BATEMAN - Key Persons
As a Senior Associate for Bateman Agency, Brianna McGarry is a media relations sharpshooter who has worked with a wide variety of companies in technology with a special focus on cyber security.
Based in Austin, Texas, Brianna started her career in B2B tech PR working in the Boston office of UK-based tech PR firm Red Lorry Yellow Lorry. During her tenure there, she supported a multitude of different campaigns and programs, including mergers and acquisitions, funding announcements and product launches. Through this experience, Brianna developed solid relationships with journalists at key tech trades and sharpened her writing skills via development of social copy, pitches and long-form blog and byline content.
Growing up, Brianna dreamt of becoming an author and today is still passionate about the written word - something she cultivated and refined while earning her B.A. in Public Relations from Boston University.
When she's not publicly declaring her love for Charlie Swan from the Twilight saga or taking advantage of the fact that her roommate has a Peloton, you can find her making a killer Spotify playlist and planning her next trip.
Job Titles:
- Head of Operations
- Operations
As Head of Operations for Bateman Agency, Brooke Thivierge is responsible for all aspects of administration, finance and operations to create seamless processes for the business.
With 15 years of operational experience managing startups, Brooke is surprised by nothing, anticipates most problems before they occur and is laser-focused on developing best-of-breed systems that are always one or two steps ahead of Bateman Agency's growth. Brooke has worked in operations roles at larger companies such as AT&T, where she fine-tuned her unique skill set that blends operational excellence, financial acumen and IT service chops with her natural passion for event management and celebrating company culture.
Beyond business, Brooke is passionate about staying involved in her tribe and working to restore rights for Native peoples. She is also one of Bateman Agency's many outdoor lovers, and at any given moment you may find her on a motorcycle, in a kayak, or cutting across the sky in a tandem paraglide.
Job Titles:
- Vice President and Head of Content
- Vice President, Head of Content
As Vice President and Head of Content at Bateman Agency, Christopher focuses on translating complex topics into engaging, accessible stories. His client experience includes leading integrated content strategies for Bateman clients such as Jellyfish, Mirakl, New Relic, Sentra and Teleport.
Before joining Bateman, he wrote product-level content for Mouser Electronics; developed thought leadership bylines for Cubic Corporation and the World Bank; and created white papers and case studies for companies including TE Connectivity, Mueller Co., and Newpark Mats & Integrated Services. Christopher is valued by his clients for his ability to decipher and break down scientific documents, gain valuable insights by interviewing engineers and product managers, and turn technical hieroglyphics into 600-word blog posts.
In addition to his content work, Christopher maintains an active career as a classical musician. He is a full-time member of the world-renowned Latvian Radio Choir, with whom he performs more than 40 concerts per year in churches and concert halls throughout the world. He is also the founder and conductor of the Riga Project Choir, which has quickly been recognized as one of Latvia's top amateur choruses. A native of the Cleveland area, Christopher earned his master's degree at Northwestern University, and his bachelor's degree at Miami University of Ohio.
As an Account Associate at Bateman Agency in San Francisco, Claire Schulberg supports her teams across all integrated programs so that client deliverables are always on time, consistently high quality and frequently exceed expectations.
Bateman clients that have benefited from Claire's exceptional skills include New Relic, Amperity, CaptivateIQ and Treasury Prime. Claire came Bateman with a background in political campaigns and social media marketing. Most recently, she built content strategies for digital media via her fellowship with HER BOLD MOVE, a national non-profit dedicated to supporting the most extraordinary women leaders in our country as they pursue the mantle of public service. During her fellowship, Claire was instrumental in guiding the newly formed 501(c)(3) organization to more cohesive external messaging and took the lead on HER BOLD MOVE's first media outreach and thought leadership campaigns.
Claire is a graduate of Chapman University with a degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Creative and Cultural Industries. She's passionate about film and television, social change and fitness.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Media
- Vice President, Media Strategy
As the Vice President of Media for Bateman Agency, Elissa has spent 20 years developing & executing strategic communications programs for clients of all sizes.
