Institute for Public Relations

Sean Williams is the owner of Communication AMMO, Inc. He helps leaders improve their communication skills, build strategic communication plans, strengthen internal communication capabilities and effectively measure the results. His clients include Avery Dennison, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, U.S. Endoscopy, Insurance.com and KeyBank. He also is an adjunct professor of Public Relations at Kent State University, where he teaches Public Relations Tactics, and a new course on Measurement and ROI for the university’s online Master’s in Public Relations beginning in 2011.

Until launching his business in 2009, Williams was vice president of Corporate Communications for National City Corporation, leading the internal communication, and internal and external public relations measurement and evaluation functions during the height of the financial crisis.

Previously, he was manager of Editorial Services for The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, responsible for internal communication and video production, photography and event production management. While at Goodyear, Williams lead the team rebuilding the corporate intranet, using editorial content from around the world. He also served as the primary internal communication consultant to the company’s senior leadership and produced videos and still photography for a variety of constituencies.

Prior to joining Goodyear, he was senior consultant for Joe Williams Communications, Inc., expanding the company’s face-to-face communication learning program and the strategic planning, research and consulting practices with companies including healthcare’s Merck, Quintiles and Millennium Pharmaceuticals; Prudential, John Deere, and Lucent, among others, training literally thousands of managers on communication effectiveness.

Williams was with KeyCorp for 13 years, most recently as vice president and senior communication manager for the financial services company. Williams directed corporate management communication and provided comprehensive, research-based communication consulting for the personal and institutional investment business, among other assignments.

A University of Washington graduate, Williams is currently a member of the Institute for Public Relations’ Commission on Measurement and Evaluation, and recently published a paper there analyzing the PR measurement program of a major financial company. He covered the same topic for PR News in its August 17, 2009 issue, and the paper is now included in chapter 7 of the PR News Guide to Best Practices in PR Measurement, Vol. 4. In March 2010, he presented “Theoretical Perspectives in Social Media: Excellence versus Simple Information Provision,” at the 13th Annual International Public Relations Research Conference. The paper, co-authored with Dr. Julie O’Neil of Texas Christian University, has been designated a “Best of Miami” selection by PRSA, and Williams and O’Neil will present their findings again at the PRSA National Conference in Washington, D.C. in October.

Additional publications include an article on work-life balance for PRSA’s ComPRehension blog; an article in the August 2010 edition of IABC’s CW Bulletin, “Measurement Without Crying;” and the September 2010 edition of PRWeek’s “Gloves Off” feature on the importance of excellent writing.

A past Chapter President of the International Association of Business Communicators Cleveland Chapter, he returned to the board as co-director of programming for 2009-2010, and serves as membership director for 2010-2011. Williams also served as the 2009 IABC Heritage Region Conference sponsorship co-chair, and is Speakers co-chair for the 2010 conference. Williams also is a member of the Greater Cleveland Chapter of PRSA and its “Cleveland Rocks” awards program committee.

He is the co-winner of the 2008 International Public Relations Research Conference Jackson-Sharpe Award for PR research authored by an academic and a practitioner, and presented the paper at the Conference.

Other speaking engagements include: “Measuring Crisis Response and Brand Equity” for the IABC Research and Measurement conference, November 2010; a presentation on integrated communications for Cleveland’s Lake Communicators in April 2010; leading a discussion on measurement for PRSA Cleveland, and participating in a panel Webinar on communication assessments for CommunIntelligence, both in December 2009; the 2009 PR News Measurement Conference, and the 2008 Bulldog Media Summit.