Foundation Board Member (2002-2007)

Marie C. Kennedy has more than 25 years of experience in corporate and marketing communications on both the client and agency side.  She has been a strategic counselor to senior management with an understanding of how communications supports business objectives.  She has developed award-winning work in diverse markets:  Healthcare, Biotechnology, Diagnostics, Desktop Publishing, and Medical Devices, and Scientific Software and Instrumentation.

Ms. Kennedy consulted on communications strategy for both clients and agencies with the mission of providing the best strategies to support business objectives within the culture, available resources and the positioning of the corporate brand.  As the former Vice President, Corporate Communications, Amgen, a $10B Fortune 500 company, Ms. Kennedy built a corporate communications organization to operate as a global communications network for the execution of corporate public relations, product communications, internal communications, community relations, corporate branding, web communications, and philanthropy.  She provided communications counsel to the Chief Executive Officer and senior executive team and was appointed a member of Amgen's Operations Council.  She led a master brand initiative to build a global guide for internal and external communications of Amgen's corporate brand.  She created infrastructure and governance to manage corporate philanthropy including the Amgen Foundation.    

Prior to joining Amgen, Ms. Kennedy was Senior Director of Corporate Affairs for Genentech in South San Francisco.  During her seven-year tenure there, she developed and oversaw major corporate communications initiatives aligned with the company's goals to build and maintain Genentech's positive identity and corporate culture.  She also developed communications strategies to launch Genentech’s oncology initiative and its first therapies approved for cancer treatment in the United States. 

Ms. Kennedy has received important awards for her work, including the Public Relations Society of America’s Sliver Anvil Award of Excellence, National Cancer Institute's CPEN Gold Star Award, the Medical Marketing Association In-Awe awards, the TELLY awards, and the eHealthcare Awards (platinum and gold) awarded by the Strategic Healthcare Communications Association.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations from San Jose State University.  She served as a Board Member of the National Association of Social Workers Foundation, and was a guest lecturer on the topic of Public Relations and its role in reputation management.