Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

About Me

Gerard F. Corbett is CEO of Redphlag LLC, a strategic communications and marketing management consulting firm, a position to which he was named in January 2008. He also runs an executive and career coaching practice and is a blogger on career development and job search. Previously he was Vice President of the Branding and Corporate Communications Group of $100 billion Hitachi, Ltd.

Prior to joining Hitachi in 1995, Mr. Corbett was vice president of corporate communications for Loral Corporation. From 1989 to 1994, he was director of global corporate communications for ASARCO Incorporated, a diversified, vertically integrated nonferrous metals producer. Previously he was director of corporate communications and public relations from 1982 to 1989 for Gould Inc., a diversified international electronics company. Prior to Gould, he was manager of technology and executive communications for the International Harvester Company. He previously served from 1979 to 1981 as a senior account executive for the public relations firm of Creamer Dickson Basford in Providence, Rhode Island. He also served as a senior technical writer for Four Phase Systems, Inc. and National Semiconductor Corporation, and a scientific programmer at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Mountain View, Calif.

A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mr. Corbett has a Bachelors of Arts degree in public relations from San Jose State University, San Jose, California, and an Associates of Arts with a major in electronics engineering from the Community College of Philadelphia.

Mr. Corbett serves on the Board of Directors of Kids’ Turn of San Francisco. He is a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; an accredited member (APR), chair-elect, member of the board and member of the College of Fellows of the Public Relations Society of America; a member of the board and past president of the International Advertising Association/West; a member of the Arthur Page Society, the National Investor Relations Institute, National Association of Science Writers, Society of Automotive Engineers, San Francisco PR Roundtable, International Coaching Federation, Social Media Club and New York PR Society.

Mr. Corbett was named InsidePR Magazine - Public Relations All Star for his leadership role on behalf of the nonferrous metals producers of North America. He is listed in Marquis Who's Who and is a member of Kappa Tau Alpha, the National Journalism Honor Society.

Work History

• Redphlag LLC
• The PR Job Coach
• January 2009 to Present

• The PR Job Coach provides personalized coaching and mentoring services for public relations professionals and those entering and interested in the field.

  Services include:

  ■ Career Counseling
  ■ Coaching
  ■ Job Search
  ■ Organization Dynamics
  ■ Personal Branding
  ■ Social Media
  ■ Resume Review

• Redphlag LLC
• CEO
• January 2008 to Present

• Founder and consultant of this marketing, communications, coaching and consulting services firm.
  • Serving as marketing consultant for middleware startup focused on smart grid and home networking.
  • Business development and marketing consulting for real estate platform startup and optical topography startup
  • Coaching business development and communications executives on organization dynamics, career development and job search.
  • Social media counseling to non-profit organization focused on family

• Hitachi
• Vice President and General Manager
• June 1995 to December 2007

• Senior executive driving the branding, corporate advertising, public relations, investor relations, corporate marketing, Internet, customer support and executive and employee communications and community relations for Hitachi and the Hitachi brand based at Hitachi America (the North America regional headquarters of $112 billion, Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.)

• Loral Corporation
• Vice President
• January 1994 to June 1995

• Served as Vice President, Corporate Communications and corporate officer for Loral Corporation (previously one of the nation’s largest U.S. defense contractors).

  • Contributed to Increased Shareholder Value. Developed and managed a robust investor relations program to help drive the desired valuation of the company, effectively analyzing and disseminating the company story, enhancing and maintaining the credibility of top management through various means of disclosure, continued development of the shareholder base, and improved analyst coverage.

  • Implemented Proactive Corporate Communications for Multiple Business Deals. Oversaw communications for the acquisition of IBM Federal Systems Division, the IPO of Loral’s Globalstar Satellite Telecommunications venture, and the resolution of the troubled FAA automation program. Demonstrated the ability to work effectively with media and a variety of business partners.

• ASARCO Incorporated
• Director, Corporate Communications
• September 1989 to December 1993

• Leadership role, serving as head of corporate and financial communications and industry relations for ASARCO Incorporated, a global integrated producer of non-ferrous metals.

  • Enhanced Public Awareness & Corporate Profile. Championed effective communications strategies in support of corporate goals and the promotion of the company’s achievements. Executed an extensive environmental communications program covering Super Fund sites in Washington State, Montana, Colorado, Texas, New Jersey and Arizona; as a result of this effort on behalf of the North America metal producers, named “PR All Star” by Inside PR, a leading industry publication.

• Gould Inc.
• Director, PR and Corporate Communications
• June 1982 to August 1989

Education

• San Jose State University
• B.A., Public Relations, Journalism, Advertising
• 1974 - 1977

• Kappa Tau Alpha, Journalism Honor Society

• Community College of Philadelphia
• A.A. General Academics, Electronics Engineering
• 1968 - 1970