(W)right On Communications kicked off its Next 25 series with an expert panel on the future of sustainable tourism and travel including Visit Napa Valley, Lowe, Archer Aviation and TravelPulse.
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David CumpstonDavid brings more than 20 years of communication experience to (W)right On, most recently as Associate Vice President at one of the largest PR agencies in the country. Spending most of his career in the Bay Area, he has developed and managed strategic communications for numerous prominent brands including JP Morgan Chase, Aramark, SEGA, Horizon Organic, Sutter Health, UCSF Medical Center, Stanford Children’s Hospital, Orbitz, Best Western, Walmart and Velodyne Lidar.
With expertise in consumer and B2B public relations from automotive, land development and high tech to healthcare, social justice and crisis communications, David is an asset on WOC’s B2B team and client partners.
He is a two-time winner of Bulldog Media’s Best Response to Breaking News Award and earned a bachelor degree in Mass Communication & Public Relations from Texas State University.
David cemented his love for travel early on and has visited more than 45 countries on six continents to date! In addition to travel, David is also passionate about dogs and, in particular, his Chiweenie mix, Dora. He’s always happy to share a photo or three of this wonderful rescue pup, so just ask!
Sonja HansonAs a Senior Communications Strategist for key accounts in our B2B and tech practice, Sonja is a strategic communications pro. With more than two decades of experience, Sonja is skilled in crisis communications, journalism, international relations, corporate communications and media relations.
Formerly Sonja held senior positions in public relations and communications primarily in government (U.S. Navy, National Park Service, City of Bellevue and the City of Bainbridge Island) and medical industries (Navy Medicine, UW Medicine, Seattle Children’s Hospital).
She achieved her Master of Arts degree with a focus in Communication Studies from San Diego State University and her Accreditation in Public Relations through the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). In her free time, Sonja enjoys spending time out on the water, hiking and riding horses.
Capree WatersCapree has more than 5 years of experience in content marketing and content strategy. She is skilled in helping elevate brands through SEO, content writing, marketing strategy, analytics, and project management. Some of Capree’s efforts for the (W)right On team include providing social media strategy, content marketing, copy writing, research and analytics, media pitching, and more. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from San Diego State University.
Michail TakachMichail brings over 20 years of experience to his role as Senior Communications Strategist at (W)right On Communications, most recently as Director of Brand Communications for VCA Animal Hospitals, a national operator of hometown veterinary clinics based in Los Angeles. During his time with VCA, Michail launched the award-winning VCA Voice podcast and introduced the first DEI program serving the company’s 35,000 associates. Michail previously served as Director of Brand Communications for The Aspen Group; Global Director of Brand & Digital Communications for Cielo Talent in London, UK; Global Director of Digital Brand for Manpower Group; and Senior Communications Manager for Aurora Healthcare.
Michail holds Bachelor and Master of Arts in Communications degrees from the University of Wisconsin.
Aditi VengurlekarWith a background in video editing, special effects and painting, Aditi enjoys creating strategic, thoughtful and meaningful work. Her role of Multimedia Graphic Designer, combines her decade of experience in 3D animation for award-winning studios with her expertise in developing marketing, branding and promotional materials.
Aditi holds a Masters of Arts degree in Visual Effects and Animation and graduated with honors. Apart from professional endeavors, Aditi loves to paint, swim and spend time with her family.
Julie WrightJulie Wright is President of (W)right On Communications, Inc., the award-winning integrated strategic communications firm she founded in 1998. With offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C., her team handles complex communications challenges for B2B tech, cleantech and energy, healthcare, tourism and hospitality, not-for-profit and public sector organizations. Wright and her team elevate the agency experience through data-driven insights and measurable results for client partners.
Earlier in her career, Wright served at several public relations agencies and in-house as Director of Marketing for a financial institution. She began her career as a journalist, working as a radio news anchor.
Wright currently serves as a director and past chair of the San Diego North Economic Development Council and a director of CalTravel. Her previous community service has included director of the Los Angeles chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, board vice president of the La Jolla Village Merchants Association, trustee for the Tri-City Hospital Foundation and chair of the President’s Advisory Council for California State University San Marcos.
Wright was named a “Woman Who Means Business” by the San Diego Business Journal and a “40 Under 40” honoree by the San Diego Metropolitan magazine. She was also recognized with the annual Fran Aleshire Award for community leadership by Leadership North County and founded the LNC Alumni group, which is now 400 strong.
Wright holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of B.C. and a Master of Journalism degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of Western Ontario. She is a graduate of the Leadership North County program as well as the Corporate Directors Forum Governance Academy.
She lives in San Diego with her husband, has two sons in college, loves being outdoors in Southern California and Vancouver, and has a passion for elephants, frogs and Champagne. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook
Felicia WatsonWith a proven track record of success and more than 20 years of design and marketing experience, Felicia approaches each project with a commitment to create an impactful design that achieves results. Responsible for leading the agency’s creative services that integrate print and digital graphic design, online programming, videography, editing and photography, Felicia also oversees agency services including animation, motion graphics, and emerging technologies including augmented/virtual reality and holography as they may be integrated in strategic communication programs.
Through the course of her career, Felicia has created effective marketing campaigns for many notable domestic and international brands including the Motion Picture Association of America, Kirkland, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, bliss Skincare, City National Bank, Abbott Diagnostics, KB Home and more.
Felicia holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of San Diego and enjoys keeping abreast of new creative technologies in the ever-evolving field of marketing communications.
Corie FiebigerWith more than 10 years of experience in prior marketing roles in the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles markets, Corie supports the (W)right On team in multi-channel digital marketing, client relations management, social media, copywriting and copyediting, research and analytics, media pitching and more.
Corie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of California Santa Barbara.
