Case Study

Using design to connect a culture

When I started at Synovus, I immediately noticed a disconnect between the executive team and the average team members. I completed discovery interviews with stakeholders and found out the company had never achieved an all-team member call, and most team members could not name the CEO. I began a plan of attack to address leadership visibility from all angles and to reach all team members.

Challenges

New CEO

Fear of change

Minimal creative tools

No headcount

Vendor cost

Acquired new bank

Merging of cultures 

Leadership transparency

  • Became a trusted advisor to the executive team

  • Created an in-house agency and hired a creative team

  • Launched a new social media-like app intranet for content distribution

  • Started a campaign-focused creative and content communications approach

  • Videoed team members for the internal launch of the new brand

  • Turned a stale quarterly meeting into a showcase Leadercast event

  • Authored the company's employer value proposition and led creative for talent marketing efforts in conjunction with the HR team, including campus recruiting and the diversity symposium

  • Convinced leadership that we needed to document key moments, including organic moments, to show the human side of executives

  • Spearheaded internal CEO podcast

  • Partnered with Learning and Development to relaunch the leadership program

Solutions

  • Implemented a video storytelling approach

  • Helped develop a virtual Team Appreciation Week to be meaningful for all team members

  • Started the content council and convinced 

  • core lines of business that there was a need for content oversight and governance

  • Served on the DEI Board, co-founded Latino BRG, and led programming for all groups to ensure executives were given opportunities to speak

  • Persuaded CEO to use a new photography style and feature executives in the annual report

  • Led CEO's first leadership conference, including a run of the show, scriptwriting, designing custom stage, managing crew, branding, and decks

Results

  • Increased CEO approval rating from 60% to 84%.

  • Led more than 1K internal and external integrated campaigns in four years.

  • Perceptyx survey with a 67% response rate showed 84% of team members are engaged at work.

  • The company became certified as a Great Place to Work with 86% positive reviews.

  • Received a Future Comms award for platform adoption and engagement for the new intranet.

  • Increased talent pipeline by 150%.

  • Human Capital Management Excellence Awards were received for designing and implementing a new leader development program.

LatinX ERG

2020-22 Founding Leader and Latinx Chair
2022 Named Executive Sponsor

ROLE

A unique senior role, leading strategy and governance practices for five employee resource groups and chairing the Hispanic/Latinx group. Pivotal in developing group programming and events, navigating tough conversations at the corporate level, and leading corporate support in external association with DEI. Leads all content and creative for DEI.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Ground floor leader who co-led the foundation of all company ERGs, including recruiting leaders, developing the strategy, and authoring governance documents for all ERGs. 

Impacted overarching corporate strategy, i.e., more Hispanic team members by partnering with Talent Acquisition to hire Hispanic/Latinx talent, increasing the diverse candidate pool by 10 percent.