Hello! I'm Carrie Wanous.
I live at the intersection of communications and finance. Simplifying the complex to tell compelling stories is my favorite part of what I do. With 12 years of experience and a master's degree in communications, I pair communications strategy with an understanding of the investment landscape to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.
Experience
Work History
With more than a decade of experience, I've had the privilege of working in an agency setting, in-house at a Fortune 100 company and in the public sector. The majority of my experience has been in financial services, with each role bringing new challenges, growth and opportunity.
Communications Director, Wealth Matters Consulting
2016Â - Present
In my current role, I lead communications strategy and execution for the clients of Wealth Matters, which include independent wealth management firms, asset managers, private equity firms and regional banks.
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Develop and drive the communications strategy for each client account, ensuring alignment with the client’s unique missions, goals and differentiators
Collaborate with firm leadership to create timely internal and external-facing content
Write messaging for marketing materials, including pitchbooks, website language and print materials, ensuring alignment among key messages and optimization for each channel
Plan and execute webinar events with firm leadership with guest speakers from well-known investment institutions. This includes pre-event promotion, presentation development and creating post-event materials
Work in tandem with chief investment officers to produce investment commentaries that establish the firm as a thought-leader
Lead communications for two recently launched podcasts hosted by firm executives
Deliver weekly communications updates to clients’ senior leadership teams
Senior Communications Specialist, Safeco Insurance, Liberty Mutual Group
2013Â - 2014
Researched, wrote and edited articles for a weekly e-newsletter and website for the independent insurance agency owners who sold Safeco’s products
Worked closely with senior leaders to develop presentations delivered to internal and external audiences, including the company’s top-performing insurance agents
Managed public relations strategy for Safeco’s Agent Giving Program, which provides grants to charities nominated by insurance agents who sell Safeco products
Improved the customer experience and business efficiency by transforming a print campaign into email, reducing policyholder phone calls to insurance agency offices
Planned, wrote and edited articles for a weekly e-newsletter and website, which promoted Safeco’s products, brand and reputation in the community with an audience of 60,000 independent insurance agencies
Created and executed communications plans for cross-functional projects, including one project that sought to retain the 1 million policyholders who came onto Safeco’s book as a result of acquisitions by Safeco’s parent company, Liberty Mutual
Communications Specialist, Safeco Insurance, Liberty Mutual Group
2010 - 2013
Introduced content segmentation into the Safeco employee newsletter process, resulting in increased readership metrics and improved employee satisfaction scores
Managed an executive communications initiative that facilitated dialogue between staff and senior leaders through small in-person events, blogs and a question-and-answer campaign
Co-led the launch of a new employee intranet
Created a communications strategy for the annual employee giving campaign, which contributed to an increase in employee participation three years in a row
Intern, Office of Management and Finance, City of Portland
2010
Wrote and distributed media backgrounders for economic development initiatives
Conducted focus groups to instruct the development of youth initiatives
Served on the steering committee for the new City of Portland website
Education
2022
Master's, Strategic Communication, University of Oregon
Designed for experienced professionals, this program covered communications strategy, campaign planning, leadership, finance, crisis communications and research methodology.
4.1 GPA
Winner of the 2021 Arthur W. Page Society Case Study Competition
2010
Bachelor's, Public Relations, School of Journalism & Communications, University of Oregon
Selected to participate in the Portland Experience internship program where I worked for the City of Portland's Office of Management and Finance
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.