Bob Butter is an advisor to leading public and private organizations. For half of his 30+ year career Bob worked on the client side of corporate and marketing communications; the rest of his experience with U.S., global and regional companies has been through his consulting work at Ketchum and Veritas Communications Advisors, a firm he co-founded in 2004. He is most acknowledged for his experience in leadership communications, special situation issues, and crisis communications, media relations strategy and corporate/financial communications.
His issues management and regulatory communications experience ranges from corporate and product crises to labor negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, nonprofit combinations and challenges, management changes and supporting legal challenges with timely and effective communications. He is experienced in simplifying communications around complex issues and has led numerous restructuring, right-sizing, financial restructuring and change management initiatives for a wide range of organizations.
An advisor to executive teams, Bob brings a strategic perspective to developing, managing and delivering strategic plans and messages for organizations interested in promoting, protecting or rebuilding their brand or corporate reputations through thought leadership programs, audience engagement, strategic planning initiatives and targeted media activities. Bob has been responsible for developing and managing issues planning, creating and implementing communications plans or conducting media coaching for numerous organizations including publicly-traded corporations, private companies, foundations, non-profit organizations, universities, law firms and community initiatives.
With more than three decades of experience, Ruth has a broad spectrum of communications skills ranging from information and research analysis, marketing, advertising and graphic design. Her diligence in everything she does is always at the highest level. Her career began as an art director at a Pittsburgh agency and led to her multi-talented capacity as a full-service communications director for a telecom equipment company. Previously, she was marketing VP for an internet marketing business and principal of a small ad agency. She is admired by colleagues and clients alike for her thoughtful talent and clear perspective when it comes to connecting the dots, punctuality and judgement. Ruth’s service to clients on knowledge and information management is unparalleled.
Bart brings logic, technology and financial discipline to the several roles that he plays at Veritas. As Director of Client Services, he manages the firm’s news monitoring service, as well as its financial and operational functions. A former international banker, he spent two decades in a variety of positions from operations, sales, management, international finance, credit and risk management, to treasury management, software design and implementation, and strategic planning. During his banking years, he worked for national and foreign banks while living in New York, Boston, Miami, Delaware, Pittsburgh and Amsterdam, Netherlands. When he is not in Veritas’ downtown office, he could be found in the Strip District at St. Patrick-St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish where he serves as its Business Manager. He is an avid volunteer for several nonprofits in the Pittsburgh community.
An accomplished communicator, writer and editor, Laura is a results-driven media relations strategist with more than 15 years of management experience in public relations and digital content development. Her work with Veritas includes the development and execution of targeted media outreach plans and the pursuit of profiling and thought leadership opportunities for clients in sustainability, economic development, retail, healthcare, manufacturing and technology.
A most dedicated information specialist, Jane goes above and beyond for her clients when it comes watching for, reading and alerting them on their news stream. She is a diligent monitor of global, regional and trade news for clients across various industries. An avid movie-goer, Jane stays abreast of popular culture, regional and national trends. Her work career, in addition to raising a family, is rich with experiences, from being a school bus driver to working in a steel mill, to being Bob’s assistant at Ketchum.
Carolyn Kerr is an experienced communicator, writer, producer and instructional designer. She is a respected speech and script writer, teacher, and is the author of numerous types of communications materials – from annual reports, capabilities brochures, trade journal articles and ads. As a video producer/director, Carolyn has written and produced how-to videos such as “Understanding the Basics: The Stock Market” and “Understanding the Basics: Mutual Funds.” She worked for GBH Productions at WGBH-TV in Boston, and was editor and writer for various publications. She is a part-time lecturer in the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Business Administration where she is the course coordinator for Fundamentals of Business Communication, a required course for undergraduate business students, and a course that she co-designed with faculty peers. Ms. Kerr earned a Master of Arts degree in Radio-Television with a minor in Journalism from Ohio University, and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Duquesne University. The Communications Academy, founded by Ms. Kerr, has conducted a range of corporate workshops for major U.S. and regional companies. She is an active volunteer having served on the boards of the American Red Cross and The Pitt News, and served as a volunteer tutor for the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council. Carolyn is avid theater-goer.
