Over the course of her career, Susan has been instrumental in building and publicizing some of the world’s most prestigious brands, current clients notwithstanding, from Martha Stewart, a client since 1983, Dom Perignon, Reader’s Digest and the LXR luxury hotel brand, a division of The Blackstone Group, to Alain Ducasse, Harper’s Bazaar, Club Med and One&Only resorts worldwide, among others. A hands-on leader, she not only oversees the fiscal growth of the agency, she is also a driving force behind much of its business. Having maintained valuable and longstanding relationships with the agency’s clients and the media, Susan takes a proactive approach in guiding the strategic direction of campaigns and programs, bringing to each her vision, leadership, integrity, and commitment to excellence.

Since founding the agency, Susan has directed the public relations and played an integral role in the brand and communications strategy around the growth of the Martha Stewart from a one-woman entrepreneur to an Initial Public Offering – most recently orchestrating her return to television with the launch of the daily show, Martha, and The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, both airing on NBC. Susan has also been involved throughout her career in every aspect of the MSLO business including retail relationships with Kmart as well as all of the publishing, merchandising and other branded businesses.

Under Susan’s direction, the agency has also been responsible for groundbreaking campaigns including the 2000 launch of Hearst Magazine’s O, The Oprah Magazine, hailed by Newsweek as “the most successful magazine start-up in history,” the launch and branding of Starwood Corporation’s W Hotels, which Business Week said was “one of the industry’s most successful launches,” and for Coty, the launch of Celine Dion’s first fragrance, Celine, which was also recognized in the industry as one of the most successful fragrance launches in the ‘masstige’ category.

Susan has also led the agency in producing major events. Highlights include One&Only Palmilla’s grand opening celebration – a 50th birthday party for John Travolta, Time Magazine’s 75th Anniversary at Radio City Music Hall, the 2001 American Fashion Awards for CFDA, the 40th Anniversary celebrations for the Four Seasons and AmFAR’s tribute to Larry King with special guest Sharon Stone at the Plaza.

Susan lives in New York with her husband James Dunning, and is a board member of Manitoga, The Russell Wright Design Center.

To RSVP for the monthly networking events, email rsvp@skidbiz.com. Please include your name, company name and position, daytime phone number and e-mail address. Space is limited.

January 2007 - Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship

Ken with O.J. Anderson from the NY Giants and Founder of Health Monitor founder Eric Jensen

Kenneth Freirich '90, a seasoned entrepreneur, corporate executive and a Fortune 100 executive at age 29, discussed how he has successfully created and grown numerous companies dating back to his Skidmore days.

Most recently, Ken was recruited by the Founder of Health Monitor Network, one of the nation's leading multimedia health publishing companies to help grow the company exponentially. The company distributes its publications and other products to physician offices and works very closely with it’s customers in the pharmaceutical industry. After a record setting 2006, they are on their way !

Previously, Ken served as Founder and CEO of TransLocal Health Corporation, a leading multimedia health information provider to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Prior to that, he was President of InteliHealth, which started as a join venture between Johns Hopkins and Aetna U.S. Healthcare, an executive with Thomson/Medical Economics and the Founder and Publisher of The Collegian Magazine.