Having built her career in leading agencies, Elissa is results-driven and shines in a fast-paced, client-focused environment. Her extensive experience includes high-tech B2B and B2C companies in the fintech, real estate, human relations, retail, martech, enterprise software and sustainability sectors. Some of the brands Elissa has played a key role in building media mindshare include: SunPower Corp., Topcoder, ServiceChannel, Betterment, HomeLight, RecycleBank, Vonage and ZTE.
Elissa honed her strong work ethic at Brandeis University, where she graduated cum laude with a BA in sociology and a minor in journalism. When she's not working with clients, Elissa provides counsel to the board of trustees at Temple Beth Shalom in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, and enjoys tossing a softball with little leaguers as a volunteer coach.
As CEO & Founder of Bateman Agency, Fred is a serial agency entrepreneur with more than 30 years of proven success in technology-focused strategic communications.
Fred is best known as the sole founder and CEO from 2003 until 2020 of Bateman Group, one of the most award-winning, fastest-growing tech PR agencies of the last ten years. Under his leadership, Bateman Group became known as an industry innovator and THE tech agency of choice for disruptive startups and market leaders alike. Fred was the architect behind Bateman Group's progressive workplace policies and company culture and is credited for being one of the first PR agency owners to recognize the power of empathy on employee performance and retention.
A proven PR strategist and masterful writer, PR Week named Fred to its inaugural "40 Under 40" list in 2007 of PR professionals "who have achieved tremendous feats" before the age of 40. Bateman Group was named the 5th Largest Gay-Owned Business in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times in 2019, which has included Fred in their annual "Business of Pride" listing of successful openly gay business owners for five consecutive years (2015-2019).
Prior to founding Bateman Group, Fred spent 12+ years working for other people's PR agencies, beginning in Boston and later opening new regional offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Fred is also a product of Jesuit education, attending both Boston College High School and Boston College on academic scholarships and graduating with honors. As the only openly gay man to start two successful tech PR agencies in the U.S., Fred is determined to never stop talking about the lack of diversity, specifically LGBTQ representation, in the high tech PR industry until his retirement. And only then if it's improved. And not just a little, but a whole lot.
Job Titles:
- Director, Speaking & Awards
As Director, Speaking & Awards, for Bateman Agency, Jenny is known for her keen ability to translate deeply technical information into stories that resonate.
Most recently, Jenny has acquired strong domain knowledge in AI and machine learning, data analytics and processing, and cloud-based solutions through her work with Bateman clients New Relic and SunPower Corp. She specializes in developing and building executive leadership profiles across global forums, as she currently does for ChargePoint, the world's largest EV charging network, and SambaNova Systems, placing keynote and panel speaking engagements across the executive team.
Jenny has developed and hosted events and user conferences, developing and managing relationships with leading celebrity brand ambassadors for corporations and nonprofits including Polaroid, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, HireVue, IMAX, The Trust for Public Land, Red Bull and Verizon.
Jenny graduated with honors from San Francisco State University and spends her personal time with her partner, three high-energy boys and their dog-all supporting local LGBTQ causes and events as well as groups in need.
Joe Gross comes to Bateman Agency from the world of journalism, where he has spent the majority of his career. For nearly 20 years, he covered music, film, television, literature and much, much more as a culture reporter and features writer for the Austin American-Statesman. A member of Bateman Agency industry leading Content Studio, he currently supports key accounts in the Future of Work portfolio, such as employment background market leader Checkr, and the cyber security practice, working with emerging brands like Sentra.
A professional writer and reporter since 1996, his byline has appeared in dozens of publications, including the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Village Voice, Pitchfork, Texas Monthly and many others. He authored "Fugazi's In on the Kill Taker," (2018, Bloomsbury), a book in the 33 ⅓ series on the iconic's band's influential album. Joe contributed various articles to "The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition" (Fireside, 2004). His copywriting and copyediting clients have included the creative agency Ansira, Giant Noise PR, Rippling, Merge Records, Sweetheart PR, Downtown Records, among others. He continues his journalism and criticism, authors and contributes to podcasts and writes and produces film and other content.
Kaelyn Attridge comes to Bateman Agency with a background in social media management.
