Laurent Pernot - Core Competencies

• Institutional Strategy and Efficiency, Governance
  • Served as executive, chief of staff, and strategic adviser to leadership at major institutions and corporations, driving organizational transformation and positioning, aligning team, budgets, and operations with strategic goals.
  • Directed multi-million dollar operational and capital portfolios: Led development of a $500 million system budget for a government agency;  managed site selection, co-led bond issue, and provided construction oversight for the $251 million Malcolm X College campus building and other major capital projects.
  • Formulated and executed organization-wide strategic plans, successfully driving major institutional and departmental turnarounds and cross-functional reorganizations, record outcomes, and comprehensive structural reforms across corporate and non-profit environments.
  • Revitalized a foundation, more than doubling revenue.
  • Coordinated successful COVID-19 response for an institution that was among the first to bring back staff and customers on site to preserve vital in-person operations.
  • Provided strategic input and direct support to boards and board leadership.
• Crisis Management, Communications & Brand Strategy
  • Directed high-stakes crisis response and issues management for complex organizations, navigating accidents, misconduct, food safety, labor strife, high-profile investigations, leadership transitions, and public safety challenges.
  • Led high-visibility messaging and winning public relations campaigns, and institutional rebranding efforts across diverse sectors, including higher for several municipalities, non-profits and Fortune 500 corporations.
  • Oversaw communications for referenda and other legislative efforts.
  • Branded and rebranded several corporate and higher education entities and awareness campaigns.
• External Relations, Partnerships, Government & Labor Relations
  • Spearheaded strategic engagement, corporate partnerships, and government relations, moving legislative agendas and securing major donations and managing stakeholder relationships across nonprofit, corporate, and public sectors.
  • Led landmark public-private and municipal initiatives, including the winning effort to attract Toyota Park (now SeatGeek Stadium) to Bridgeview, Illinois, and executing large-scale public affairs campaigns on behalf of several trade and business groups, and the Chicago departments of Housing and Aviation.
  • Lead negotiator for more than 20 collective bargaining agreements across complex organizational networks.

Chief of Staff, Columbia College Chicago

Executive Vice Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago

Principal, Platform Public Affairs

Vice President, Public Affairs, Hill & Knowlton

Vice President, Public Affairs, Jasculca/Terman & Associates

Newsbureau editor, University of Illinois at Chicago

Editor, Chicago International Film Festival

Instructor, University of Illinois at Chicago