John Berard
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| Affiliation: | Credible Context |
| Country: | USA |
| Email: | john [at] crediblecontext.com |
| LinkedIn: |  [crediblecontext John Berard]
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John Berard is a member of the ICANN Business Constituency and the founder, and sole proprietor, of Credible Context.[1]
His company, Credible Context, seeks to help companies reveal their context and power market-making messaging. The result is the ability to identify, align, arm, and activate supporters.
Background
Previously, he was the CEO of Rabio Corporation, a start-up based on the notion that privacy can be a meaningful business model.
He worked for almost five years at Zeno Group, a company that specializes in marketing consumer, healthcare, and technology brands with big, bold thinking that's unencumbered by traditional PR boundaries.
Prior to joining Zeno Group, Berard was the San Francisco-based General Manager, West Coast Operations for FitzGerald Communications, a technology and biotechnology-focused public relations agency with its headquarters in Boston .[2]
Earlier in his career, from 1996 to 1999, John was the general manager of the Fleishman-Hillard office in San Francisco and deputy director of that firm's technology practice. In those posts, he counseled a wide range of public affairs, technology and corporate clients.
Before moving to San Francisco in 1996 he served as director of Hill & Knowlton, within their New York technology team; working directly with the chairman. In that capacity he was the firm's spokesperson on matters related to its work on behalf of clients, as well as the relationship manager for one of the firm's largest, global accounts.
In 1997, he was a founding member of the board of TRUSTe, the online privacy rights group. He served on the board until the end of 2004. More recently, John was a member of the board of the IAPP, the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He remains a member of the organization for corporate and governmental professionals engaged in privacy.[3]
He participates in different meeting and events ogranized by the ICT sectors and organizations. He writes regularly on CircleID[4], and his company's website, Credible Context[5], about ICT and PR related topics.
He is a graduate of Rutgers College in New Brunswick, New Jersey with a degree in Human Communication.
Civic Engagement
His long career has been forged in three corporate cities of America. He began in the financial market of New York City, then spent 15 years in the legal oriented capital, Washington, D.C.; and since 1996, he has been based in San Francisco supporting the marketing of technology companies.
John practices one essential aspect of counsel he promotes to clients: It is important to be a participant in the communities you serve. He has served as a member of the board of the D.C. Hotline, the Washington, D.C. crisis counseling service and as a communications advisor to the National Capital Food Bank, also in Washington, D.C.
He was a communications adviser to the San Francisco Food Bank for four years before serving two terms on the board, where he was part of the effort to help develop a “consumer” brand to elevate public awareness and provide a stronger profile for giving. He is currently a member of the board of The Market Street Railway, the private support organization for historic street cars in San Francisco.
ICANN
In 2010, he was elected to the policy-setting General Names Supporting Organization Council inside ICANN; he is also a member of its Business Constituency. His term is to last through the 2014 Annual Meeting.[6]
Career History
- Director of Public Affairs at Associated General Contractors of America, 1980-1983.
- Deputy General Manager at Hill & Knowlton, 1986-1996.
- General Managerat Fleishman-Hillard, May 1996-April 1999.
- General Manager, West Coast Operations at FitzGerald Communications, May 1999-March 2003.
- Managing Director and Senior Consultant at Zeno Group, April 2003-June 2007.
- Board Member at International Association of Privacy Professionals, 2003-2008.
- CEO at Rabio Corporation, July 2007-April 2009.
- Founder at Credible Context, May 2009-Present.
- Member at ICANN Business Constituency, June 2010-Present.