John Steven Vita Communications Information

John Vita is a seasoned global corporate communications professional with more than twenty-five years experience that has included communications and public affairs leadership for Fortune 500 firms, the City of Chicago, the world's largest accounting firm and a Presidential Campaign. He was Director of Global Communications - Public Policy and External Affairs for London-based Grant Thornton International, a $4.5 billion global accounting organization with 38,000 people in 120 countries. Responsible for corporate/media relations, crisis communications/reputation management, public affairs/issues management, thought leadership and CEO communications, he managed crisis/reputational issues in the US, UK, Africa, Iran, Japan, Colombia, Hong Kong, China and the Philippines and increased year-to-year positive media coverage 25%. John led Communications at Grant Thornton LLP, the fifth largest U.S. accounting firm, responsible for corporate communications, public and media relations, public policy messaging, crisis communications and CEO communications. He was a founding member of the firm's Political Action Committee and Public Policy Group, helping to develop and execute Capitol Hill strategy and meeting with numerous elected officials including Senator Paul Sarbanes, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle , Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert . He increased positive media coverage 300 percent over eight years and developed the CEO communications strategy that resulted in positive coverage in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, Dow Jones and CNBC. He was Director of Worldwide Public Relations at Arthur Andersen until 1998, the world's largest accounting firm with 365 offices in 80 countries and $8 billion in revenues, where he led external communications including proactive media relations, crisis communications/reputation management and CEO communications. John ran his own PR agency with clients that included the Sen. Robert Dole Presidential Campaign, the City of Chicago, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and W. Clement Stone, founder of the Aon Corporation. He started his career as an investigative producer for Walter Jacobson's Emmy Award winning "Perspective" on Chicago CBS affiliate WBBM-TV. Two stories were submitted on the Emmy Award nomination reel and used as ratings sweeps pieces, promoted on the station and in local newspapers. John is a graduate of Wheaton College and the University of Chicago Laboratory School, author of the book $10,000 of Publicity for Your Small Business, and lecturer before the Public Relations Society of America and The Conference Board.