About Us - Bios
KAREN FRIEDMAN is an international communications expert who has worked with executives on four continents. Author of Shut Up and Say Something: Business Communication Strategies to Overcome Challenges and Influence Listeners (Praeger 2010), she heads Karen Friedman Enterprises, Inc. which helps business professionals become more powerful persuasive communicators. A former award-winning top market television news anchor and reporter for twenty years, her breaking coverage of local and national events has aired on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, the Today Show, Good Morning America and Nightline.
She is the winner of the prestigious 2011 Enterprising Women of the Year Award and a weekly columnist for business journals across the country.
Karen’s expertise in message development was first recognized when a U.S. delegation led by former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton tapped her to provide media and political training for women in South and Central America. She continues to counsel key opinion leaders across the world and has rolled out speaker, media, crisis and communication training programs in numerous countries including China, England, Singapore, Malaysia, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, Trinidad, Canada and Puerto Rico. She has also delivered keynote speeches at many of these events.
Since Friedman launched her firm in 1996, businesses have been relying on her to help them develop and deliver powerful messages and field tough questions to communicate more effectively during a wide variety of challenging situations including nationwide educational campaigns, manufacturing shutdowns, congressional hearings, product launches and recalls, analyst and investor presentations, hostile community meetings, employee issues, chemical spills and the drug approval process. firm has counseled a wealth of prestigious Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 clients.
Frequently quoted by publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Harvard Business Review, Karen is a professional speaker who has repeatedly received top rated speaker awards. Her articles on leadership and communication techniques are regularly published in business magazines and on-line sites and her popular monthly communication video tips are viewed by thousands of subscribers. Other published works include Speaking of Success (Insight Publishing, 2007) which she co-authored with several best-selling writers including Stephen R. Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People). She has also developed numerous communication training manuals and a host of related audio and visual tools.
Karen earned her degree at the Pennsylvania State University and furthered her studies at the University of Manchester in England. She developed and taught a journalism broadcast course at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and has lectured at prestigious institutions including the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of numerous organizations including the National Speakers Association, International Association of Business Communicators, Public Relations Society of America, American Society of Training and Development and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association where she speaks at conventions and leadership conferences.
Karen lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband, two sons, neurotic dog and ornery cat.
DARRELL L.
BROWNING has served as a senior advisor and lead communications coach for Karen Friedman Enterprises for the past decade. His expertise in message development, issue and crisis management and leadership communication skills has helped hundreds of spokespeople across numerous industries. Browning has served as crisis manager and communication consultant in a variety of high-profile national and international events to ensure critical messages are identified and delivered through appropriate vehicles for both internal and external audiences.
Browning has nearly 20 years experience as a former producer and on-air personality for CBS-KYW News Radio in Philadelphia and Associated Press Nation/World News Editor in addition to serving as Business and Feature Editor for business magazines and daily newspapers across the nation. He continues to pen articles for business publications today.
As an adjunct professor within the MBA Program at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, he currently teaches media interviewing skills and crisis communication electives. He holds membership and certification from The American Society of Training and Development and Organizational Development Network.
A popular guest speaker for many business and public organizations, Browning holds degrees in both Social Sciences and Journalism from The Ohio State University.
CINDY HOFFMAN brings twenty five years of communications experience to Karen Friedman Enterprises, Inc. Building on a career as a television news reporter, writer and producer, she expanded her expertise to include executive coaching, media and presentation training, and issues and crisis management.
Ms. Hoffman's television experience includes three years at CNN, producing two hours of daily, live news broadcasts, plus producing and writing positions at KYW-TV in Philadelphia, WNEV-TV in Boston, and WFSB-TV in Hartford, Connecticut. She also worked as an on-air reporter for the ABC affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida and reported and produced business features and in-depth profiles for the syndicated television program, "The Bottom Line".
As Director of Media Relations for Thomas Jefferson University, Ms. Hoffman was responsible for all external relations for its research institution, its 710-bed teaching hospital and affiliates, and for Jefferson Medical College, the nation's largest private medical school. She provided extensive media training for senior administrators, physicians and scientists, developed internal and external crisis and disaster plans, provided issues management counsel and served on institutional, city, and region-wide disaster planning and response committees.
For more than a decade Ms. Hoffman has provided media training, presentation training, and issues management counsel to corporate clients, hospital systems and managed care organizations, pharmaceutical and bio-tech companies, non-profit organizations, and professional and trade associations. Her healthcare expertise includes issues regarding FDA approvals and clinical trials, managed care, genetic engineering, medical ethics, and medical education. She also prepares athletes and entertainers to serve as corporate spokespeople. In addition, Ms. Hoffman counsels clients regarding litigation public relations, labor issues, environmental issues, and disaster planning.
Ms. Hoffman is an honors graduate of Brandeis University and studied for a master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania.
CAROL M. ROSENBAUM is an Emmy award-winner for her television news documentary series broadcast on CBS-TV. A specialist in media and communications, Carol has a nationally–recognized 30-year career as a television journalist, documentary writer, producer and college instructor.
She has extensive experience in television news, serving as the executive producer for long-running news series at an ABC-TV affiliate station. Her journalism skills won her the coveted Robert F. Kennedy National Journalism Award for the best television news series. The investigative news documentaries she wrote and produced for ABC-TV also won top national and regional honors.
