With more than two decades of leadership in senior communication positions, Ann Simon is adept at guiding large organizations through challenging times without losing sight of great opportunities just over the horizon.

"I think so many companies get stuck in the moment, wrestling with the immediate problem they’re facing," she said. "As a result, they sometimes miss opportunities to identify and articulate a path to growth. One of my strengths is helping people see beyond the current crisis and their role in getting there."

Ann brings a results-driven approach to her work. At ROI Communication, she has helped diverse clients assess their communication effectiveness, and align their employees for a return to growth. Other areas of expertise include setting up internal communications at companies with limited capabilities, helping experienced executives become even more effective communicators, directing crisis management programs, creating new and vital internal communication channels, and designing employee feedback-driven communication programs.

Before joining ROI, Ann headed both corporate employee communications as well as institutional business communications at Charles Schwab. Her tenure began in 2000 during a period of unprecedented change for the company. During that time, Ann designed a three-phase strategic program to help Schwab communicate to employees about the rationale behind the first layoffs in the company’s history, then, the need to reduce expenses and increase efficiency and, finally, the strategy for the company’s return to growth.

On the agency side, Ann spent ten years at Ketchum Communications where she led the corporate practice and served as senior counselor to American Express, American Management Systems and Fidelity Investments. While at Ketchum, Ann and a team of specialists worked with Visa USA to restructure its employee communication department and establish new internal programs and channels, including Visa’s first intranet. Keeping employees informed was a key concern as Visa USA went through its first reorganization on its way to becoming a public company.

Before Ketchum, she worked in corporate communication at Merrill Lynch in New York and at the international public relations firm Burson-Marsteller. Ann holds a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.