About SHIFT

SHIFT Communications was founded in April, 2003, by Jim Joyal, Todd Defren, and Ed Weiler -- three colleagues who have worked closely together in PR for the past decade. Our offices around the country include more than 50 top-quality account service professionals, in addition to the members of our internal support teams. The majority of the account service personnel have experience inside both corporate and agency environments, enabling them to see situations from the client’s view as well as the agency’s. More specifically, our staff members have held positions in a comprehensive range of positions including:

Marketing/public relations managers inside technology companies
Marketing specialists within financial firms
Newspaper reporters
Broadcast journalists
Freelance writers
Account specialists, managers, supervisors and vice presidents at other public relations agencies

As a result of the staff's combined expertise, each SHIFT client receives a global perspective that leads to specific solutions for communications, marketing, and product positioning objectives.

Jim Joyal, Principal
Leads the 50-person agency and is responsible for its overall direction, business development efforts, and growth plans.

Prior to SHIFT, was at Sterling Hager, joining in March 1986 as an account manager and holding various positions, including manager of the medical technology division, until becoming president in October 2000.

Earlier experience in the marketing communications department of Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), as the director of practice development for Occupational Therapy Associates in San Diego, and as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy from 1979 to 1982 and as a Navy reservist from 1986 to 1995.

Education: bachelor's degree in occupational therapy and master's degree in public relations, both from Boston University.

Todd Defren, Principal
Leads the agency's client services and business development.

Prior to SHIFT, was at Sterling Hager, joining in 1994 as an account manager and reaching the level of managing director of the San Francisco office in August 2000. During his agency tenure, he held the positions of senior account manager, director, and vice president, account services.

Earlier experience in managing the strategic and tactical corporate communications at ENTEX Information Services (a $2 billion New York-based PC systems integrator, now part of Siemens AG).

Education: bachelor's degree in literature from Bard College. He also served as a visiting professor at Emerson College in Boston, lecturing on marketing and public relations on the Internet.

Ed Weiler, Principal
Helps lead the agency and oversees its operations and finances, working as its chief operating officer.

Prior to SHIFT, was COO of Sterling Hager, which he joined in 1994 as controller. He was promoted to vice president, operations and finance and then to chief operating officer.

Earlier experience includes a partnership in the CPA firm of Pepe Pellitier & McShane.

Education: bachelor’s degree in accounting from Stonehill College. He passed all parts of Massachusetts's CPA exam.

Robert Collins, Vice President
Works with numerous major technology firms, with a current focus on e-commerce, B2B, supply chain, telecommunications, storage, and knowledge management solutions.

Responsible for high-level strategic counsel and supporting public relations programs, including media and analyst relations, partnership programs and helping clients increase valuation through generating greater market awareness and differentiation.

Prior to SHIFT, joined Sterling Hager in 1996 as an account manager, reaching the level of VP in February 2001.

Earlier experience as an account manager and director of new business development for Gray & Rice Public Relations, where he managed a variety of technology accounts, ranging from telecommunications, ERP and data management systems to MES/CMMS software packages. Before that, he was director of sales and marketing for Travent International, a $10 million luxury bicycling touring company.

Education: bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in English and legal studies from the University of Massachusetts.

Diane Nelson, Vice President
Has led communications programs for a variety of emerging-growth technology companies, including market leaders in Internet security, online advertising and Internet infrastructure. Her client experience also includes crisis communications counsel, consumer product marketing and event planning. Prior to SHIFT, she was at Sterling Hager for four years.

Earlier experience includes three years with Images & Details, Inc., a boutique consumer PR and marketing firm outside of NYC, where she developed and implemented national and regional PR and marketing strategies for international luxury brands.

Education: bachelor's degree in communication from Fairfield University.

Shelly Outwater, Director
Provides strategic counsel and overall management of public relations programs to clients in a variety of industries.

Experience includes crisis communications counsel, financial communications for publicly traded firms, marketing communications and event planning for emerging-growth and established companies.

Prior to SHIFT, was at Sterling Hager, joining in 1997 as an account executive, reaching the level of director in 2004. Earlier experience in marketing communications at Nicoll Public Relations and Martin Thomas, Inc. Before that, she was employed by Johnson & Wales University in both the University’s public relations and admissions departments.

Education: bachelor’s degree in advertising/communications from Johnson & Wales University.

Parry Headrick, Director of Sales & Marketing
From his post within SHIFT's San Francisco office, Headrick uses his 10 years of communications experience to lead the Agency's coast-to-coast efforts to stimulate brand awareness, leverage client successes, and gain significant market share nationally.

Prior to joining SHIFT as an Account Manager in 2003, Headrick was at Sterling Hager, Inc., since January 2000. Prior to Sterling Hager, he was a Senior Writer at PENTA Communications, a marketing/public relations firm headquartered in Westborough, MA.

Headrick also served as a general assignment reporter at two mid-sized daily newspapers, including the Waterbury Republican-American, a Pulitzer Prize-winning publication in Waterbury, CT, and the Lowell Sun in Lowell, MA.

Education: BS in journalism at Boston University.

Monica Pandolfi, Director
With more than 13 years of public relations experience, leads SHIFT’s Emerging Businesses Practice. Oversees aggressive and customized public relations programs for clients in markets including storage, medical devices and enterprise software. Expertise includes helping companies solidify their messaging and positioning in their target markets and securing both high-level business press and trade press coverage for clients.

Prior to SHIFT, was at Sterling Hager as a senior manager. Earlier experience, with Boston-area PR firms, Lois Paul & Partners and CHEN PR where she gained experience working with Tivoli Systems (acquired by IBM), IBM’s Networking Hardware Group, and several start-ups in the e-commerce marketplace.

Education: Bachelor of Science degree (with honors) in public relations from Boston University’s College of Communication.