In addition to media and communications training and consulting, Carol writes and creates interactive training and informational programs - from script to screen - for the pharmaceutical industry, government, corporations and television stations. Her incisive writing and dynamic style have won ten national first-place awards for companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Quest Diagnostics, the American Bar Association, Ernst & Young, LLP, CBS TV and NBC TV.
Throughout her career, Carol has successfully coached professionals from the business, financial, medical, legal and broadcast fields for on-camera appearances, media interviews and presentations. She has also developed expertise in e-media coaching, preparing speakers for teleconferences and webcasts.
For thirteen years, Carol taught communications on the college level, including courses in public speaking, business writing, English composition and video production. She holds an A.B. from Smith College and an M.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional graduate work in Cinema Studies/Film Production at UCLA.
RICK AMME is a skilled media and crisis trainer. An award winning
journalist for more than two decades, Rick now puts his vast expertise
to work advising Fortune 500 companies, institutions, and executives
throughout the country… on how to protect and enhance their reputations
especially during times of crisis or urgency.
For more than ten years, Rick has handled plant fires, plant closings,
plant layoffs, accidental deaths, embezzlements, product recalls,
medical mistakes, environmental controversies, fights with unions,
fights with the NAACP, and he even helped a board of directors throw
out an entire top management team.
He has advised companies such as BB&T, R. J. Reynolds, Glaxo
Smith Kline, Sara Lee Corporation, La-Z-Boy, Simmons, and hundreds
of others. A member of the editorial board of contributors for the
Business Journal of the Triad, Rick has been writing regular columns
on corporate communications for nearly a decade that are read around
the world. We are thrilled to have a close working relationship with
Rick Amme of Amme and Associates.
Before consulting and advising corporate clients, Rick logged more
than two decades as a television journalist. He is a former U.S.
Navy Officer, and has degrees in journalism and psychology.
JUDITH HOFFMAN is the well-known author of “Keeping Cool on the
Hot Seat: Dealing Effectively with the Media in Times of Crisis”.
Her book, which was recently selected as a textbook for a graduate
crisis communications course at the Newhouse School of Syracuse University
is used by numerous businesses to guide their crisis communications
efforts. For seventeen years, Judy was the Manager of Public Affairs
for a chemical manufacturing company. With microphones in her face
and reporters digging for a story, she managed many crises including
toxic releases, bomb threats, overturned railcars, and employee injuries.
As a crisis communications expert, Judy travels around the country
coaching executives, presenting workshops, and serving as an advisor
to Fortune 500 companies. She has worked with manufacturers, banks,
hospitals, nursing homes, utilities, telecommunications companies,
and not-for profit agencies, to improve their community relations
outreach efforts and be better prepared to handle difficult crisis
situations with the media and the public.
ERIC GOLDENBERG brings an added dimension to media and crisis skills
training. With nearly thirty years of experience as a photographer
and field producer at ABC, he has covered thousands of award winning
local, national and international news events. From coverage of Hurricane
Andrew, to the Gulf War in Israel, the California Earthquake, the
“88” Olympics in Calgary, Canada, Three Mile Island and the Bicentennial
Celebrations,
Eric excels at putting participants inside newsrooms
to give them realistic, hands-on experience and make them feel as
if the story is really happening to them. He is an active member of our crisis communication training programs.
RON GREENSTEIN is an award winning video producer and cameraman
who has been producing and editing corporate and training videos,
multi media, infomercials, graphics and animation for more than two
decades. As the owner of “Here’s Lookin At You Kid” and “Main Line
Video”, his expertise in corporate and broadcast photography is an
asset during coaching and training sessions at Karen Friedman Enterprises.
Ron’s clients include pharmaceutical companies, real estate agencies,
utility companies, railroads, law firms
and non profit organizations.
He began his creative career as an electrical engineer at General
Electric and served in the United States Navy.
DEBORAH STANEK REAST offers a wealth of expertise to Karen Friedman Enterprises, Inc. As the founder of a personal assistant firm that has been rated Best of Philly by Philadelphia Magazine, Deborah has over 35 years’ experience in all aspects of administration, including personnel coaching, team building, mentoring, employee performance and participation, employee relations, human resources, training and management. For more than two decades, she was the operations manager of a successful ophthalmology practice and was responsible for workforce development and management as well as administration of offices and personnel. Deborah also served as an assistant to Pennsylvania Senator Edwin G. Holl.
As an associate at KFE, Inc. Deborah manages our day to day operations which includes schedule management, assisting clients and colleagues as well as working with our vendors to coordinate coaching’s, trainings, speaking engagements and conference programs. She is a graduate of the prestigious Gwynedd Mercy College and earned a certificate in Management from Villanova University. Deborah also obtained the Certified Medical Manager (CMM) designation from the Professional Association of Health Care Office Managers and is a Pennsylvania Notary Public.
In addition to making my life (and yours) easier, Deborah also assists with website coordination, sales and marketing, public relations and client projects.
DAVID KRAVITT, MBA, CPIM has more than twenty-five
years experience in business management and marketing making him a valued advisor in business strategies, on line presence and technical management. As the Chief Operating Officer at KFE,
David manages and provides support for our technical operations to continually improve our services,
products and responsiveness to our valued clients.
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