Media
Women in Leadership: Advancing Women in Tech Leadership
Leading women working in tech, including senior executives in global leadership positions at SAP, Accenture, EY, and Reimagine PR (Susan McLennan) discuss the importance of women in tech for a more productive, profitable world.
Reimagine PR on CTV
CTV, April 16, 2014Television
I spoke with CTV's Kevin Newman about viral videos and fundraising.
Personal Branding: Thriving in a Time of Disruption
CCCA Magazine, March 20, 2018Print
URL: http://cccamagazine.humemediainc.com/magazines/2018/03/index.html#p=30
Dig into your mission and values to have the career that you want. People will judge you more by what you do than what you say.
Rebooting your Employer Brand
HRE Magazine, March 6, 2018Print
URL: http://www.recruitingtrends.com/REC/view/story.jhtml?id=534363675
HR leaders at companies that struggle to show job candidates that they're exciting places to work can align rebranding with recruiting to attract talent.
Business Leaders Take a Stand against Bill C-51
Toronto Star, December 12, 2016Print
Business and technology leaders warn that security law harms Canada’s online services and undermines our reputation for data security. Susan was one of the organizers of the letter.
Women in Leadership, Tech
Brandon Hall Research Group, January 31, 2018Online
URL: https://youtu.be/Qfo72dXVESE
Advancing Women in Tech Leadership has to be a priority for everyone, or the world will become less inclusive and profits will decline. Susan McLennan and other women in tech explain why.
Susan talks Social Media with Toronto Star
Toronto Star, February 4, 2012Online
I spoke with Ann Douglas from The Toronto Star about Social Media and, in particular, Facebook's policy around pictures of breast feeding.
Your Birthday Present
by Mike Erskine-Kellie and Susan McLennan
Kids Can Press
September 12, 2019
Coming to book stores North America-wide next year, one adorable friend's attempt at ensuring this birthday will be the best birthday ever for a very special friend.
Biography
Susan McLennan is an award-winning, transmedia storyteller who helps brands tell compelling stories that drive key business results, change minds and open hearts.
She helps break down very complicated ideas and makes them understandable to large groups of people, often through stories. Asked by a group of scientists to help them create a project to keep girls engaged in science at the point where they started to disengage, McLennan and her partner Mike Erskine-Kellie, created a television show for American Public Television, which won two 2015 regional Emmy Awards, one of which was awarded to us. They also created a digital project that was selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress.
McLennan is also president of the board of Openmedia, an organization which campaigns to keep the internet affordable and accessible. The organization has grown from 0-700,000 engaged supporters in the last few years. She serves on the advisory board of B3 Canada, which helps pair highly skilled executives from diverse backgrounds working at large companies with not-for-profit boards who are looking to be more inclusive. She is also an advisor to Hylo, a social organizing platform whose tech and/or talent has been instrumental in some of the most significant rallies and marches in recent memory. She is also an advisor to a soon to launch cryptocurrency exchange and a number of digital brands whose products drive better productivity.
McLennan helped the Kratt Brothers (Wild Kratts, Zoboomafoo) disrupt the entire television scene with their unique brand of creature crazy humour, going from two guys from the wilds of New Jersey to being welcomed into millions of homes every week through their shows. She also oversaw and secured their media appearances, including for The Today Show, The View, Ellen, New York Times, People Magazine, etc.
Sometimes they work top down, working with the best media outlets from around the world. Sometimes they work bottom up, overseeing digital campaigns that start movements and even change laws.
She helped grow a startup SickKids family fund from $30,000; raised amongst friends to try and save the life of a sick little boy into an internationally renowned research fund that has Tom Hanks as its Honorary Patron. She currently serves as Chair of Programming, Toronto, and on the National Communications Committee for the International Women's Forum, a by-invitation-only membership dedicated to the advancement of women's leadership.
Shows Mike Erskine-Kellie and McLennan have created and/or written are currently airing on PBS, Disney, CBC and a variety of other broadcasters worldwide. They have a book that will be published by Kids Can Press in Fall 2019.
Recognition/Reconnaissance
Regional Emmy Award | Professional
My partner, Mike Erskine-Kellie and I created and wrote a television show designed to keep girls engaged in science. The show won two regional Emmy Awards, one of which was awarded to us.
