Speakeasy Communications Consulting Hires
Julie Davenport to Head Speakeasy San Francisco,
Names Victoria Squire as New Instructor
June 6, 2005

Speakeasy, one of the country’s leading executive development and communication consulting organizations, announced today that it is expanding the company’s efforts in San Francisco where it has operated for nearly 15 years. As part of the Speakeasy's expanded commitment in the Bay Area, the company today named Julie Davenport to the newly-created position of Senior Vice President of Sales and General Manager, Speakeasy San Francisco.

Davenport will manage Speakeasy’s San Francisco operations, lead the company’s planned west coast expansion and oversee client relations and development efforts, while also being involved with company-wide marketing and public relations strategies. She will report directly to Speakeasy President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Weiss.

Since it's founding in 1973, one of Speakeasy's cornerstones has been the commitment, depth of experience, and tenure of the instructional team it uses to drive results using its unique brand of personal and professional development. Today’s announcement signals a new focus on their west coast operations and the business communication of some of the Bay Area's most powerful companies. "That work will remain at our core," commented Weiss in making the announcement. "Our methods will always be based on a belief in the power of individual communication, and in our ability to bring that out in everyone with whom we work. At the same time, we will be opening some new service sets that will offer our current and new Bay Area clients even broader benefits from our coaching, consulting and visual communication services."

Weiss continued, "We've had longstanding relationships with a number of San Francisco, Oakland, and Silicon Valley based companies, including Visa, Cisco Systems, E&J Gallo Winery and Wells Fargo. Yet, we believe the biggest opportunities for Speakeasy and our clients lie ahead. We're making a strong commitment to be an integral part of our clients’ growth and to offering an even broader range of service to the Bay Area and entire West Coast. Julie’s business acumen, proven track record of success through partnership and ability to communicate our unique offerings make her the perfect person to lead these efforts in the Bay Area.”

Davenport has already started to put her imprint on Speakeasy San Francisco. She announced today the addition of veteran Communications Coach Victoria Squire. Squire comes to Speakeasy with over 20 years of communication instruction experience, both as a licensed speech pathologist managing her own private practice, as well as instructing her own workshops at Ohio State University and the University of California. She joins an impressive Instructor team - Danny Slomoff, Joanne Meyer and Leah Lorendo – that count four PhDs, three Masters Degrees, six Speech Pathologists, one Clinical Psychologist and nearly 50 years of Speakeasy experience among them.

With nearly 15 years of extensive sales and marketing experience at top media companies, Davenport is well-versed in building brands, developing strong relationships and growing businesses. Prior to joining Speakeasy, she served Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Radium, the San Francisco-based visual effects and design studio, where she developed new business and marketing strategies for the company. Previously, Davenport spent 13 years Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. where she oversaw promotions, public relations and sales incentives as head of marketing for Turner Sales. She left Turner to move west to work as Sales Director for E!Entertainment Television Networks and then went on to AOL where she handled music and movie business development with such clients as Universal Pictures.

Davenport commented: "As a long time Speakeasy client and someone who understands first hand the tremendous impact that truly effective communication can have in business, I am thrilled to be joining Scott’s talented team. I look forward to growing our San Francisco office and ensuring that Speakeasy plays an even larger role in the Bay Area's future -- working with both new and current clients to help them realize their full potential and helping them achieve their professional goals".

Speakeasy, Inc. (www.speakeasyinc.com) has been helping executives drive greater business success through developing more effective and impactful communication abilities for more than 30 years. The company has worked with executives at such companies at Coca-Cola, Visa, The Gillette Company, United States Postal Service, Turner Broadcasting, Nestle USA, Sprint Corporation, The Home Depot and hundreds of others. Speakeasy is based in Atlanta, with expanding operations in San Francisco and now offering programs in New York.

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Doug Foltz
VP, Visual Communications
Speakeasy
Atlanta I San Francisco I New York
404.541.4800

"Find your inner voice."