Leading Authorities is privately held and was founded by Mark French, a former association executive and banking veteran. Since its founding in December 1990, the company has vaulted to the top ranks of the speaking industry and carved out a reputation for innovation, proactive marketing, and exceptional service.
The Leading Authorities Team
Think of Leading Authorities as an extension of your organization. As a business communications powerhouse, we can take your meetings and events to the next level. Our goal is to provide unique, customized experiences that will highlight your business and delight your attendees.
Contact Leading Authorities via our main e-mail address, LA@Lauthorities.com or feel free to e-mail an individual member of our staff. Our e-mails are all firstname @ lauthorities.com. If you are planning a visit to our headquarters in Washington, DC, click here for directions.
Program Consultants
When clients begin planning their events, a Leading Authorities program consultant works with them to design the best program by learning about their organizations and understanding the business behind their meeting. Because our program consultants are well versed in the hot issues of the day, they can provide tailored research for each client and make recommendations that stay in line with the budget, theme, and location. These professionals are dedicated to packaging the perfect blend of speakers, entertainment, and production to create a winning event.
Washington, DC: Don Neal, Executive Vice President Rainey Foster, Partner
Tony Berardo, CMP, Senior Vice President Chris Faraji, Program Consultant Saul Farber, Program Consultant Meredith Greene, Program Consultant Lisa McFadden, Program Consultant Julie Quinlan, Program Consultant Lisa Raines, Senior Program Consultant Fred Suss, Director of Entertainment
Chicago: Ned Jovanovich, Vice President, Mid-West Operations Beaver Creek: Marina Hair, Vice President, Western Operations Miami: Laurie Austring, Program Consultant
Minneapolis: Ryan Foltz, Program Consultant
Event Coordinators
As the liaison between the talent and the client, Leading Authorities' event coordinators make sure that every booking runs like clockwork. This detail-oriented team handles all of our speakers' logistics and provides a range of services from developing itineraries and scheduling conference calls to managing book purchases and arranging meet-and-greets. By guaranteeing convenient access to your event coordinator at all times, Leading Authorities ensures a smooth and hassle-free event.
Leading Authorities has distinguished itself among other groups by establishing strong relationships with the finest talent in the industry. By continuing to attract top speakers and entertainers to our company, our business development staff enables you to get the most from your investment. The marketing team provides detailed and polished information about our talent offerings through print materials, videos, and our Web site. In addition, the marketing team hosts many events each year to showcase Leading Authorities’ roster of speakers and range of production capabilities.
Matt Jones, Senior Vice President Kate Burns, Creative Director Catherine Cooling, Coordinator, Marketing Events and Sponsorships Kathleen French-Strong, Marketing Coordinator Rebecca Garcia, Business Development and Marketing Coordinator Pete Jones, Writer
Production
Leading Authorities’ cutting-edge production house offers full-service event production and marketing communication services. With a team of the industry’s top talent, the production staff delivers fresh ideas, creative production, and limitless resources. By capturing the speakers, entertainers, and events on film, our producers create top-quality promotional materials to use online, onstage, or in the boardroom. In addition, the creative media staff provides range of on-site production services such as site selection, staging, show management, and more. Running the backstage, behind-the-scenes action is what this team does best.
Tom Cahill, Vice President, Production Services Helena Lehman, CMP, Vice President and Managing Director James Favata, Editor, Associate Producer Elizabeth Hamilton, Production Coordinator Caleb Heller, Editor/Animator
Business Operations
Our business operations staff keeps the company online, organized, and operational. Specifically, the accounting department is available to assist with billing or payment questions. And, if you are interested in a rewarding career in a dynamic and growing organization, please click here to see the opportunities available at our company.
Monique Remy, Vice President and Controller Barbara Banks, Administrative Assistant/Human Resources Anlyn DiPalma, Accounting Assistant Anar Farajov, Accountant Thai Ton, Accountant