CPRS Toronto - ACE Award Bronze | Professional
This story-driven campaign was designed to give our client, Seton, a video they could give Safety managers to run in their safety meetings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip7qAa-Yh74
Ragan Video Awards | Professional
Brand storytelling shouldn't be boring. We were a finalist for this video which we produced for Seton, a global leader in the safety world. This video was a parody of old style safety videos focusing on signs, one of the core competencies of our client, Seton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSqVR3MocHk
CPRS digital media bronze award | Professional
The best brand storytelling is sometimes very human. We helped a foundation share the story of its many children by using the voice of one sick teenager, Megan McNeil. She wrote a song to give others hope. Enlisting the help of Garth Richardson, one of the top music producers in the world, we produced this video for her and secured coverage on top media outlets. Her campaign helped get September named Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9pHISn
Additional Titles and Affiliations
B3 Canada Advisory Board Member
B3 Canada pairs executives with needed skills from diverse backgrounds on the not-for-profit boards that are looking for particular skills and to become more inclusive.
Hylo.com Advisory Board Member
Hylo.com is the social organizing platform behind some of the most successful and newsworthy gatherings and marches in North America. The platform allows people from various entities gather, share ideas and organize to change the world.
International Women's Forum Chair of Programming , Toronto; National Communications Committee Member
The International Women’s Forum is an invitation-only, membership organization comprised of more than 6,500 diverse and accomplished women from 33 nations on six continents. IWF members are trailblazers, innovators, and pioneers united to advance women’s leadership locally and globally. Members include Fortune 500 executives, government leaders from the local to sovereign level, international nonprofit leaders, and luminaries from the academy, arts, and sciences.
Openmedia
Board President - I am the chair of Openmedia and its longest serving board member. We campaign to keep the internet accessible and affordable and champion privacy and digital rights.
CPRS (Public Relations Society)
RTDNA (Radio Television Digital News Association)
Past Talks
Brand Building in the Age of #metoo
Women's Business Network AGM
Peterborough Golf & Country Club, May 2, 2018
Advancing Women in Technology and Careers and Companies
Brandon Hall: Human Capital Management Excellence Conference
PGA, West Palm Beach Resort, January 31, 2018
Storytelling that Wins Donors and Influencers
Queen's Conference on Philanthropy
Queen's University, January 13, 2018
Communicating Away from Disaster
Human Rights & Sexual Harassment - Prevent the Violations & Costs
Toronto, December 5, 2017
IWF/Harvard Business School/INSEAD International Leadership Foundation Fellows Training
IWF/Harvard Business School/INSEAD International Leadership Foundation Fellows Training
Houston, October 23, 2017
Find your Story, Build your Brand
Women's Professional Development
Verity, May 16, 2017
Find your Story, Build your Brand
YWCA: National Conference
Toronto, March 11, 2017
Find your Story, Build your Brand
Futurepreneur National Conference
Toronto, May 31, 2016
Find your Story, Build your Brand
Private workshop for Canada's most effective grassroots organization
Openmedia Vancouver, June 12, 2015
Win Fans, Customers and Business with PR
In Close Conversation: Mentors and Mavens
RedRocks Corporate Retreat, December 12, 2013
#SOS: Save Our Status: Social Media and Corporate Crisis
Reputation Management in the age of Social Media (A Panel discussion with National Post columnist, Head of Communications for McDonald's, and President of Babble On Communications)
Seneca College, March 29, 2012
Social Media - What does it Mean for the Future of Communications?
Guest Lecture
Centennial College, February 8, 2012
Top PR Secrets to Ignite Success
Women's Business Network of Peterborough
Trent University, May 6, 2011
Testimonials
Susan is the ultimate storyteller and gives freely of her time to inspire others to learn the value of storytelling. As an organization that supports young entrepreneurs across the country, we appreciate Susan’s willingness to share her extensive PR experience with our entrepreneurs who are looking to take their businesses to the next level. She is one of our most popular presenters.
Basically, she was awesome, made it super easy to understand, and helped break it down into step-by-step tips - keeping the whole thing from being overwhelming or putting too much pressure on to "don't screw this up." Big thumbs up!
Susan McLennan is a visionary in Public Relations. Her understanding of the power of word of mouth communications and the new dynamism of contemporary social media is path breaking. She is fluent in the societal impact of new technologies on social media, and her grasp of the historical moment and the changes occurring in all media is precise and eye opening. She recently made a presentation to my class of Centennial College media students - a very tough and savvy audience indeed. They were revetted.
Susan McLennan is a dynamic and engaging speaker who can open minds quickly and succintly to the issues and challenges that media presents today. She also also practices what she preaches. No small feat. I recommend her highly.