User:Deb McGregor Fonteix

Director of Communications, Bell Labs

CORE STRENGTHS Communications planning --- Executive coaching --- Team leadership --- Written communications --- Strategic messaging --- Events planning --- Script writing --- Grace under pressure

Forged better collaboration across research domains, and fostered a “one team” atmosphere across Bell Labs through several exciting employee communications programs and activities. Key initiatives:
 * Won the Corporate Chairman's Award for directing and producing the first-ever Bell Labs Research Summit in 2005, a world-class forum open to all employees to showcase the best innovation taking place in Bell Labs. Won the Chairman’s Award.


 * Organized informal employee breakfast meetings with the Bell Labs President at informal skip-level meetings. These meetings helped break down organizational barriers and build a welcoming environment at all levels.


 * Produced well-attended global celebrations to raise employee awareness of and esteem for award-winning Bell Labs researchers past and present.

Transformed two culturally diverse research organizations -- brought together through the merger of Alcatel and Lucent -- into “One Bell Labs.” Many achievements, including:


 * Bell Labs Grand Challenge. United all Bell Labs researchers to a common cause by challenging them to propose new technology ideas and vote on the one that would yield the most benefits for the company and for society. The winning proposal is now a major initiative, fully funded with a global research staff.


 * Entrepreneurial Boot Camps. Encouraged friendly competition among employees by creating a regular mechanism where employees can submit their best ideas for new products that could differentiate Alcatel-Lucent in the marketplace. Several ideas have been absorbed into the business for further development as new products or as part of a product portfolio.

Honed communications skills over time supporting a number of Alcatel-Lucent, Lucent Technologies, and AT&T organizations, including Business Sales, Marketing, and Information Management Services.

EDUCATION
 * ROWAN UNIVERSITY, Glassboro, NJ - Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
 * UNION COUNTY COLLEGE, Cranford, NJ - Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts

AFFILIATIONS
 * Bernardsville Business & Professional Women, Bernardsville, NJ
 * Sierra Club
 * Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

PERSONAL
 * Sports minded
 * Traveler