Mark Dollins is president of North Star Communications Consulting, a consultancy with core capabilities in communications talent development, and in employee/change communications strategy. Founded in 2011, North Star has provided corporate communications consulting services to clients that include Visa, Toyota, Louis Vuitton, Xerox, United Technologies/Raytheon and Signet Jewelers, among others.

 

Mark’s previous corporate experience spans more than 30 years with Fortune 500 companies. It includes serving as head of Executive & Global Employee Communications for DuPont, where he created and executed communication strategies that engaged 35,000 employees in the Company’s growth initiatives, and empowered 8,000 people leaders to measurably engage their teams during the company’s $130B merger with Dow. He and his team drove communications strategies for the CEO and Senior Executive Team -- internally and externally -- and change management communications for the enterprise. In 2017 and 2018, his team earned the industry’s highest honors for communications excellence. This includes six IABC Gold Quills and two PRSA Silver Anvil awards for change management, employee engagement and employee communications. In 2018, PR Week awarded DuPont its highest honor for employee communications in North America, nominated his team’s work for best campaign of the year, and bestowed its “High Commendation” award for employee communications in its 2018 Global Communications competition.

 

Mark previously spent 17 years in executive communication leadership roles with PepsiCo. He was SVP and Chief Communications Officer at Pepsi Beverages and PepsiCo Americas Foods; and SVP of global internal communications, among other senior corporate roles. He led communications for PepsiCo’s 2011 acquisition of its anchor bottlers and ran merger communications for PepsiCo’s acquisition of The Quaker Oats Company, where he was VP of Corporate Communications. While at Quaker, he led both Corporate Communications and brand communications for Quaker, Life and Cap’n Crunch cereals, Aunt Jemima syrups and mixes, Rice-A-Roni, Gatorade and later  Tropicana juices. He also led corporate public relations, internal communications, government affairs, philanthropy and community relations.

His career with PepsiCo followed 10 years in the energy sector, running Corporate Communications for Northern Indiana Public Service Company, and leading employee communications for Indiana Michigan Power/American Electric Power.

 

Mark began his career in broadcast and print journalism, working with ABC News and other print news outlets. He currently serves on the national advisory council of George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, served for eight years on LSU’s journalism advisory board for the Manship School of Communications, and has held a seat on The Conference Board’s Change & Transformation Council.

 

He received a bachelor’s degree in Radio/TV from The George Washington University, and a master’s degree in organizational communications from Purdue University. He also is certified in Prosci Change Management, is a silver-level certified USA Wrestling coach, and three-time national USA Wrestling masters folk style champion.