Based in Boston, Kaelyn has built her social media consulting services specifically in the health and life coaching sector, working alongside a multitude of wellness influencers, life coaches, and personal trainers, combining her passions in health and wellness and her experience growing social media audiences. Most recently, she had the opportunity to lead her hometown's Chamber of Commerce's small businesses in a seminar to teach and empower local business owners to cultivate a strong online community and create effective and engaging social content.
Kaelyn is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Communication with a Business Application. She's passionate about travel, writing and mental health advocacy.
As a Senior Associate for Bateman Agency based in the San Francisco office, Mark Dunphy is a compelling storyteller and proven strategist with an empathetic ear and an eye for striking details.
Mark began his career in journalism at Boston.com and the Boston Globe, where he reeled in millions of readers covering the region's sports teams for one of the most-read digital media outlets in the nation. He moved to the San Antonio Express-News, racing to deliver crisp copy and unique insights on the breaking news beat - and catching a wooden bullet for his troubles.
At the San Francisco-based PR and public affairs firm Riff City Strategies, Mark found the same adrenaline rush landing impactful stories in top-tier business and trade publications for clients ranging from self-driving cars to cannabis technology, with an emphasis on B2B tech. He prides himself on honing stories that resonate, developing relationships with key reporters, and driving media campaigns that accelerate a startup's momentum or cement an industry leader's status.Mark studied Journalism at University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he played for the Division I Men's Soccer team.
He lives in San Francisco and enjoys Gaelic football and getting lost in a good book.
As EVP at Bateman Agency, Rachael partners with high-growth tech companies to shape their stories, set communications strategy and advise executive teams. Her expertise as a corporate reputation specialist spans issues management and crisis communications, corporate positioning and messaging, IPO and financial communications and media training.
Rachael's current and former client list reads like a "who's who" of Silicon Valley, including Atlassian, Canva, Checkr, Google, New Relic and Snowflake. She is also an experienced operational lead and team builder, focused on expanding Bateman Agency's national footprint and growing our Future of Work and DevOps practice areas.
Rachael forged her early career in broadcast journalism in Australia and held senior leadership positions as News Director at the Macquarie Radio Network and News Producer at Channel 7 Sunrise. She's a graduate of the University of Western Sydney and holds a Graduate Diploma in Radio Broadcasting from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.
As the Executive Vice President for Bateman Agency based in the San Francisco office, Tara Klein's extensive communications expertise includes accomplishments in just about every aspect of the trade.
Tara has built, grown and managed multinational teams across a range of highly technical industries. She has demonstrated success working both in- house with major organizations including Lucent Technologies, Thales Group, and Rocketfuel, and leading teams at some of the industry's most influential agencies.
Over her 25-year career, Tara has worked in industries spanning data security, enterprise software, networking, SaaS, digital media, telecommunications and fintech. In addition to some of the largest companies in tech, Tara has also led innovative communications campaigns for category-disrupting startups and mid-size companies such as Conviva, Mirapoint and Nutanix.
Tara is a graduate of Syracuse University's prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and completed her Advanced Social Media Strategy Certification through the Newhouse School. Highly active in her community, Tara has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in San Mateo County and for four years was on the board of PARCA Auxiliary, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of developmentally disabled children and adults. Tara currently holds a board position with the National Charity League's Edgewood chapter.
As an Account Manager for Bateman Agency based in the San Francisco office, Tom Hannigan focuses on media relations and strategy, staying up to date on the latest news driving the enterprise technology space.
Tom prides himself on staying up to date on the latest trends and news driving the enterprise technology space. Focusing on media relations and strategy at Bateman Agency, Tom works with his clients to develop storylines and campaigns that resonate with the media, build brands and deliver value.
Since discovering his affection for B2B Tech PR at Boston-based Inkhouse, Tom has worked with companies ranging from startups to well-established market players, assisting in funding announcements, acquisitions and product launches, and developed relationships with journalists at tier-one business and key trade publications. Tom eats news for breakfast and washes it down with black coffee, determined to get that next big media hit.
Tom considers himself a music snob and prefers Apple Music to Spotify, but don't judge him for it. Prior to entering the world of public relations, he graduated from UMass Amherst with a degree in Sports Journalism.