Denise Drace-Brownell

Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc.
The world’s largest advertising and communications services firm with 41,000 employees and $3.1 billion in revenues.
Brand Practice President
Designed a methodology for branding healthcare IPOs and launches. Maintained complete P&L accountability. Established strategic public relations programs for corporate clients.

• $20 million branding business opened via the development of a methodology for M&A, product rollouts, corporate restructurings, and IP strategy that yielded new business.
• Originated and introduced a new services practice, value proposition, presentation collateral, P&L development for positioning mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, and product launches including acquisition assessments for Johnson & Johnson, and GlaxoSmithKline merger.
• Conceived and established a marketing and public affairs program that gained national coverage in The Wall Street Journal and top-tier metropolitan markets.
• $300,000 in new business realized in three months by implementing marketing plans for biotechnology and services companies, professional medical associations, and IT clients including Playtex, Innovex, Discovery Laboratories, and Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

Burson-Marsteller
The largest public relations firm in the world with $275 million in revenue and operations in 81 countries.
Executive Vice President & Managing Director
Strategized and led a premier Fortune 100 company healthcare engagement with marketing, issues management, product positioning, the second-largest account in the firm.

• $1 billion in revenues generated in three years and $1 million in new billings cultivated within seven months by building stakeholder credibility, and fostering extensive media exposure to transform the brand image.
• Reversed potential client loss and countered a generics challenge via creation and execution of a strategic marketing plan and the first program reaching more than 100 million people in less than 60 days through numerous outlets, including NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, CNN, and the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet.
• Obtained brand differentiation by applying talent, energy, client engagement, and corporate and personal business acumen that led to inclusion on a select worldwide strategy team.

Foster Wheeler Corporation | Deloitte & Touche, LLP
An engineering, power facility construction, and remediation unit of the company with multiyear contracts exceeding $1 billion and annual revenues of $200 million.
Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Joint Venture Director
Created and established a global risk management program. Led the corporate reorganization of compliance and innovated AI compliance tools. Hired and trained employees. Negotiated a joint venture with Deloitte & Touche. Built a profit center. Led the compliance deal team for the sale of the company.

• Led turnaround and deal team for premium sale of Enserch Environmental (formerly Ebasco) to Foster Wheeler, directing work of 22 lawyers and regulatory staff, including physicists and technical experts.
• $400,000 in new revenues cultivated by conceptualizing and instituting a global risk management program, including AI systems, in 17 international locations for clients such as Allied Signal and Chevron, which evolved into a profit center within a year.
• Multimillion-dollar bonding status garnered from Wall Street by instigating advanced risk management programs covering risk identification, error reduction, and repeat business facilitation that doubled revenues in six years.
• Developed strategies for litigation clients, such as Owens-Illinois, for defending national health and safety class action suits; reengineered corporate law departments.

Akzo Nobel North America
The North American division of a multinational manufacturer of pharmaceuticals (branded and generic), diagnostics, fibers, chemicals, paints, and coatings -$2 billion in revenues, 12,000 employees, 50 plant locations.
Corporate Attorney | Legal Counsel to Board & Executive Officer
Negotiated and completed more than 100 commercial deals. Provided licensing, M&A, and legal counsel to pharmaceuticals (branded and generic), diagnostics, fibers, chemicals, coatings and manufacturing. Strategized complex litigation defenses.

• Multibillion-dollar HIV diagnostic market penetrated by pinpointing and resolving licensing rights with the National Cancer Institute and the FDA.
• 50% decrease in costs and exposure from generic product liability claims nurtured by managing integration problems for a newly acquired generic drug company while discouraging new lawsuits.

Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission
Appointed by the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut to head an interstate commission designated to manage and dispose of radioactive waste from inception through successful national initiatives.
Executive Director
Public Spokesperson, established the office, created all strategies and procedures, lobbied, negotiated with the federal government, mitigated volatile radiation concerns.

• Avoided $4.5 million in penalties and denial of access to waste disposal sites by pharmaceuticals, utilities, and other radioactive waste generators, via formulation of a legal strategy, public/private partnerships, technical documentation, public affairs/issues management, and lobbying for, and securing passage of key legislation.

New Jersey Office of Legislative Services | Office of Administrative Law
The legislative and public policy counsel to New Jersey legislature.
Associate Legislative Counsel for Energy & Environment
Drafted and negotiated vital health laws to solve visible and polarized issues. Wrote and presented speeches to increase issue understanding, hosted press conferences.

• Solved a public utility’s liability issues tied to a major catastrophe by negotiating and drafting state energy laws including the “Public Utility Fault Determination Act.”