Terry WhitakerA communications veteran with more than 18 years’ experience, Terry oversees (W)right On’s lifestyle division including the agency’s hospitality, tourism, senior living, wellness and education practice areas. He’s most at home developing and implementing fresh ideas and strategically integrated approaches for client partners’ complex communication needs that keep the agency at the forefront of our industry.
Before joining the (W)right On team, Terry was based in Sydney, Australia and represented client partners such as the USA’s National Football League, Visit California, Sydney Festival, Budweiser, Electronic Sports League, Holden, IBM, TEDx, Major League Baseball International and numerous others.
Terry’s past accomplishments include winning a Bronze Media Lion Award at the Cannes International Advertising Festival; helping three Australian startups be named to the Fast 100; and managing media relations for the Australian speaking tours of former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George HW Bush involving hundreds of journalists and raising millions for charity.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Terry enjoys family time with his wife and two young children, travel and team sports.
Brian WrightResponsible for communication programs research and analysis, Brian provides administrative and functional support to the agency’s program leads as well as senior management. With experience managing a retail store in the complex pool supply industry, Brian is a key contributor for social media programs, media relations, content development, vendor management, software programs oversight and other critical program aspects. He brings an innate sense of the agency’s GSD attitude to help ensure the agency remains at the industry forefront.
Brian holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, is an FAA-licensed Private Pilot, and is an accomplished musician and music producer in his spare time.
Grant WrightGrant Wright has more than 30 years of senior management experience including external affairs and business development leadership roles for major American and Canadian corporations and their subsidiaries. With extensive skills in all aspects of communications including media, regulatory, governmental, community outreach and labor relations; he has also led major infrastructure project development, M&A due diligence and implementation management, marketing and brand development, strategic planning and business plan development for small through Fortune 500 companies.
As CEO and Managing Partner, Grant provides oversight and senior-level communications and business counsel for the agency’s client partners while also overseeing agency management and administration.
Grant holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and an MBA in Marketing and Finance. Professionally, he has been involved in corporate and not-for-profit boards of directors and is formerly a Board Director of the San Diego Venture Group (now Connect San Diego – regional venture capital ecosystem). Grant was also named a Finalist for the San Diego Business Journal’s 2016 and 2017 Most Admired CEO Awards. During his free time, Grant enjoys scuba diving, hiking and being a mentor for university students entering their professional careers. He is also a commercial pilot licensed in both Canada and the U.S. and is the founding board chairman of the Southern California Aviation Association that has provided more than $400,000 in student scholarship grants in the past five years alone.
Shae GearyShae Geary is a seasoned professional with 20 years of experience representing world-class travel and hospitality PR clients. Formerly PR Director with Four Seasons Resorts and a consultant for a wide variety of resorts in California, Hawaii and Mexico, Shae began her career in Hawaii for six years with the state’s largest PR firm. Over the course of her career, Shae has spearheaded numerous campaigns involving everything from hotel openings and property renovations to anniversaries and special events. Her expertise in communications and all things hospitality includes a broad range of niche markets – spa, golf, recreation, weddings, dining, luxury, family and green travel. Shae holds a Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and Master’s degree in Mass Communications (with PR emphasis) from UC Santa Barbara. In her spare time, Shae enjoys playing soccer, running training and spending time with her husband and two kids.
Roman LukjanenkoWith more than 10 years of video production experience, Roman is a skilled cinematographer, editor and animator for such organizations as HP, PetSmart, Airbnb and Nike. Prior to joining the (W)right On team, Roman supported UCLA and UCLA Health where he successfully helped researchers, educators and healthcare professionals communicate their messages through comprehensive videos and motion graphic animations. Roman believes that a well-crafted video brings organizations and their audiences closer together, improving understanding and ultimately strengthening society as a whole.
Phelan RiessenPhelan Riessen is a passionate web and graphic design artist with over 25 years of experience designing and building more than 60 websites for a variety of organizations. Skilled in fontography, web design, Photoshop and web marketing strategies; Phelan also holds a strong presence in the San Diego tech community by serving as an organizer of several large-scale events including RefreshSD, March Mingle and Startup Week.
Katrina EarlyFormerly with VisitBritain and Showtime Networks, Katrina Early provides (W)right On client partners’ integrated and creative partnerships with film and TV studios, retailers, and media outlets such as Sony Pictures, Universal, Warner Brothers, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Entertainment Tonight to name a few. Experienced in the hospitality, travel, entertainment industries among others, Katrina coordinates all aspects of B2B industry events, as well as grows client partners’ audience social media engagement through highly sharable digital content. Results achieved include positive media placement in top tier outlets including National Geographic, Robb Report, Forbes, USA Today, LA Times, NBC/Today Show, E! News, Extra, The Tonight Show, People and many others. Katrina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Public Relations from CSU Long Beach and a Master of Arts in Communications from the prestigious University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication.
Hamish MarshallAs Director of Research & Analytics based out of (W)right On’s Vancouver office, Hamish leads (W)right On’s survey and stakeholder information gathering initiatives North America-wide. A former advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, Provincial Premiers, City Mayors and dozens of elected officials, he also served in the government of Canada overseeing the quantitative and qualitative research activities of federal government agencies. With experience using every sort of data collection method to provide critical insights for strategic planning, marketing and other organizational activities, Hamish has worked with dozens of private and public sector client partners, including the world’s largest mining company. In 2004 he worked in radio business development in Kabul, Afghanistan, and he has volunteered in democracy-building activities in Bangladesh and Jordan. Today, Hamish is frequently sought out by the media as an expert commentator for national television, radio and print publications. Prior to joining (W)right On, Hamish worked as the Research Director for Angus Reid Public Opinion, conducting and performing analysis on surveys in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Oxford in England, a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree from the University of Toronto and enjoys history, writing and sailing.