Fred Ramos, Principal at Ramos & Associates, is an independent senior business executive and strategic counselor to senior management with Global Communications and Public Relations expertise and Thought Leadership.
A 25-year Corporate Communications and Public Relations veteran, Fred has held numerous leadership positions at several Fortune 100 companies — where he has had a successful track record in applying his expertise to help drive and support strategic and operational business goals and objectives.
Most recently, Fred served as Senior Vice President of Communications and Government Relations at Advocate Healthcare, headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois – the leading healthcare provider in Illinois. In this role, he directed, developed and executed the organization’s integrated Internal and External Communications, Media Relations, Community Relations, and Government Relations strategy, and led a system-wide Center of Expertise, to tell the Advocate story with “One Voice,” position the organization favorably with key publics and help drive employee alignment, engagement and commitment.
Prior to joining Advocate in 2007, Fred served as Senior Director and Global Head of Internal Communications at Merck & Co., Inc., headquartered in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. While at Merck, which he joined in mid-2004, and in light of the Company’s unexpected, voluntary major product withdrawal in the fall of 2004 (Vioxx) — and a subsequent change at the top of the organization in May of 2005 — he played a key role in crisis communications and reputation management, led Merck’s CEO transition communications planning and execution, and provided the new CEO with executive communications and turnaround strategy communications support. This work focused on Merck’s “Plan to Win” strategy, operating globally as “One Merck,” and communicating with “One Voice.”
In addition to his communication leadership role at Merck, Fred has served as Communications Officer, Corporate Communications, at Nationwide Insurance and Financial Services, in Columbus, Ohio; as Managing Head of Corporate Communications at Phillips Petroleum Company, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma; and as Senior Director of Corporate Communications, among numerous PR and communications leadership roles held during a 16-year career, at Allstate Insurance Company — where he directed companywide communications strategy, measurement and best practices initiatives — cutting-edge work for which Allstate and Fred became well recognized.
Fred holds a B.A. in Communications, and an M.B.A., from Northern Illinois University, in DeKalb, Illinois. A long-time Chicagoan, Fred is also a die-hard Cubs fan. He is married and has two teen-aged children.
