CLEVELAND – October 18, 2011 – Dix & Eaton announced today the promotions of two members of its professional staff to vice president – Karin Bonev, who serves both D&E’s employee communications and customer communications practice areas, and Kellie Friery, a member of its investor relations practice.
Working with a variety of public and private companies, Bonev specializes in strategic communications during CEO transitions, mergers and acquisitions and brand implementation. She recently served as the outsourced employee communications function during a client merger, developing messaging and testing it throughout the process by conducting focus groups.
Before joining Dix & Eaton in 2003, Bonev worked in the education and communications group at Victory Capital Management. Previously, she was a Fulbright scholar in Germany, where she taught English to German students in grades 5 through 13. Bonev graduated cum laude from Wellesley College with a bachelor’s degree in German literature. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America’s Employee Communications section.
In working with closely with a wide range of public companies, Friery develops and executes communication messages, strategies and programs to support senior executives in effectively positioning their organizations with investors, security analysts and business media. She has also been actively involved in communications strategy development and execution surrounding various proxy fights, mergers and acquisitions, and initial public offerings.
Before joining Dix & Eaton in 2005, Friery was a senior auditor with Ernst & Young, LLP in Cleveland. A certified public accountant, she graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy. While at Notre Dame, Friery co-authored a case study, “Arthur Andersen, LLP: An Accounting Firm in Crisis,” which is currently part of the curriculum at several universities. She is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) and the Notre Dame Young Alumni of Cleveland.
Dix & Eaton is an integrated communications consultancy specializing in public relations, investor relations, crisis communications, customer communications and reputation valuation. Working as partners, we bring deep experience, foresight and creativity to every relationship and help clients realize the full power of communication to drive results. Founded in 1952, Dix & Eaton has twice been named the nation’s best midsized firm. For more information, visit www.dix-eaton.com.