Our Chapter:
Stefanie Mendell
Communications Director
Global Manufacturing and Supply, GlaxoSmithKline

Stefanie Mendell's foray into the communications field started while working as a corporate librarian at the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina (MCNC) in the early 1980s. Although she was hired to manage information about research projects and researchers, she was eventually asked to produce a variety of publications. "The job evolved to include producing newsletters, annual reports and various other corporate communications materials," said Mendell. The position afforded her the on-the-job training that led to her career in communications. Desiring to connect with an organization dedicated to the communications profession, she joined IABC in 1984 and has maintained her membership since that time.

Mendell currently works for GlaxoSmithKline as the communications director in the Global Manufacturing and Supply (GMS) division. Mendell's position requires her to work with the division's president and executive team to develop and implement communication strategies and support employee understanding and engagement in support of business objectives. "My job also involves dealing with the media when questions arise around pharmaceutical manufacturing issues," she said. In addition, Mendell works closely with GMS communicators around the world to ensure alignment of key messages and to deal with crisis management issues.

Since joining IABC, Mendell has found several of the organization's resources to be very valuable, including the networking opportunities. "When I was laid off from a job in the early 1990s, I got a lot of good job leads from the Triangle chapter," she said. In addition, Mendell enjoys the bi-monthly publication, Communication World (CW), and the opportunity to bounce ideas and ask questions of fellow members on the IABC Web site, which she credits as being a good source of information and feedback.

Mendell holds an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master's degree in information and library science, both from UNC-Chapel Hill. She previously worked as executive director of HopeLine, Inc., a non-profit United Way agency that operates a 24-hour telephone crisis hotline in the Triangle, for which she is also a past volunteer and board member.

A "huge Carolina basketball fan," Mendell lives in Raleigh and enjoys practicing yoga, reading historical fiction and spending time with her family.

Profile by Olympia Friday

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