My professional life on a single screen.
In short? I was a newspaper journalist, foreign correspondent, magazine writer, editor, book author, and wannabe tennis pro. Not necessarily in that order. To go deeper under the hood, see my LinkedIn profile.
Leff Communications
Senior Vice President, Content INNOVATION
2021 - present
Driving unique storytelling approaches and superior client results through the marriage of experience and research at this fast-growing, Chicago-based content marketing agency. Our amazing, passionate team works with some of the world’s largest and most prestigious companies to turn ideas into assets, bringing their stories, expertise, and research to life through rich content spanning all formats and channels. Could be print. Maybe video. Often audio. But it’s always world-class, from the IAAF’s World Athletics Series to Nike, Deloitte, and all manner of companies in between. And we’re just getting warmed up.
Ernst & Young
Global Editor-in-Chief
2019 – 2021
Provided the strategic vision and operational excellence to drive thought leadership to the next level at this $36 billion, 300,000-employee organization. Set the editorial strategy, assessed EY’s ability to achieve its objectives, and worked collaboratively with colleagues across a global, complex, highly matrixed firm to help create EY Insights, a cross-functional research and editorial engine to turbocharge the firm’s most important and impactful content. The result? Stronger, more distinctive insights presented in innovative ways to better engage clients and potential clients.
Deloitte
Director of Publishing, Deloitte Insights
2017 – 2019
Leader of the professional-services firm’s flagship digital publishing channel and a team of more than 45 editors, designers, and communications professionals. Brought in to evolve its thought leadership, oversaw the re-branding of the United States-based Deloitte University Press as the global Deloitte Insights platform, and the publication of more than 600 thought-leadership assets annually spanning articles, videos, podcasts, interactives, and infographics (not to mention innovative formats such as Augmented Reality). Oh, and re-imagined and redesigned its premier print publication, Deloitte Review, while developing the Deloitte Insights mobile app in conjunction with Dow Jones. Did I mention we launched registered-user functionality and personalization of content to deloitte.com?
My tenure saw web traffic increase by more than 75%, social-media followers by 63%, and subscriptions to e-mail newsletters by 28%
McKinsey & Company
Executive Editor, McKinsey Publishing
Executive Editor, McKinsey Quarterly
Senior Editor, Office of the Managing Director
Senior Editor, McKinsey Quarterly
Associate Editor, McKinsey Publishing
Senior Associate
2007 – 2016
Multiple roles spanning almost a decade, beginning as a management consultant in McKinsey’s New York City office and culminating in oversight of content flowing to mckinsey.com. Responsibilities included:
conceiving, developing, writing, and editing text, video, audio, and interactive content
determining publication strategy and scheduling, then executing with direct reports and colleagues in a 30-plus member team
managing organization-wide content campaigns on priority topics
pushing audience development and engagement through multiple channels, and calibrating those strategies through the gathering and analysis of relevant metrics
helping set the Publishing function’s strategic direction as a member of its senior-management team, including staffing and restructuring decisions, developing and communicating organization-wide editorial standards, and exploring innovative editorial formats.
Also counseled senior leaders globally on editorial and publishing issues, including six months directly working for McKinsey’s Global Managing Director on internal and external communications.
The result? Web traffic more than doubled to two million visitors a month and the McKinsey Insights mobile app was launched and installed by 500,000 users globally.