Maria Rodriguez is the President of Vanguard, a company she co-founded 25 years ago. Learn more about Maria on her Leadership Page.
VC President Maria Rodriguez with Diane MacEachern at one of Vanguard's first media events
Vanguard just celebrated its 25th anniversary; in one word describe:
The PR industry in 1987: Intriguing
The PR industry today: Credible
The PR industry in 2037: Indispensible
In one word describe:
Yourself: Caring
Your work style: Thoughtful
Your legacy: Value-driven
Finish the following sentences:
What excites me the most about the future of public relations is … everything. The opportunities to apply public relations to better the world are endless.
To me, innovation is … what keeps us engaged and excited to do what we do. There’s no room for complacency at Vanguard!
I knew I wanted to work in public relations when … I met my former business partner, Diane MacEachern. She taught me that PR and marketing skills could be put to work to change the world. I’ll always be grateful!
The communicator who inspires me is … all around me. Inspiring communicators come into my life in so many ways — musicians, writers, artists and traditional orators. Inspiration is easy to find if you’re open to it!
My advice for future communicators for social change is … to love what you do. Social change doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time and lots of hard work, so you need to really love what you do.
If I didn’t work in public relations I would … go on tour with Bruce Springsteen or be a teacher (and tour in the summer!).
I want to be remembered at Vanguard for … being inclusive.
Most people at Vanguard don’t know this, but I … spent many summers with my grandmother who lived in a small rural village in Spain without running water. I credit her and those summers for my resilience!
