Renee is the Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Reputation and External Communications, at Sage. She leads a team of internal and external communications professionals for the North America region. Before joining Sage, she was head of Internal, Corporate Communications, Meetings & Events at IHG for 4 years, where she spearheaded a variety of new initiatives that impacted internal colleagues and external customers.
Prior to this role, Renee was the Corporate Communications Lead for Delta Vacations, responsible brand positioning in top tier trade publications, while driving engagement in consumer direct channels. She led a team responsible for press releases, editorial/advertorial content, and on-air opportunities, while she steered executive speaking opportunities, media interviews and executive media training. Renee has served as the primary spokesperson for all PR and media related inquiries for Delta Vacations and IHG. She is skilled at public speaking and presentation management, with a firm grasp on messaging, branding, events management and public relations.
Renee led the Delta Vacations Corporate Communications efforts to include Internal Communications, Executive Communications, Public Relations & Media Relations, CSR & Community Affairs, Corporate Sponsorships and Social Media. At IHG, she developed an integrated communications strategy to support the organization’s Sustainability, Renewable Energy, Decarbonization and Community Impact initiatives. She also initiated corporate communications for leadership to support a variety of internal and external communications campaigns to increase awareness of IHG’s contributions to our planet, people and communities. She served in the company’s Return to Office task force, partnering with all lines of business to drive awareness of Covid-19 and successfully bring colleagues back to the office in the Americas region. Now in her role at Sage, she is cultivating the role of Corporate Affairs in North America and bridging the gap between departments.
Renee is active in Sage’s Women’s Network and the newly established Sage Foundation GROW program, which pairs nonprofits with executive leadership to help them grow their impact on local communities. She also participates in the company’s efforts with Sage Foundation (Loaves & Fishes San Francisco, Red Cross, Atlanta Committee for Progress (volunteer efforts for Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta Union Mission, Atlanta Food Bank, Helping Mamas and more). Personally, she is an avid supporter of the Hydrocephalus Association of America, which she became involved with when her son was born as a micro premature baby at 26 weeks old. Renee assists with national fundraising for caregivers, research efforts and the families. Beyond this medical non-profit volunteering, Renee serves as a mentor for young women of color navigating their careers in corporate America and is leading efforts with the company’s Invest in Progress Grant for the BOSS Network, which grants $1 million over three years to a select number of qualified black, female entrepreneurs.
While at IHG, Renee worked with leadership, HR, and employee resource groups to lead the strategic communications efforts and rollout of Conscious Inclusion Training, launch of external DE&I Commitments and the annual DE&I Progress Update, paid parental leave, LGBTQ+ Pride Activation, Inclusion Week, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Colleague Engagement surveys. Now with Sage, Renee is using her experience to foster more collaboration with the global team to initiate a program in North America and is working closely with the company’s DE&I leaders.
Renee is dedicated to the craft and diligence of exemplary PR work for herself and her colleagues. She is a fearless advocate for her team and champions the cause of the organization while creating new paths for others. She also delivers the necessary leadership engagement activities to inform and equip managers to communicate with their teams. Renee is an advocate for ongoing professional development for her team and empowers them to speak up on behalf of the role of PR and Corporate Affairs in Sage’s underrepresented US market. She uses her significant experience in strategic planning, as well as developing and managing a scientific methodology for MarComm initiatives to affect long-term organizational change, increase brand awareness and build brand affinity.
