Matt Ragas put out the no-nonsense handbook for enterprise communicators and for those of us teaching new-wave students on the reality of sustaining stakeholder values. On this base, theyre now giving us direct, succinct and highly readable counsel from leaders in corporations and organizations on what works and whats changing in enterprise strategies to sustain and strengthen critical stakeholder connections.

E. Bruce Harrison, Professor, Graduate Studies, Masters in Public Relations & Corporate Communications program, Georgetown University

The modern communications professional not only needs to be familiar with the business of business, but rather they need to be able to understand what the marketing, finance, accounting and other departments contribute to their organizations well-being. Culp and Ragas Mastering Business for Strategic Communicators takes that next step from their previous book by providing real-world advice from legends and experts in the field that already have that seat at the table. Any communications professional who wants to become a top-level executive needs to read this book.

Kenon A. Brown, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Graduate Coordinator, Department of Advertising and Public Relations, The University of Alabama

Mastering Business is a great resource for young professionals who aspire to advance to management positions. I especially appreciated the inclusion of views from other members of the C-suite such as operations, human resources, legal and CEOs. The advice the CCOs provided is grounded in their personal experiences, which they freely share. I would highly recommend this book for young professionals, students, and especially courses in management and leadership.

Marlene S. Neill, Ph.D., APR, Assistant Professor, Journalism, Public Relations and New Media Department, Baylor University

Ragas and Culp have produced an eminently useful guide to the business of strategic communication. We hear first-hand from leading practitioners what it means to be a strategist-advisor to the C-suite, speaking the language of business and adding bottom-line value. Mastering Business is our seat at the table and a glimpse into the future of the discipline.

Jesse Scinto, Associate Director for Curriculum Development, MS programs in Strategic Communication, Columbia University